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IMPORTANT: Our store is located in Canada. All orders that include products manufactured outside of Canada or USA will be subject to tariffs and duties, regardless of the order value. US customers are responsible for all applicable duties and tariffs, and those will be billed by the carrier, except for the Lacerta upgrade kit, for which we collect them at checkout.
IMPORTANT: Our store is located in Canada. All orders that include products manufactured outside of Canada or USA will be subject to tariffs and duties, regardless of the order value. US customers are responsible for all applicable duties and tariffs, and those will be billed by the carrier, except for the Lacerta upgrade kit, for which we collect them at checkout.
Lunt LS40THa H-Alpha Solar Telescope - Premium PLUS Kit

Lunt LS40THa H-Alpha Solar Telescope - Premium PLUS Kit

by Lunt Solar Systems
SKU LSS-LS40THa-Premium
$1,795.00 - $1,795.00
$1,795.00
$1,795.00 - $1,795.00
$1,795.00
Price Match Policy!
  • 40mm Dedicated H-Alpha Solar Telescope
  • Internal Double-Stack System with ≤0.35Å Bandpass
  • B600 Blocking Filter for Full-Disk Views & Imaging
  • Includes Lunt 7.2mm - 21.5mm Zoom Eyepiece
  • 1:1 Rack & Pinion Focuser
  • Integrated SunLock Solar Finder
  • 4" Vixen-Style Dovetail Rail
  • Includes Aluminum Hard Case with Custom Foam
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  • Description
  • FAQ
  • Specifications
  • In the Box
  • Downloads
  • Warranty

  • The Ultimate View of Solar Surface Detail in a 40mm Telescope

    The Lunt LS40THa H-Alpha Solar Telescope - Premium PLUS Kit is a complete, dedicated system designed to reveal the sun's dynamic chromosphere with the highest contrast possible in this aperture. By including a matched double-stack etalon filter, this kit narrows the bandpass to ≤0.35Å, transforming faint surface texture and active regions into a richly detailed, three-dimensional spectacle. It is the definitive choice for the observer who prioritizes surface contrast over all else in a portable, grab-and-go package.

    Matched 40mm f/10 Optics

    The foundation of the LS40THa is a 40mm f/10 singlet objective lens, fully corrected for the 656.28nm hydrogen-alpha wavelength. This focal ratio provides a manageable 400mm focal length, creating a forgiving system for focus and tuning. The optical design ensures a high-contrast image is delivered to the etalon filtering system, a critical first step for high-resolution solar viewing.

    Primary Tilt-Tuned Etalon Filter

    The heart of the telescope is its internal, front-mounted etalon. This precision filter uses a polished Fabry-Pérot cavity to isolate the light from hydrogen plasma, revealing the sun's chromosphere. The user tunes the filter to the precise H-alpha line by tilting the etalon with a simple thumbwheel, allowing you to shift the view slightly off-band to emphasize Doppler-shifted features like erupting prominences moving toward or away from you.

    LS40FHa Double-Stack Etalon for Maximum Contrast

    This Premium PLUS kit includes the crucial LS40FHa front-mounted double-stack etalon. Adding this second filter dramatically narrows the system's bandpass from the standard ~0.55Å to a very tight ≤0.35Å. This reduction in out-of-band light significantly increases the contrast of surface features, causing solar flares, filaments, and active region plage to stand out against the solar disk with stark definition. While a single-stack system shows you these features exist, the double-stack renders them with photographic-like texture.

    B600 Blocking Filter for Full-Disk Views

    The B600 blocking filter, housed in the star diagonal, is the final stage of the safety system and is sized to provide an unvignetted view of the entire solar disk with the included zoom eyepiece. This larger 6mm filter provides more clearance than the smaller B500, making it a better choice for observers who may want to try basic imaging of the full sun with a small sensor camera. It ensures the entire solar limb is visible at once, so you never miss a prominence erupting at the edge.

    The Experience of High-Contrast Chromosphere Viewing

    With the double-stack engaged and the zoom eyepiece set to around 12mm, the experience is unlike any white-light view. After tuning the etalon, the solar surface resolves into a tapestry of texture. You can trace the dark, serpentine path of a filament as it snakes across an active region, then watch as its delicate structure appears to float just above the brighter background. This is the view that turns a static star into a living, dynamic object, and the ≤0.35Å bandpass is what makes it possible.

