| Unlike the Lunt LS60T/Ha solar telescope (that shows you solar prominences and flares in the red light of Hydrogen-alpha), the Lunt LS60T/CaK Calcium K solar scope takes you to a deeper level of observing by isolating the violet/blue Calcium K wavelength of light, rather than the red H-alpha wavelength. The Lunt LS60T/CaK scope shows you the chromospheric network of ionized calcium emissions on the face of the Sun created when supergranulation cells collect and strengthen while sweeping through the Sun’s magnetic fields, providing new information on solar activity and weather.
You see plages, active regions, and magnetic storms in a layer of ionized calcium gas that is cooler and lower in the chromosphere than the H-alpha emissions visible in the Lunt 60mm H-Alpha solar scope. The Lunt 60mm Calcium K telescope reveals solar activity on the face of the Sun once thought impossible for an amateur telescope to capture.
The use of the word “see” in the last paragraph may be a bit of a misnomer for most people. The primary purpose of this, or any, Calcium K telescope is imaging. As we get older, our eyes become less sensitive to the violet/blue wavelength of Calcium K emissions, due to the unavoidable process of aging. Due to the short wavelength of the Calcium K emission line, most middle aged and older observers will have difficulty seeing significant detail when using an eyepiece with the Lunt LS60T/CaK telescope. However, imaging at this wavelength using an optional standard camera or webcam is relatively easy and produces images that are readily viewable. Thanks to such cameras’ ability to adjust the image contrast, Calcium K detail can easily be displayed for all to see on a computer screen using the Celestron NexImage Solar System Imager (#NEXIM) or the Meade Lunar/Planetary Imager (#ASLPI).
The Lunt LS60T/CaK system consists of a 500mm focal length, 60mm aperture, f/8.33 refractor with an integrated Calcium K solar filter. The two-part filter uses an internal etalon behind the objective lens and a 6mm blocking filter built into the standard equipment 1.25” star diagonal. The scope’s achromatic doublet objective lens is fully multicoated. The filter has a <2.4 Ångstrom passband, centered on the Calcium K line at 3934Å and rejecting all other light from extreme ultraviolet to far infrared. The filter is thermally stable, so there is no drifting off the Calcium K line as the filter heats up during use. The 6mm clear aperture of the blocking filter portion of Calcium K system (built into the diagonal housing) is ideally matched to the focal length of the telescope to give you an approximately 4.5mm diameter image of the full disk of the Sun at prime focus.
The scope uses a dual-speed Crayford focuser with a 10:1 reduction ratio for precision focusing on the smallest of solar details. Large ribbed focusing knobs make it easy for you to reach a precise focus, even if you are observing in the dead of winter while wearing gloves or mittens.
The Lunt LS60T/CaK comes with a clamshell-type mounting ring with 1/4”-20 thread holes that will let you mount the scope directly on an altazimuth mount with slow motion controls for a quick shot of the Sun. You can also mount the clamshell ring on a dovetail plate and install it on an equatorial mount for easier extended multi-shot imaging while tracking the Sun. A foam-lined hard case is standard equipment for transporting and storing your Lunt scope.
The price shown in the introductory pre-order price. The price is subject to change without notice and/or obligation once the Lunt LS60T/CaK Calcium K solar scope is in full production. |