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Baader Planetarium's AstroSolar™ Safety Film delivers white light views of the Sun that are unmatched by any other objective solar filter or material. The views through AstroSolar™ film display fine solar details, including fine penumbral detail, solar granulation, and lighter colored faculae. The disk is set against a dark background, free of the haze and scatter that is common in typical 'mylar' films or inexpensive glass filters. The performance of AstroSolar™ film is even more remarkable when considering its very low cost. When combined with Baader's included instructions for a simple do-it-yourself filter mount, anyone can construct a complete low cost, high quality white light solar filter for any telescope.
Optical Quality
This highest precision film consistently produces strehl ratios of 94 to 96 percent in interferometric tests - thus it performs optically as well as a high quality Fluorite Triplet Lens by Carl Zeiss (per interferometric test results). Baader even had a hard time themselves seeing any difference in performance between AstroSolar™ and 1/20 wave precision optical windows which they stocked from Zeiss. Their stock of precision polished plates runs into tens of thousands of dollars - all stocked for the 1999 eclipse - but AstroSolar™ was so good in fact, that these plates were hard to sell. Baader AstroSolar™ Safety Film shows notably more sharpness and contrast than any competitive objective filter, especially including the affordable Glass Objective Filters and Mylar filters.
What is even more important, with AstroSolar™ the Sun appears in its real color: neutral white (with only a slight bluish tinge). Other films and glass filters produce a blurry bluish or reddish/orange/yellow Solar image, thereby cutting part of the spectrum. Especially with an orange sun, it is very hard to see faculae regions which are visible predominantly in the blue portion of the spectrum.
Eye safety
AstroSolar™ is essentially free from pinholes, since - unlike even the most expensive glass filters - it is coated on both sides, so that the chance of two pinholes overlapping each other is extremely faint. Pinholes do appear, but to 1 out of 10000 only, in optical density 2.5! Baader AstroSolar™ safety film has been approved for eye safety by the National Bureau of Standards in Germany, the PTB. Unlike any other Solar Filter on the market, AstroSolar™ is CE-tested according to EG-Norm 89/686 and EN 169/92 (notified body 0196). All processes connected to this product have been thoroughly tested. Coatings are inspected constantly for consistency to ensure your eye safety!
Specifications
- Filter Rating: Visual (ND5)
- Size: A4 Sheet (7.9" x 11.8")