A video camera images the Sun through the PARI Coronado Solarmax 40 Solar Telescope. The Coronado Solarmax 40 has a hydrogen alpha filter with a bandwidth of 0.7 Angstroms to see solar flares.  

The telescope will not be active in cloudy skies or during rain or at night. When the camera and telescope are not taking data, then you see a greyscale archived image of the Sun.

The image above shows a 40 arcminute field of view. The image was taken within the past 2 minutes and is updated every 1 minute as long as the telescope is active.

The robotic activity of the Solar Telescope consists of three components: 1) OVIEW roof control; 2) telescope control; and 3) camera control.

1. OVIEW ROOF CONTROL. The OVIEW roof opens at sunrise and closes at sunset, unless rain is detected. When the roof is open, the telescope can see from horizon-to-horizon. When the roof is closed, the telescope can be at any position.

2. TELESCOPE CONTROL. The telescope is mounted on a Losmandy G-11 mount (donated to PARI by Leon Morrison) controlled by the Gemini Control System. A schedule on the Gemini Control System is set to move the telescope to the Sun at sunrise and stop tracking the Sun at sunset.

3. CAMERA CONTROL.

   The camera is a video camera and is always active even when the telescope is not tracking the Sun.

The Solar Flare telescope is the brass colored telescope on the left in the image below.  Next to it is the Sunspot Telescope.  Both are mounted on a Losmandy telescope mount.

Live webcam view of OVIEW. When the shell is removed you see the Solar telescopes. Otherwise you see the shell structure.

Static image of the telescope configuration.  The Coronado telescope is the one shown on the left.