How to make a SUN GUN using a Galileoscope,

one of the cornerstone projects of the IYA2009

Amir Bernat, Ilan Ramon youth physics center, Photographs: Amir Bernat and Netzach Farbiash
Bernat@bgu.ac.il www.ilanramon.bgu.ac.il
Safety first:
Dont look at the sun unprotected, or through the telescope.

Looking at the sun during the partial eclipse is as dangerous

as any other day!

It might make you blind!

Materials:
Galileoscope, scissors, duck tape, greaseproof paper, skewers and
cardboard
Tape the greaseproof paper to the skewers, this can also be done in
various ways, you can make a triangular shape, or on a round piece of
plastic and so on.
Make sure to tape the edges of the paper firmly so
that it will not fall apart during the eclipse.
Tape a skewer on the corners of the screen, make sure it
is strong.
Put skeweres on the other corners, make sure it is
placed in a symmetric way and that all the skewers
are held tight.
Use paper duck tape to attach the skewers to the
telescope body, do it so that the screen will be
perpendicular to the telescope.
On the front end of the
Galileoscope put a piece of
cardboard to shade the screen. If
there are areas where the
cardboard is not next to the
body of the Galileoscope use
paper duck tape.

It is best if you have a tripod to

lean the telescope on, if not, use
a ladder, a chair or even a
window still to stabilize the
image.
This and other eclipse Photos were taken on the Jan
15th 2010 partial solar eclipse at the Omarin
elementary school in Israel by Netzach Farbiash.
In this photo Amir Bernat uses
the Galileoscope sun-gun to
show the eclipse near the
horizon. If the eclipse takes place
when the sun is higher in the sky
make sure to place the telescope
so that the viewing will be
comfortable.

This contraption can be made

with any other telescope or
binocular.