DayStar Filter’s SolaREDi SR-127 QT
AFTER A LONG, QUIET MINIMUM, solar cycle 25 has finally begun, and with its increased activity comes a renewed interest in observing our Sun. While there are many options to safely inspect the solar ‘surface,’ the premium option is to use a dedicated telescope that provides views at the narrow wavelength of hydrogen-alpha (Hα). This wavelength reveals the Sun’s chromosphere, where dynamic activity such as plages, spicules, filaments and prominences are visible.
DayStar Filters, a well-established maker of temperature-regulated solar filters, recently expanded its line of specialised telescopes with integrated filters. The company’s newest offering in the line is the SolaREDi SR-127 QT, a doublet refractor optimised for Hα wavelengths. I own a DayStar Quantum solar filter myself, so I was anxious to see how this new instrument and built-in filter performs. DayStar loaned us one along with several additional accessories for this review.
What’s in the box
The SR-127 QT comes in two flavours: a prominence version and a higher-priced chromosphere model. The prominence telescope utilises a wide passband (around 1 Å) that displays gigantic prominences and tiny spicules on the limb of the Sun,
