ATM Advise, please...

[Bob Prabowo <BOB@bahana.co.id>]

Hi guys,

I need some advise. We had a guest came to our club meeting last week,
he's from the Science Center. Turned out that the program we had the
previous week was regarded a big success, and they want to include
amateur astronomy or astronomy observation in their program. This
science center (just like any other science center I guess) displayes
various kind of equipments, like jet engine, auto engine those kinds of
things. And they also has some interactive tools, which the visitors can
use to understand the work of some of the physical laws.

Anyway, what they have in mind is a telescope which connected to a tv
monitor so that the visitors can see the sky objects, like planets, star
clusters etc. The problem with this plan is that the Science Center only
open during the day. So I told them to consider our own star as the
object, the sun with hydrogen alpha filter will be a real treat for the
visitors. Hopefully they will agree to it.

The plan is to attached a video camera to a telescope, this camera will
realy live images of the sun to a tv monitor inside the Science Center
building. The telescope will be set up in the yard (in an observatory
doom, or something like that) and left unattended.

Now I need your advise on the followings:
1. Can I use a Newtonion telescope on Dobsonian mount for solar
observing? Will an equatorial platform work for this kind of set up (the
scope will be left unattended for hours)? Or does the scope have to be
equatorially mounted? 

They want to have a home made Dobsonian telescope (like my 13" which was
displayed during the scientific camping) so that the visitors can see
that a telecope can be home made. I love it, they also want to introduce
telescope making!

2.What is the ideal aperture for solar observation? My impression is
that a 4" or 6" will do. is it correct? 
3.Which one is better, let the visitors peep through the eyepiece and
experience solar observation with their own eyes, or use a tv monitor to
watch the sun? Which one will leave the best impression to the visitors?
And what about the video camera, what is the specification for a camera
to be used in this kind of set up?

4. In Sky & Telescope, there was an article about a fellow ATMer (I'm
really sorry I do not remember his name) who built a transparent
telescope and use it to show the public how the telescope work. I'm
thinking about building the same equipment and display it. Can anybody
tell me who this guy is, or are you on this list?

5. I have no experience with solar observation, let alone hydrogen alpha
solar observation, so the biggest question is: is this plan doable? How
much money should we expect to spend?

Thanks in advance for any advice guys.
Bob P. Sumitro
Jakarta, Indonesia

visit my still-under-construction astronomy and telescope making page:
http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Hall/2670/