Sky-Watcher Heliostar-76Ha H-Alpha Solar Telescope

Sky-Watcher Heliostar-76Ha: Seeing the Sun Live

The Sky-Watcher Heliostar-76Ha is a special 76/630mm H-alpha solar telescope for safely observing active solar phenomena: prominences, filaments, flares, and granulation. The complete filter system is built-in, with an integrated sun finder for safe aiming. With the sun now near its activity maximum, there is almost always something to see on any clear day.

What do you see in H-alpha?

A completely different sun than through a regular solar filter. Prominences hanging like flames at the edge, dark filaments like streamers across the surface, bright flares around active regions, and the churning granulation of the surface itself. With a white-light filter, you see sunspots; in H-alpha, you see the sun alive.

Safety first

This telescope is designed as a complete H-alpha system for the sun: the etalon and blocking filter form a closed, safe unit. Use it exclusively as supplied, check for damage to all filters before each session, and never let children look through a solar telescope unsupervised. If you have any doubts about damage, do not use it and contact us.

This is how to get the most out of this solar telescope

• Look in the morning: Before noon, the daylight is calmer and the H-alpha image is noticeably sharper.
• Adjust the benchmark per goal: Small pressure differences alternately highlight protuberances on the edge or structure on the surface. Play with it, that's half the fun.
• The sun changes every hour: Protuberances grow and disappear as you watch. Right now, around solar maximum, there is something to see on every clear day.
• Use a sturdy mount: An alt-azimuth mount with fine adjustment or a tracking mount makes it comfortable; the sun moves just as fast as the stars.
• Combine it with your night telescope: a solar telescope doubles your observing hours, because the brightest stargazing days are also the best sunny days.

For whom yes and for whom no

Hello The observer who wants to look during the day, families (the sun is the perfect target for sharing), and anyone who wants to experience the solar maximum as it's meant to be.

Not this is a specialized instrument: you cannot use it to look at night. Anyone looking for one telescope for everything starts with our Telescope Buying Guide for Beginners and adds the sun later.

Featured accessories

These accessories add the most after purchase:

• A sturdy mount This tube is an OTA; an alt-azimuth mount with fine adjustment or a tracking mount makes solar observation comfortable.
• Carrier bag Choose a custom upholstered bag; a solar telescope deserves protection. View the carrier bags.

Technical specifications

Included in the box

• Sky-Watcher Heliostar-76Ha Optical Tube with Built-in H-alpha Filter System
• 20mm eyepiece (1.25 inch)
• Integrated sun finder
• 2 to 1.25 inch eyepiece adapter
• Free: Stargazer's Handbook by Telescoop.nl (16 pages, Dutch language)

Free Stargazers' Handbook

Every Sky-Watcher telescope from Telescoop.nl comes with our own Stargazer’s Handbook in the box. It’s a 16-page booklet that helps you get started on your first few nights: how to align the finder scope, what magnification to start with, why the image sometimes wobbles, and when a telescope does or doesn’t need to be collimated. It’s not a thick book—just the essentials you really need when you’re starting out.

Honest advice from observers

We sell and use the Sky-Watcher line ourselves. In our Sky-Watcher brand guide We'll explain which series are strong and which you'd rather skip. View the full range on our Sky-Watcher brand page. Questions about safely observing the sun or the right mount? Call or email us. We're happy to help you choose the right solar telescope. Ordered before 11:59 PM, delivered quickly, in the Netherlands and Belgium.