Daystar QUARK Visual Focal Reducer

Daystar is very excited to announce a NEW visual focal reducer designed to fit our Daystar Quark Hydrogen Alpha Filters. 

The Visual Focal Reducer screws in between the QUARK filter and the eyepiece drawtube. The focal length is reduced by a factor of approximately 0.8X, allowing a wider view, or allowing use of shorter than normal eyepieces. This also increases the brightness of the sun, which can make it easier to see faint prominences or increase the visible extent of a prominence.

Eyepieces with a field stop at or above the drawtube end will cause the reduction factor to be more extreme than 0.8X, which may lead to blurring at the edges of the field of view, or a constrained exit pupil with a narrow porthole effect. This porthole effect makes it difficult for novice users to locate their eye in the beam of light, so in public outreach applications it is important to choose eyepieces that give a wider cone of light. Many manufacturers do not publish an exit pupil specification, so we recommend experimentation with a variety of eyepieces to find the best match to your observing goals.