INTRODUCTION
Congratulations on your purchase of a precision-crafted telescope. With proper care and
handling of your telescope, you will enjoy the pleasure of looking at nature's wondrous sights
through the eye of this instrument for many years.
The F60360 has been designed to provide views of the moon's craters, Jupiter' s major moons,
and Saturn's rings, in addition to dozens of galaxies, star clusters, and nebulae.
As a terrestrial (land )telescope, the F60360 delivers great views of mountains, valleys, and
many other features of the world around us. You can also use the F60360 to study animals and
landscapes at a distance. To obtain the best performance from your telescope, please read this
manual carefully and completely.
ASSEMBLY
1) Carefully remove all parts from the cardboard cartons and lay them on a table or on the
floor in order to take an inventory of all the pieces. Keep your box for storage or in case
you ever need to ship your telescope.
2) Spread the three legs of the tabletop tripod apart until they lock into place.
3) Attach the telescope to the tripod by inserting the ¼" x 20 bolt on the top of the tripod
into the threaded hole on the underside of the telescope tube. Tighten this bolt by turning
the knurled plastic knob on the tripod(see Fig.1).
4) Remove the screw, install the star finder as shown in the figure, and lock the
screw(see Fig.2).
5) Install one of the two lenses included (F=6mm and F=20mm) into focus tube and
secure it by tightening the screw. Make sure not to over tighten it. For easy viewing ,you
can first in tall the Diagonal Periscope Viewer into the Focus Tube(see Fig.3).
(Fig.1) (Fig.2) (Fig.3)
3
you will need information about their times of visibility. An astronomy magazine will give you the
locations of the planets as they change position from month to month.
The Internet is also an excellent source of information, offering star charts, maps, and more! The
popular and more familiar constellations often provide the easiest landmarks to help find the
planet's locations and paths of orbit Most people have looked up at the sky at night and seen
some of the planets without even realizing it. A planet looks like a bright star but does not twinkle
like a star does; it looks like a tiny ball. Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn are the easiest planets
to view. Mercury is dimmer, usually below the horizon, and more challenging to find.
Each of the planets provides interesting views. Venus is covered with clouds so all that is
visible is an extremely bright light, the brightest next to the moon. However, Venus, like the
moon, goes through phases. As it travels around the sun, different areas of its surface are
illuminated, producing crescent shapes of varying sizes. Mars is the red planet. When it is
above the horizon, it is noticeably red and stands out like a beacon in the night sky. The
apparent brightness of Mars varies as the planet orbits around the sun and throughout its
period of visibility, it will look brighter or dimmer depending on its distance from Earth.
Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system and the second brightest next to Venus.
Jupiter has many moons, four of which are often visible through your telescope when viewing
conditions permit. As you watch them throughout the evening, you will see that they change
position relative to each other and to Jupiter. It is possible with careful planning to actually
see one of the moons disappear either in front of or behind Jupiter as it orbits around the
planet. Another great feature of Jupiter is its cloud belt. Jupiter is alive with weather activity
and its clouds have formed over time into belts.
Saturn, the second largest planet, is not as bright as Jupiter and so its moons are not as
visible through small telescopes. The large rings that encircle Saturn are spectacular to
observe, however. The planet and its rings appear pale yellow.
Beyond our solar system there are many more objects to be found. Galaxies, nebulae, and
star clusters abound!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1) How far can I see?
If you stand outside and look up at the night sky on a clear evening, you can see hundreds of
stars without the aid of your telescope. The telescope is a light-gathering instrument that
magnifies the view
–
providing significantly more detail and unveiling more stars, nebulae, and
celestial objects. With the aid of a telescope, you will be able to enjoy exciting views of Saturn's
rings, Jupiter's major moons, the Orion Nebula, and much more.
2) Why can't I see anything through my telescope?
lf you see only gray or black when looking through your telescope, even after searching for
8
3)
Once all moisture has evaporated, replace the dust caps.
4)
Filtered, compressed air may be used to remove surface dust from lenses and
mirrors. Remove the dust cap and the dew shield. Once removed, point the can away
from the lens and gently expel some air and any condensation or dust that has
accumulated on the discharge tube. Spray the lens or mirror with short bursts of air to
carefully remove the dust particles. DO NOT HOLD THE TRIGGER OF THE
COMPRESSED AIR CAN FOR EXTENDED PERIODS BECAUSE PROPELLANT
FROM THE CAN MIGHT ESCAPE AND DAMAGE THE OPTICAL SURFACE.
If, after several attempts, you cannot remove the particles, take the telescope to an
optical professional for cleaning.
If you keep the dust caps on your telescope when it is not in use and avoid handling the
lenses or mirrors, only minimal optical maintenance of your telescope should be
required Extensive cleaning is usually only necessary every few years.
WHAT TO LOOK AT IN THE NIGHT SKY
There is a whole universe of objects you could view at night, so where do you start? We
recommend starting with the most prominent objects first.
The moon
The moon is the easiest target to find at night. When the moon is full, it bathes the night with
a silvery light that washes the sky of all but the brightest objects. The best time to view the
moon is not when it is full, but rather when it is less than half full. The dividing line between
(Fig. 4)
6) 3.0X Barlow lens is supplied to triple the basic magnifying power provided by an eyepiece.
In viewing situations where very high magnifying powers are desired, insert the 3.0X Barlow
lens between the eyepiece (See Fig. 4).
THE ALTAZIMUTH MOUNT
The F60360 telescope is fitted with an altazimuth mount. " Alt" refers to altitude. the vertical
movement of the telescope, while "azimuth" refers to the horizontal movement.
ABOUT MAGNIFICATION
The magnification power of a telescope indicates how much an image is enlarged or how big
and close it appears to the viewer. The focal length of the eyepiece, combined with the focal
length of the telescope, determines the magnification power. To calculate the power of your
telescope with any particular eyepiece, simply divide the focal length of the telescope(360
mm)by the focal length of the eyepiece(indicated in "mm" on the eyepiece collar).
dark and light on the moon called the terminator, shows the best detail in the craters and
mountains.
Example: 360-mm focal length (tube)
20-mm focal length (eyepiece)
= 18X magnification power
The planets
The planets, our solar system companions, range in size and substance from moon-size
The 3.0X Barlow lens and interchangeable eyepieces provide the following magnification
values:
Eyepiece
Power
Power With 3.0X Barlow Lens
rocky bodies to giant gas balls, which could hold Earth 1,000 times over. To find the
planets,
20-mm
18X
54X
6-mm
60X
180X
7
4
Diagonal Mirror
Eyepiece
3 X Barlow lens
