What it shows
This family is for the Sun, which the simulator does not draw. Never look at the Sun through any instrument without a certified filter over the front of it.
What it is for, goal by goal
Every score with the sentence behind it, highest first.
- With a child4/5 GoodDaytime, warm, and a child can see the spots change over a week. Supervise the filter every single time.
- Travel4/5 GoodLight, small, and the target is up wherever you are.
- Sun4/5 GoodIn white light: sunspots with their penumbra, faculae near the edge, and granulation on a steady morning. Dawes' limit on the Sun: 1.9″ (116 ÷ 60 mm, arithmetic). The maker's solar filter is in the box and made for this instrument: nothing to buy, nothing to measure. Every time: certified filter over the front · finder capped · never an eyepiece filter · an adult with children · never without the filter.
- Moon & planets2/5 WeakThe same small instrument works on the Moon at night with the filter off. The planets are marginal at this aperture.
Not for this
- Learn the sky1/5 PoorThere is one object. It is not hard to find.
- Deep sky0/5 NoNothing. This is a daytime instrument.
Not scored: Photo, Serious photo.
What it does well
- Observing in daylight, at a civilised hour, without dark adaptation or cold
- Sunspots change day to day, so there is always something new to compare
- A certified front filter costs less than a single eyepiece and fits an instrument you may already own
What it costs you
- White light shows the photosphere only — no prominences, no flares, no red Sun. That is hydrogen-alpha, and it costs ten times more
- A cheap bundled tripod shakes, and the Sun is bright enough that the shake is very visible
- The filter MUST be front-mounted and certified. Anything that screws into an eyepiece is a way to lose an eye — see the safety notice
The Sun, safely
The Sun with this family
The maker's solar filter is in the box and made for this instrument: nothing to buy, nothing to measure.
In white light: sunspots with their penumbra, faculae near the edge, and granulation on a steady morning. Dawes' limit on the Sun: 1.9″ (116 ÷ 60 mm, arithmetic).
Every time
- A certified solar filter over the FRONT of the instrument, fastened so it cannot slip or blow off.
- Cap or remove the finder. It is a second telescope, and it has no filter.
- Never a filter at the eyepiece end: the concentrated sunlight there can crack it in an instant.
- With children, an adult is there every time.
- Never look, or point, without the filter on. Check it before each use; a scratched or torn filter goes in the bin.
Sources for the Sun
- American Astronomical Society — How to View a Solar Eclipse Safely — filters on optics go on the front; eclipse glasses never with optics; children supervised
- American Astronomical Society — Solar Filters for Optics — eyepiece filters are dangerous; the finder capped, removed or filtered; the filter attached securely
- American Astronomical Society — About the ISO 12312-2 Standard — EN ISO 12312-2:2015 covers naked-eye viewers only; no international standard covers filters on telescopes, binoculars or lenses
- Société astronomique de France — Guide des observations solaires — a filter at the front, never one screwed into the eyepiece, the finder capped
- NASA — Keep Your Eclipse Glasses to See the Sun's ‘Freckles’ — a large enough sunspot shows through eclipse glasses
- AAVSO — Le Guide d'Observation Solaire de l'AAVSO, v1.1 (2017), p. 6 — archived copy — “Les ouvertures plus grandes que 100 à 125 mm sont généralement limitées par les effets de turbulence atmosphérique”; 50 to 80 mm is enough to count sunspots
Next to it
Smaller
Dedicated hydrogen-alpha solar telescope- −25 mm
- −0.5 kg
- +€1,000 at entry level
Bigger
Nothing bigger in this family.
The models
Each price is the cheapest one observed, with its date. Links marked paid link earn us a commission and cost you nothing extra; the list is ordered by price, then by name — never by what pays. How this site is funded
| Model | Aperture | Focal length | Weight | Eyepieces supplied | Cheapest observed | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Bresser Solarix 76/350 AZ | 76 mm | 350 mm | 2 kg | 20 mm and 4 mm | €102seen 7 Oct 2026 at Astroshop | At Astroshoppaid link4 other sellers
|
Questions people ask
Is it dangerous?
Only without the right filter. It must be certified for solar viewing and cover the FRONT of the tube, fastened so it cannot blow off; a filter that screws into an eyepiece can crack and cost an eye. Cap or remove the finder, inspect the film before every use, and supervise children every time. Every time: certified filter over the front · finder capped · never an eyepiece filter · an adult with children · never without the filter.
What will I see?
Sunspots, which change from day to day, the granulation around them, faculae near the limb, and eclipses and transits when they happen. Not prominences: those need a hydrogen-alpha instrument. Every time: certified filter over the front · finder capped · never an eyepiece filter · an adult with children · never without the filter.
Can my existing telescope do it?
Yes, with a certified, ready-made front cell chosen by the OUTSIDE diameter of the tube at the front: measure it, then take the size whose range holds it. They exist up to big-Dobsonian tubes. Never make one yourself. Every time: certified filter over the front · finder capped · never an eyepiece filter · an adult with children · never without the filter.
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