3
Goto Axis Position ....................................................................................................................................................................................................... 30
Hibernate ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 30
Sun Menu ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 30
Scrolling Menu ............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 31
Set Mount Position ....................................................................................................................................................................................................... 31
Turn On/Off GPS ......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 31
Turn On/Off RTC ......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 31
Periodic Error Correction ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 31
Move to Switch ............................................................................................................................................................................................................ 31
TELESCOPE BASICS............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 33
Image Orientation ................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 33
Focusing ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 34
Calculating Magnification ...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 34
Determining Field of View ..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 34
General Observing Hints ........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 35
ASTRONOMY BASICS ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 36
The Celestial Coordinate System ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 36
Motion of the Stars ................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 37
Finding the North Celestial Pole............................................................................................................................................................................................. 38
Polar Aligning the Mount ....................................................................................................................................................................................................... 38
Polar Align ................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 38
All-Star Polar Alignment.............................................................................................................................................................................................. 39
CELESTIAL OBSERVING ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 41
Observing the Moon ............................................................................................................................................................................................................... 41
Lunar Observing Hints ........................................................................................................................................................................................................... 41
Observing the Planets ............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 41
Observing the Sun .................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 41
Solar Observing Hints............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 42
Observing Deep Sky Objects .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 42
Seeing Conditions................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 42
Transparency .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 42
Sky Illumination ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 42
Seeing ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 42
ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 44
Short Exposure Prime Focus Photography.............................................................................................................................................................................. 44
Eyepiece Projection ................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 45
Long Exposure Prime Focus Photography.............................................................................................................................................................................. 47
Periodic Error Correction (PEC)............................................................................................................................................................................................. 48
Using Periodic Error Correction ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 48
Terrestrial Photography .......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 49
Metering ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 49
Reducing Vibration................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 49
CCD Imaging.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 49
Auto Guiding .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 50
TELESCOPE MAINTENANCE............................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 51
Care and Cleaning of the Optics ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 51
Collimation ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 51
OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES
.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 54
APPENDIX A – TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
............................................................................................................................................................................................. 57
APPENDIX B – GLOSSARY OF TERMS
............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 58
APPENDIX C – RS-232 CONNECTION ................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 61
APPENDIX D – TIME ZONE MAP ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 63
SKY MAPS ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 65
