<p>Solar telescopes typically have filters to reduce the amount of light reaching their detector. Depending on their purpose they may use, for example, neutral density filters to reduce the amount of light to a level where they can resolve details without blocking any of the visible spectrum, hydrogen alpha filters to observe the Sun at a wavelength of 656 nanometres for observing features in the Sun's atmosphere such as solar prominences and the chromosphere, or blocking the solar disc to observe the Sun's corona, flares and other ejecta.</p>

<p>Hubble, on the other hand, is designed with a very different purpose in mind such as taking long-exposure images to obtain the deep- and ultra-deep field full spectrum images. It avoids the Sun as even a very short exposure to the Sun would damage its instruments.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-12-01T20:39:56.137Z
True, but doesn't really answer the question.
Trip Space-Parasite
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-12-02T02:14:43.210Z
How would a solar telescope differ from e.g. Hubble? Easier to criticise in one line than to write an answer?
Mick
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-12-01T00:43:37.650Z
2017-12-01T00:43:37.650Z
Mick
<p>There's no lack of photons, how well could a telescope resolve Sun spots and other surface features of the Sun? How would a high resolution Solar (space) telescope differ from for example Hubble which avoids the Sun by a 50° angle or so?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-26T02:01:21.630Z
On the surface (through the daytime atmosphere), or in space?
uhoh
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-26T11:42:29.927Z
Info on a space telescope that look at the Sun is readily available. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinode
ProfRob
<the-sun><observational-astronomy><optics>
How well can the Sun's surface be resolved by an observatory?
LocalFluff
# How well can the Sun's surface be resolved by an observatory?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-11-25)

There's no lack of photons, how well could a telescope resolve Sun spots and other surface features of the Sun? How would a high resolution Solar (space) telescope differ from for example Hubble which avoids the Sun by a 50° angle or so?

**Tags:** the-sun, observational-astronomy, optics

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: On the surface (through the daytime atmosphere), or in space?  
> **username_2**: Info on a space telescope that look at the Sun is readily available. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinode  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2017-12-01. Score: -1

Solar telescopes typically have filters to reduce the amount of light reaching their detector. Depending on their purpose they may use, for example, neutral density filters to reduce the amount of light to a level where they can resolve details without blocking any of the visible spectrum, hydrogen alpha filters to observe the Sun at a wavelength of 656 nanometres for observing features in the Sun's atmosphere such as solar prominences and the chromosphere, or blocking the solar disc to observe the Sun's corona, flares and other ejecta.

Hubble, on the other hand, is designed with a very different purpose in mind such as taking long-exposure images to obtain the deep- and ultra-deep field full spectrum images. It avoids the Sun as even a very short exposure to the Sun would damage its instruments.

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: True, but doesn't really answer the question.  
> **username_3**: How would a solar telescope differ from e.g. Hubble? Easier to criticise in one line than to write an answer?  

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