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17

What to Expect

So what will you see with your telescope? You should be able
to see bands on Jupiter, the rings of Saturn, craters on the
Moon, the waxing and waning of Venus, and many bright
deep-sky objects. Do not expect to see color as you do in
NASA photos, since those are taken with long-exposure cam-
eras and have ‘false color’ added. Our eyes are not sensitive
enough to see color in deep-sky objects except in a few of the
brightest ones.

Remember that you are seeing these objects using your own
telescope with your own eyes! The object you see in your eye-
piece is in real-time, and not some conveniently provided
image from an expensive space probe. Each session with
your telescope will be a learning experience. Each time you
work with your telescope it will get easier to use, and stellar
objects will become easier to find. Take it from us, there is big
difference between looking at a well-made full-color NASA
image of a deep-sky object in a lit room during the daytime,
and seeing that same object in your telescope at night. One
can merely be a pretty image someone gave to you. The other
is an experience you will never forget!

Objects to Observe

Now that you are all set up and ready to go, one critical deci-
sion must be made: what to look at?

A. The Moon

With its rocky surface, the Moon is one of the easiest and
most interesting targets to view with your telescope. Lunar
craters, marias, and even mountain ranges can all be clearly
seen from a distance of 238,000 miles away! With its ever-
changing phases, you’ll get a new view of the Moon every
night. The best time to observe our one and only natural satel-
lite is during a partial phase, that is, when the Moon is NOT

full. During partial phases, shadows are cast on the surface,
which reveal more detail, especially right along the border
between the dark and light portions of the disk (called the
“terminator”). A full Moon is too bright and devoid of surface
shadows to yield a pleasing view. Make sure to observe the
Moon when it is well above the horizon to get the sharpest
images.

Use an optional Moon filter to dim the Moon when it is very
bright. It simply threads onto the bottom of the eyepieces (you
must first remove the eyepiece from the focuser to attach a fil-
ter). You’ll find that the Moon filter improves viewing comfort,
and also helps to bring out subtle features on the lunar surface.

B. The Sun

You can change your nighttime telescope into a daytime Sun
viewer by installing an optional full-aperture solar filter over
the front opening of the Observer 60mm. The primary attrac-
tion is sunspots, which change shape, appearance, and loca-
tion daily. Sunspots are directly related to magnetic activity in
the Sun. Many observers like to make drawings of sunspots
to monitor how the Sun is changing from day to day.

Important Note: Do not look at the Sun with any optical
instrument without a professionally made solar filter, or
permanent eye damage could result.

C. The Planets

The planets don’t stay put like the stars, so to find them you
should refer to Sky Calendar at our website (telescope.com),
or to charts published monthly in Astronomy, Sky & Tele-
scope
, or other astronomy magazines. Venus, Mars, Jupiter,
and Saturn are the brightest objects in the sky after the Sun
and the Moon. Your Observer 60mm is capable of showing
you these planets in some detail. Other planets may be visi-
ble but will likely appear star-like. Because planets are quite
small in apparent size, optional higher-power eyepieces are
recommended and often needed for detailed observations.
Not all the planets are generally visible at any one time.

JUPITER: The largest planet, Jupiter, is a great subject for
observation. You can see the disk of the giant planet and
watch the ever-changing positions of its four largest moons—
Io, Callisto, Europa, and Ganymede.

SATURN: The ringed planet is a breathtaking sight when it is
well positioned. The tilt angle of the rings varies over a period
of many years; sometimes they are seen edge-on, while at
other times they are broadside and look like giant “ears” on
each side of Saturn’s disk. A steady atmosphere (good see-
ing) is necessary for a good view. You will probably see a
bright “star” close by, which is Saturn’s brightest moon, Titan.

VENUS: At its brightest, Venus is the most luminous object in
the sky, excluding the Sun and the Moon. It is so bright that
sometimes it is visible to the naked eye during full daylight!
Ironically, Venus appears as a thin crescent, not a full disk,
when at its peak brightness. Because it is so close to the Sun,
it never wanders too far from the morning or evening horizon.
No surface markings can be seen on Venus, which is always
shrouded in dense clouds.

Magnification Limits

Every telescope has a useful magnification limit of
about 60X per inch of aperture. This comes to 142X for
the Observer 60mm. Some telescope manufacturers
will use misleading claims of excess magnification,
such as “See distant galaxies at 640X!”. While such
magnifications are technically possible, the actual
image at that magnification would be an indistinct blur.

Moderate magnifications are what give the best views.
It is better to view a small, but bright and detailed
image than a dim, unclear, oversized image.

