Telescope User Manual

3
Version.............................................................................................................................................. 27
Get Alt-Az......................................................................................................................................... 27
Goto Alt-Az ...................................................................................................................................... 27
Hibernate........................................................................................................................................... 27
Turn On/Off GPS.............................................................................................................................. 27
TELESCOPE BASICS..................................................................................................................................................29
Image Orientation...................................................................................................................................... 29
Focusing.................................................................................................................................................... 30
Aligning the Finderscope.......................................................................................................................... 30
Calculating Magnification......................................................................................................................... 30
Determining Field of View........................................................................................................................ 31
General Observing Hints........................................................................................................................... 31
ASTRONOMY BASICS ...............................................................................................................................................32
The Celestial Coordinate System .............................................................................................................. 32
Motion of the Stars.................................................................................................................................... 33
Finding the North Celestial Pole ............................................................................................................... 35
Declination Drift Method of Polar Alignment .......................................................................................... 36
CELESTIAL OBSERVING .........................................................................................................................................37
Observing the Moon.................................................................................................................................. 37
Lunar Observing Hints .............................................................................................................................. 37
Observing the Planets................................................................................................................................ 37
Observing the Sun ..................................................................................................................................... 37
Solar Observing Hints ............................................................................................................................... 38
Observing Deep Sky Objects .................................................................................................................... 38
Seeing Conditions ..................................................................................................................................... 38
Transparency............................................................................................................................................. 38
Sky Illumination........................................................................................................................................ 38
Seeing........................................................................................................................................................ 38
Using the Lens Cap Aperture Stop ........................................................................................................... 39
ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY............................................................................................................................................40
Piggyback ................................................................................................................................................. 40
Short Exposure Prime Focus Photography................................................................................................ 41
Terrestrial Photography............................................................................................................................. 42
Metering .................................................................................................................................................... 42
Reducing Vibration ................................................................................................................................... 42
Auto Guiding............................................................................................................................................. 43
TELESCOPE MAINTENANCE..................................................................................................................................44
Care and Cleaning of the Optics ............................................................................................................... 44
Collimation ............................................................................................................................................... 44
OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES.....................................................................................................................................46
APPENDIX A – TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS................................................................................................49
APPENDIX B – GLOSSARY OF TERMS................................................................................................................50
APPENDIX C – LONGITUDES AND LATITUDES.................................................................................................53
APPENDIX D – RS-232 CONNECTION....................................................................................................................58
APPENDIX E – TIME ZONE MAP............................................................................................................................60
SKY MAPS ....................................................................................................................................................................62