one or both of its axes—vertically and/
or horizontally as needed. At higher
powers, astronomical objects will seem
to move through the field of view of the
eyepiece more rapidly.
Place the object to be viewed at the edge of
the field and, without touching the telescope,
watch it drift through the field to the other
side before repositioning the telescope so
that the object to be viewed is again placed
at the edge of the field, ready to be further
observed.
Vibrations:
Avoid touching the eyepiece
while observing through the telescope.
Vibrations resulting from such contact will
cause the image to move. Avoid observing
sites where vibrations cause image movement
(for example, near railroad tracks). Viewing
from the upper floors of a building may also
cause image movement.
Let your eyes “dark-adapt”: Allow five or
ten minutes for your eyes to become “dark
adapted” before observing. Use a red-
filtered flashlight to protect your night vision
14
when reading star maps, or inspecting the
telescope. Stay away from bright lights too.
Do not use a regular flash-light or turn on
other lights when observing with a group of
other astronomers. You can make your own
red filtered flashlight by taping red cellophane
over a flashlight lens.
Viewing through windows:
Avoid setting
up the telescope inside a room and observing
through an opened or closed window pane.
Images may appear blurred or distorted due
to temperature differences between inside
and outside air. Also, it is a good idea to
allow your telescope to reach the ambient
(surrounding) outside temperature before
starting an observing session.
When to observe:
Planets and other objects
viewed low on the horizon often lack sharp-
ness—the same object, when observed
higher in the sky, will appear sharper and
have greater contrast. Try reducing power
(change your eyepiece) if your image is fuzzy
or shimmers. Keep in mind that a bright, clear,
but smaller image is more interesting than a
larger, dimmer, fuzzy one. Using too high a
power eyepiece is one of the most common
mistakes made by new astronomers.
Dress Warm:
Even on summer nights, the
air can feel cool or cold as the night wears
on. It is important to dress warm or to have a
sweater, jacket, gloves, etc., nearby.
Know your observing site:
If possible, know
the location where you will be observing. Pay
attention to holes in the ground and other
obstacles. Is it a location where wild animals,
such as skunks, snakes, etc., may appear?
Are there viewing obstructions such as tall
trees, street lights, headlights and so forth?
(c) nimax GmbH
