15
W
ith the telescope assembled, balanced
and polar-aligned as described pre v i o u s l y,
you are ready to begin observ a t i o n s .
Decide on an easy to find object such as the
Moon, if visible, or a bright star to become
accustomed to the functions and operations of
the telescope. For the best results during observ a-
tions, follow the suggestions given as follows:-
●
To centre an object in the main telescope,
loosen the telescope's R.A. and DEC locks.
The telescope can now turn freely on its axes.
Use the aligned viewfinder's crosshairs and
re-tighten the R.A. and DEC. locks.
●
If you have purchased an assortment of
eyepieces, always start an observation with a
low power eyepiece (e.g. a 20mm or 25mm
eyepiece). Get the object well centered in the field
of view and sharply focused. Then try the next
step up in magnification. If the image starts to
become fuzzy as you increase magnification, then
back down to a lower power as the atmospheric
steadiness is not sufficient to support high powers
at the time you are observing. Keep in mind that a
bright, clearly resolved but smaller image will
show far more detail than a dimmer, poorly
resolved larger image. Eyepieces of 20mm and
25mm focal length provide a wide field of view,
ideal for general astronomical observing of star
fields, clusters of stars, nebulae and galaxies. They
a re probably the best eyepieces to use in the initial
finding and centring of any object.
●
Once centered, the object can be focused
by t u rning one of the knobs of the focusing
mechanism. You will notice that the astronomical
object in the field of view will begin to slowly
move across the eyepiece field. This motion is
caused by the rotation of the Earth on its axis,
although the planets and stars are for practical
purposes fixed in their positions in the sky. The
p l a t f o rm on which the telescope is sitting (the
E a rth) rotates once every 24 hours under these
objects. To keep astronomical objects in the field
of view of the polar aligned telescope, simply
t u rn the R.A. slow motion control. These objects
will appear to move through the field more rapidly at
higher powers.
Note: The Declination slow motion control is
only used for centring purposes, not for
tracking.
●
Avoid touching the eyepiece while looking
through the telescope. Vibrations resulting
from such contact will cause the image to
move.
●
You should allow a few minutes for your
eyes to become dark adapted before attempting
any serious astronomical observations. Use a
red filtered flashlight to protect your night
vision when reading star maps or inspecting
the components of the telescope.
●
Avoid setting up the telescope inside a
room and observing through an open window
(or worse still, a closed window). Images viewed
in such a manner may appeared blurred or dis-
t o rted due to a temperature diff e rence between
the inside and the outside air.
Tips on observing with your
telescope...
