Skylab

This chart describes the Hydrogen-Alpha (H-Alpha) #1 Telescope, one of eight major solar study facilities on the Skylab Apollo Telescope Mount (ATM). There were two H-Alpha telescopes on the ATM that were used primarily to point the ATM and keep a continuous photographic record during the solar observation periods. Both telescopes gave the Skylab astronauts a real-time picture of the Sun in the red light of the H-Alpha spectrum through a closed-circuit television. The H-Alpha #1 Telescope provided simultaneous photographic and ultraviolet (UV) pictures, while the #2 Telescope operated only in the TV mode. The Marshall Space Flight Center was responsible for development of the H-Alpha Telescopes.