Pin Hole Camera for Solar Viewing?

[Airconvent]

I already ordered my Thousand Oaks solar specs from Sam but can't help but wonder if a pin hole camera would also be equally as effective?
Remember back in your primary school days you used a milk tin with a hole punched and black art paper?
Would the hole have to be perfective round? If the hole is punched unevenly as would be expected if caused by a nail, would the image be correspondingly be distorted?
Would this be a suitable cheap medium to view the Venus transit?
Just curious

rich

[kayheem]

I already ordered my Thousand Oaks solar specs from Sam but can't help but wonder if a pin hole camera would also be equally as effective?
Remember back in your primary school days you used a milk tin with a hole punched and black art paper?
Would the hole have to be perfective round? If the hole is punched unevenly as would be expected if caused by a nail, would the image be correspondingly be distorted?
Would this be a suitable cheap medium to view the Venus transit?
Just curious

rich

Hi Rich,

If I remember correctly, the image is formed on tracing paper. The hole need not be perfectly round for a good image, but it has to be small. IMHO, it would be pretty useless to view the transit as the image size is small and the resolution of the tracing paper is terrible .

Better to stick with a scope and solar filter.

Kay Heem

[Airconvent]

Hi Rich,
If I remember correctly, the image is formed on tracing paper. The hole need not be perfectly round for a good image, but it has to be small. IMHO, it would be pretty useless to view the transit as the image size is small and the resolution of the tracing paper is terrible .
Better to stick with a scope and solar filter.
Kay Heem

Hi Kay Heem,
I once saw this documentary featuring some scientist standing under a large disk with a hole on it. They noted the sunspots on the projected image of the sun through the hole on the floor. Looks feasible?
rich

[kayheem]

Hi Kay Heem,
I once saw this documentary featuring some scientist standing under a large disk with a hole on it. They noted the sunspots on the projected image of the sun through the hole on the floor. Looks feasible?
rich

Not too sure about this method. From what I understand, Venus will be smaller than a sunspot, so I do not know if it will work.

Kay Heem

[kingkong]

since i don't get a reply on the baader solar filter sheet, i have been considering one of this:
solarscope: http://www.solarscope.com/en/index.en.html
but at around rm400.... it's not exactly cheap!
there's an even more expensive one:
sunspotter: http://www.cloudynights.com/solar/sunspotter.htm
http://www.starlab.com/ltiprodsun3big.gif
but at usd350 a pop!!

the above has optics in them, apparently can diy simple pinhole projector like this:
http://www.eaaa.net/pinhole.htm

i'm going to miss the venus transit..

anyone know a good site to see it online realtime?

chaos, can help me buy the baader? :oops:

[Airconvent]

since i don't get a reply on the baader solar filter sheet, i have been considering one of this:
solarscope: http://www.solarscope.com/en/index.en.html
but at around rm400.... it's not exactly cheap!
there's an even more expensive one:
sunspotter: http://www.cloudynights.com/solar/sunspotter.htm
http://www.starlab.com/ltiprodsun3big.gif
but at usd350 a pop!!

the above has optics in them, apparently can diy simple pinhole projector like this:
http://www.eaaa.net/pinhole.htm

i'm going to miss the venus transit..

anyone know a good site to see it online realtime?

chaos, can help me buy the baader? :oops:

Have you tried Samuel from Harlequin Astronomics?
Maybe he has a solution for your scope? But I understand there is a world wide demand and stocks may not arrive in time for 8 June....so its better if you buy it for normal solar viewing..

rich

[ykchia]

Hi folks:

The other method is via projection. Project the sun image onto a white card. Since you can find sunspot this way- this applies to the small black dot from Venus..
The pin hole probably works on solar eclipse where big chunk of the solar disk is affected - similar to those seen eclipsed sun shadows on the ground... ( leaves with holes act as pin hole...)

ykchia

[ykchia]

Oops - i mean projection of solar disk via a pair of binoculars...onto a white card..

[MooEy]

eh, always remember that u can use developed b/w film as a solar filter. per roll of tmax100 only cost $5.50, all u need is to fixed the film and u can cut more than 10 pairs of solar specs from it.

~MooEy~

[Kamikazer]

i tried that during a solar eclipse a some years ago...
but is it safe?