Double stack performance, single stack price
    76mm opening
    630mm focal length
    f/8.3
    Official solar telescope of the Charlie Bates Solar Astronomy Project
    Integrated Heliostar sun finder, pipe clamps and carrying handle
    Integrated Triffid tuner and Solis Etalon technology
    <0.55 Å bandpass
    Fully multi-coated H-Alpha lens
    Achromatic doublet design
    2-inch, two-speed Crayford focuser
    11.5mm, 1.25" diagonal format cutoff filter
    Weight: 8.4 lbs.
    Includes: OTA, mounting rings, V-shaped dovetail guide, clip-on lens hood, 20mm 70° 1.25" eyepiece, camera phone adapter, hard carrying case

Introducing the Sky-Watcher Heliostar 76mm H-Alpha solar telescope
The Heliostar 76mm H-Alpha Solar Telescope brings a new light (yes, pun intended) to the Sky Watcher family by adding a dedicated Hydrogen Alpha (Hα) solar telescope to the product range. Hydrogen alpha solar observation allows you to unlock the incredible dynamics of the sun's surface far beyond what a white light solar filter can provide. From solar prominences at the edge of the Sun (often erroneously referred to as “flares”) to active sunspot regions, bright plague spots, surface granulation, thin, serpentine plasma filaments and more, capture the Solar System star in stunning views and images.

Just in time to reach solar maximum in 2025!!
The official solar telescope of the Charlie Bates Solar Astronomy Project
Founded in 2008, the Charlie Bates Solar Astronomy Project has taught observational solar astronomy and narrowband solar imaging to hundreds of thousands of people in 27 countries.

Double the fun
The Heliostar 76mm Hα Solar Telescope offers incredible double-stack performance for the price of an etalon filter. There is no need for expensive double-stack systems because Heliostar 76Hα is natively tuned to <0.55 Å and offers rich surface detail. With its 76mm aperture, high-resolution viewing and imaging is easily possible.
Safety instructions
The Sky-Watcher Heliostar 76mm H-Alpha Solar Telescope has been laboratory tested here in the USA and meets ISO 12312-2 safety standards. Each telescope is individually sun tested to ensure that each device is ready for safe solar observation right out of the box.
This is a special solar telescope and does not provide views or images of anything other than the Sun. Please be extremely careful when observing the sun as incorrect use and practice can cause serious and even permanent eye damage.
The 11.5 mm blocking filter in the removable eyepiece diagonal is also part of Heliostar's safety features. Do not use with other diagonal types.

What's in the box?
The Heliostar 76Hα has a range of accessories to get you ready to use right out of the box. The telescope includes mounting rings, a V-shaped dovetail guide, a Heliostar sun finder, a two-speed Crayford focuser, an 11.5mm notch filter, a clip-on lens hood, a 20mm 70° 1.25-in -Eyepiece and a camera phone adapter to quickly take pictures and share with your friends. All of this is housed in a sturdy carrying case so you can take your Heliostar 76 with you wherever you go. A perfect complement to the Sky-Watcher SolarQuest mount for the ultimate portable solar telescope setup!
Hydrogen alpha technology
Hydrogen Alpha (Hα) solar telescopes are specialized instruments designed to observe the Sun at a specific wavelength of light - 656.3 nm - which corresponds to the red line in the Balmer series of hydrogen's emission spectrum. This wavelength is crucial for the detailed study of solar phenomena such as protuberances, filaments, sunspots and solar flares. Unlike traditional white-light telescopes, which capture the sun's broad spectrum, Hα solar telescopes provide a window into specific solar activity in the chromosphere, a layer of the sun's atmosphere located directly above the photosphere.

Etalon filter technology
The heart of most hydrogen-alpha solar telescopes is the etalon filter, a high-precision optical device that isolates the Hα wavelength from the rest of the light emitted by the Sun. An etalon is a type of interferometer that consists of two parallel mirrors separated by a precise distance. The etalon works by reflecting light multiple times between the mirrors and selectively allowing only wavelengths that meet certain resonance conditions to pass through.
In Hα solar telescopes, the etalon is designed to transmit light of the Hα wavelength and block all other wavelengths. The key to the etalon's performance lies in its ability to tune the wavelength it transmits. This is achieved by adjusting the distance between the mirrors or by tilting the etalon slightly, which changes the interference conditions. This tunability is critical because solar emission at Hα can shift slightly due to Doppler effects as material moves across the Sun's surface and atmosphere.

There are two main types of etalon filters used in solar telescopes: single etalon systems and dual etalon systems.
Single Etalon: A single etalon filter typically has a narrower bandwidth and provides high contrast for detailed solar observations, but at the expense of restricting the field of view. This makes individual etalon systems well suited for viewing small, high-contrast objects such as protuberances or filaments.

Double Etalon: A double etalon system uses two etalon filters in tandem to improve wavelength selectivity, reduce overall bandwidth, and improve contrast and image sharpness over a wider field of view. Double etalon systems are preferred for more detailed solar studies because they provide both a sharper image and better tunability, allowing for a more accurate representation of solar dynamics.
Solis Etalon Technology: Sky-Watcher's Solis technology allows the Heliostar to achieve a 0.55A bandpass without the expensive and complex nature of a second Etalon for the same performance. This means that the observer receives detailed images of the sun's disk immediately after unpacking and at no additional cost.
Trifid tuner: Inside the Heliostar is Sky-Watcher's Trifid tuning system. This tuner applies physical pressure to the etalon plates, allowing the observer to achieve the desired hydrogen band. The Trifid tuner uses three support wires to ensure secure tuning of the etalon.