Australia's Science Forum

Hi Everyone,
Has anyone used a telescope in school to look at the sun? I have a teacher wanting to do this, we have a sun filter. I wondered if you had done a risk assesment and if you could point me in the direction of guidelines for this activity or if you have any written. I am a bit concerned due to the risk of eye damage.
Thanks!

Perhaps projecting the sun would be better. More people can see it at the same time. See picture: http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronom ... t-the-sun/ About halfway down the picture with the text: Small telescopes are especially suited to the solar-projection method. Seen here is a simple projection setup made from a cardboard shield and a piece of white paper as a projection surface. A surprising amount of detail can be seen this way.
Or
There are some great websites that show satellite views of the sun at different wavelengths eg http://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/