11
WHEN TO GO OBSERVING
“Seeing” and Transparency:
Atmospheric conditions vary significantly from night
to night. “Seeing” refers to the steadiness of the Earth’s atmosphere at a given time.
In conditions of poor seeing, atmospheric turbulence causes objects viewed through
the telescope to “boil.” In conditions of good seeing, star twinkling is minimal and
images appear steady in the eyepiece. Seeing is best overhead, worst at the horizon.
Good “transparency” is especially important for observing faint objects.
Transparency is judged by the magnitude of the faintest stars you can see with the
unaided eye ( Mag.1 is very bright, 2 is dimmer, and so on….. 4
th
magnitude lower
is desirable).
Warning
Never look directly at
the Sun through your
telescope or its finder
scope – even for an
instant – as permanent
eye damage
could result.
Do not point the telescope at the Sun, as parts will melt!
Children should use this telescope only with adult supervision.
Summary of Contents for STARBLAST
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