locate an object using the red dot viewfinder
rather than locating with the eyepiece. Line
up the object using the viewfinders red dot.
Look through the eyepiece: Once you have
the object lined up in the viewfinder, look
through the optical tube’s eyepiece. If you
have aligned your viewfinder, you will you see
the object in your eyepiece.
Focus: Look through the eyepiece and
practice focusing on the object you have
chosen.
Try out the slow-motion flexible cable control:
Practice using the right ascension control
cable (3) and declination control cable (4) to
move the telescope. These can come in very
handy, especially when you wish to move the
telescope in very small (fine control) steps.
Observe the Moon: When you feel comfortable
with the viewfinder, the eyepieces, the locks
and the adjustment controls, you will be ready
to try out the telescope at night. The Moon
is the best object to observe the first time
you go out at night. Pick a night when the
Moon is a crescent. No shadows are seen
during a full Moon, making it appear flat and
uninteresting.
Look for different features on the Moon. The
most obvious features are craters. In fact
you can see craters within craters. Some
craters have bright lines about them. These
are called rays and are the result of material
thrown out of the crater when it was struck
by a colliding object. The dark areas on the
Moon are called maria and are composed of
lava from the period when the Moon still had
volcanic activity. You can also see mountain
ranges and fault lines on the Moon.
Use a neutral density filter (often called a
“moon filter”) when observing the Moon.
Neutral density filters are available from
Fig. 9
Looking at or near the
Sun
will cause
irreversable
damage to your eye. Do not point this telescope at or near the Sun. Do not look through the telescope as it is moving.
Meade as an optional accessory and enhance
contrast to improve your observation of lunar
features.
Spend several nights observing the Moon.
Some nights, the Moon is so bright that it
makes other objects in the sky difficult to see.
These are nights that are excellent for lunar
observation.
Observe the Solar System: After observing
the Moon, you are ready to step up to the
next level of observation, the planets.
There are four planets that you can easily
observe in your telescope: Venus, Mars,
Jupiter and Saturn.
Nine planets (maybe more!) travel in a fairly
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