    Upgraded Focuser and SunLock Finder

    The Premium PLUS kit features an upgraded 1:1 Rack & Pinion focuser, which offers a smoother feel and better stability for holding cameras compared to the standard helical focuser. Finding the sun is made safe and simple by the integrated SunLock finderscope, a small pinhole that projects an image of the solar disk onto a tiny internal screen. When the dot is centered, the sun is in your eyepiece, eliminating any guesswork or unsafe alignment attempts.

    Lunt Zoom Eyepiece and Hard Case

    Completing the kit is the Lunt 7.2mm - 21.5mm zoom eyepiece, the ideal companion for a solar telescope. It allows you to frame the entire solar disk at 21.5mm (18.6x magnification), then zoom in to 7.2mm (55.5x) to scrutinize a specific sunspot group or prominence without ever taking your eye from the view. The entire system, including the double-stack filter, packs into a custom-cut foam-lined aluminum hard case for secure transport and storage.

    A Note on Aperture and Seeing

    While larger solar telescopes exist, the 40mm aperture is often an advantage under typical daytime seeing conditions. Atmospheric turbulence can easily degrade the view in larger scopes, but the LS40THa is less susceptible to these effects, frequently delivering a sharper, more stable image than a larger instrument on an average day. This makes it a highly effective and frustration-free grab-and-go solar telescope.

  • What is the main advantage of the Premium PLUS (double-stack) kit?

    The Premium PLUS kit includes a second etalon filter that narrows the bandpass to ≤0.35Å. This dramatically increases the contrast of features on the sun's surface, like filaments and active regions, making them appear much more detailed and defined compared to the single-stack version.

    Is this Lunt solar telescope safe to use?

    Yes. The Lunt LS40THa is a dedicated solar telescope with multiple, permanently installed filters. As long as it is used as designed and is not modified, it is completely safe for direct solar observation.

    Can I use my own eyepieces with the LS40THa?

    Yes, you can use any standard 1.25" eyepiece. However, non-solar-specific eyepieces may have coatings that produce reflections or glare (ghosting) when viewing the extremely bright sun. The included Lunt zoom eyepiece is optimized for this application.

    How does the 40mm Lunt compare to the 50mm Lunt telescope?

    The Lunt LS50THa offers 25% more aperture, providing slightly higher resolution on fine surface details under good seeing conditions. The LS40THa is smaller, lighter, and often performs better under average or poor seeing, making it a more consistent and portable option.

    Why does this telescope use tilt-tuning instead of pressure-tuning?

    Tilt-tuning the front etalon is a simpler and more cost-effective mechanism for a telescope of this size, allowing Lunt to deliver high-quality etalon performance at an accessible price point. Lunt's larger telescopes use pressure-tuning for more uniform control over the filter.

    Can I do astrophotography with the Lunt LS40THa?

    Yes, you can perform basic solar imaging with the LS40THa. It is suitable for capturing full-disk images or close-ups of large features using a small, lightweight planetary-style CMOS camera. Achieving focus may require a 1.25" eyepiece extender.

  • Aperture 40mm
    Focal Length 400mm
    Focal Ratio f/10
    Bandpass Single Stack: <0.55Å, Double Stack: ≤0.35Å
    Tuning Tilt-Tuned Etalon
    Blocking Filter B600 (6mm)
    Focuser 1:1 Rack & Pinion
    Mounting 4" Vixen-Style Dovetail
    Weight 3.1 lbs (1.4 kg)

    • LS40THa 40mm H-alpha Telescope

      × 1

    • LS40FHa Double-Stack Etalon Filter

      × 1

    • B600 Blocking Filter in Diagonal

      × 1

    • 1:1 Rack & Pinion Focuser

      × 1

    • Lunt 7.2mm - 21.5mm Zoom Eyepiece

      × 1

    • Integrated SunLock Solar Finder

      × 1

    • 4" Vixen-Style Dovetail Rail

      × 1

    • Aluminum Hard Case with Custom Foam

      × 1

  • Lunt Solar Systems 5-Year Warranty