Regarding showing the sun: I saw a film about John Dobson, he had made an elegant solar scope with the sonotube cut at 45 degrees, and a plate of welding glass covering the front. No secondary per se, just the back of the glass. He was showing people at a state park, getting ooohs and ahhhs.

"Thank You for showing me that!" one person exclaimed.

"Oh, don't thank me," said Dobson. "It's your sun."