Thousand Oaks Optical 6"x6" Solar Filter Sheet for Telescopes, Binoculars and Cameras

Put this on the front of my telescope and looked at the sun a couple of times. Saw the sunspots clearly and have not gone blind. Works as advertised.

This worked very well. I was able to DIY a filter for my camera lens for the 2024 total solar eclipse. I even had enough left over to DIY filters for three iPhones.

I got this filter to use attached to my telescope to capture the eclipse. After making a DIY holder for the telescope and trying it out, I realized that the telescope was too zoomed in to capture the corona at full eclipse. I was able to instead use it with my Camera instead - attached to the lens and I couldn't be happier. I was able to capture all phases of the eclipse.I am still using it with the telescope for solar viewing during the day and was able to capture the sunspot that cause the Aurora to be visible further south than usual. Great buy and works perfectly.

This was priced lower than other filters, but I am always on a budget, so I kept my fingers crossed. I didn't have to worry. The product arrived in a sturdy envelope to protect it from getting bent, and the optical quality is very good. You may find slightly better quality filters, but at a much higher price.I made this film into a screw-on filter for my DSLR, and the attached photo is of the annular solar eclipse of October 14, 2023 at the maximum from my location. Filter can of course be used for any solar photography; sunspots are easily visible in photographs, which is cool.I can recommend this product!

I ordered one size too small, but I can work around it. Otherwise I am quite pleased with this product. I have tested the film and it does filter the sun properly so that viewing the sun can be done safely. About the only thing that can be seen through this filter is the sun itself, and you can see the sunspots, eclipses, etc. This solar optical filter arrived in good condition and on time.My advice is if you order this film you will need to make a mount for it to attach it to your telescope. Many people apparently tape it to the telescope, but I plan to make a mounting with screws to hold it on, and with Plexiglas lenses to protect the film from damage. By making a more permanent mounting my plan is to be able to use the solar optical filter over and over again whenever I need it. The design I've come up with has the film sandwiched between the two plate discs of the Plexiglas, which will be attached to the mounting by screws through the Plexiglas into the mounting. The mounting itself will slip over the outside of the telescope and will be secured with set screws. I'm a woodworker and my neighbor is a machinist, so I'm debating on whether I will make the mounting using wood or have my neighbor mill an aluminum one.Important notes:1. This solar optical filter film is intended to be used over the aperture (largest opening) on the telescope. Do not use it to make an eyepiece or in the eyepiece part of the telescope.2. It is best to order a size larger than the aperture of your telescope. The film is square, not round. My telescope aperture is 6" and the film I ordered was 6" by 6". I should have ordered the 8" by 8" or even the 10" by 10". The 6x6 leaves small gaps where it doesn't cover the opening. To solve this problem the mounting I'm making will have some material sitting inside the aperture.

The best time for a person to directly view solar flares and coronal discharges from the surface of the sun is during a solar eclipse where the daytime Moon covers the body of the Sun, a very happy coincidence, allowing the activity of the Sun extending past the outside of its body to be more easily seen. But if you want to see solar flares you are going to need some magnification compared to just ordinary Sun safety eclipse glasses. That's where this large 6 by 6 inch (15.24 centimeters) sheet comes in.You would normally think that since you are collecting more light then concentrating it to a smaller area you might be subject to damaging concentrations. And the answer is yes, you will be much safer to capture any activity on film-stills or video.According to Wikipedia, "X-rays and extreme ultraviolet radiation emitted by solar flares are absorbed by the daylight side of Earth's atmosphere and do not reach the Earth's surface. Therefore, solar flares pose no direct danger to humans on Earth." and "...the duration of a flare ranges from approximately tens of seconds to several hours with a median duration of approximately 6 and 11 minutes..." depending on which wavelengths are measured.According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, We are now in Solar Cycle 25 with peak sunspot activity expected in 2025. While we are not predicting a particularly active Solar Cycle 25, violent eruptions from the Sun can occur at any time. For the latest space weather forecast, visit NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center, the nation’s authority for space weather alerts, watches, warnings, and advisories.Suggest you either video or take periodic still photos of the entire eclipse process over its approximately to two and 1/2 hour time from start of partiality to end of partiality or for the length of the total eclipse which will probably be about 4 minutes in your area of the United States.In Conclusion: highly recommend this product to let you do that safely.

This was probably a once in a lifetime opportunity to catch a full solar eclipse and this stuff worked just fine. I bought a couple blanks and made custom filters for both my SLR camera and telescope.