CATEcor: An Open Science, Shaded-Truss, Externally-Occulted Coronagraph

Area of Science:

• * Solar physics and astronomy
• * Instrumentation and optical engineering

Background:

• * Traditional coronagraphs face challenges in blocking bright sunlight to observe the faint solar corona.
• * There is a need for accessible, portable instruments for solar corona observation, especially for educational and amateur use.

Purpose of the Study:

• * To present the design of CATEcor, a portable coronagraph.
• * To demonstrate the feasibility of the novel
• shaded-truss
• external occultation design.
• * To create an accessible and low-cost instrument for observing the solar corona.

Main Methods:

• * Design and fabrication of CATEcor using a dioptric telescope and a 3D-printed adapter rig.
• * Implementation of a
• shaded-truss
• external occultation system.
• * Testing under partial solar eclipse conditions and assessment of its potential for non-eclipsed observations.

Main Results:

• * Successful design and proof-of-concept for the CATEcor portable coronagraph.
• * Demonstrated the viability of the
• shaded-truss
• external occultation method.
• * Achieved a low-cost, accessible instrument through 3D printing (FDM).

Conclusions:

• * The CATEcor design serves as a successful proof-of-concept for the
• shaded-truss
• coronagraph family.
• * The instrument is suitable for observing the solar corona during partial eclipses or under ideal conditions for students and amateurs.
• * The design principles are transferable to more sophisticated coronagraphs for daytime observations.