Содержание Observer 60mm EQ

Страница 1: ...roviding Exceptional Consumer Optical Products Since 1975 Customer Support 800 676 1343 E mail support telescope com Corporate Offices 831 763 7000 P O Box 1815 Santa Cruz CA 95061 Orion Observer 60mm EQ 9853 Equatorial Refractor Telescope ...

Страница 2: ...2 ...

Страница 3: ...s 7 8 3 Tripod legs 9 with attached accessory tray bracket 11 1 Accessory tray 10 with attachment wing screws 1 Counterweight shaft 25 1 Counterweight 6 1 Latitude adjustment T bolt 29 1 EZ Finder II reflex sight 4 3 Tripod leg attachment screws with wingnuts and washers 31 3 Leg lock knobs 12 1 25mm Kellner eyepiece 1 10mm Kellner eyepiece 1 90 Mirror star diagonal 2 1 Dust cover Welcome to the e...

Страница 4: ...4 2 4 8 6 7 Observer 60mm Refractor 11 10 3 9 Figure 1 Observer 60mm EQ components 5 1 12 ...

Страница 5: ...ning the Equatorial Mount section for more details Counterweight This counterweight will balance out the optical tube 1 when it is being aimed at celestial objects Right ascension slow motion control cable This cable is used to make small movements in right ascension when aiming the telescope Right ascension is explained in the Aligning the Equatorial Mount sec tion This cable is also used to trac...

Страница 6: ...Figure 2a Optical tube components 6 14 Observer 60mm Telescope Tube Figure 2b Observer 60mm focuser detail 15 3 2 17 4 1 3 2 17 10 18 19 13 16 20 ...

Страница 7: ...s a rack an pinion system to bring objects into focus Focus wheels These wheelswhen turned move the focuser drawtube 17 in or out Use it to bring things into focus when you are looking in the eyepiece 3 Diagonal holder thumbscrews These two thumbscrews secure the 90 mirror star diagonal 2 into the focuser drawtube 17 These should only be loosened to remove or rotate the star diagonal Eyepiece hold...

Страница 8: ...Figure 3a Equatorial mount detail 8 Figure 3b Observer 60mm EQ tripod leg and mount attachment detail 22 Observer 60mm Tripod and Mount 23 25 21 26 27 8 29 31 31 30 7 24 28 6 ...

Страница 9: ...atitude scale This scale gives a general indication of the latitude set ting of the equatorial mount 5 Latitude lock T bolt This T bolt must be loosened to make adjustments to the latitude of the telescope Latitude adjustment T bolt This T bolt is used to make adjustments to the latitude setting of the equatorial mount 5 Azimuth lock knob Loosening this knob will allow the equatorial to be adjuste...

Страница 10: ... and the 40 line up Then retighten the latitude lock T bolt The declination Dec and right ascension R A axes may need re posi tioning rotation as well Be sure to loosen the R A and Dec lock knobs 22 24 before doing this Retighten the R A and Dec lock knobs once the equatorial mount is properly oriented 7 Thread the counterweight shaft 25 into the equatorial mount 5 at the base of the declination a...

Страница 11: ... and should not drift from where you point it Focusing the Telescope With the 25mm Kellner eyepiece 3 inserted into the 90 mir ror star diagonal 2 and secured with the thumbscrews aim the optical tube 1 so the front open end is pointing in the general direction of an object at least 1 4 mile away Now with your fingers slowly rotate one of the focus wheels 18 until the object comes into sharp focus...

Страница 12: ...them from drifting out of the telescope s field of view while you re observing This is accomplished by slowly rotating the telescope on its right ascension R A axis using only the R A slow motion cable 7 But first the R A axis of the mount must be aligned with the Earth s rotational polar axis a process called polar alignment Understanding Polar Alignment To understand what you will be doing when ...

Страница 13: ...ts roughly at Polaris If you can not see Polaris directly from your observing site consult a compass and rotate the mount so the telescope points North Retighten the azimuth lock knob The equatorial mount is now polar aligned From this point on in your observing session you should not make any further adjustments in the azimuth or the latitude of the mount nor should you move the tripod Doing so w...

Страница 14: ...itude on Earth and Dec is similar to latitude The R A and Dec values for celestial objects can be found in any star atlas or star catalog The mount s R A setting circle 23 is scaled in hours from 1 through 24 with small marks in between representing 10 minute increments The numbers closest to the R A axis gear apply to viewing in the Southern Hemisphere while the num bers above them apply to viewi...

Страница 15: ... other directions Let s say you want to view an object that is directly overhead at the zenith How do you do it One thing you DO NOT do is make any adjustment to the lat itude adjustment T bolt 29 That will nullify the mount s polar alignment Remember once the mount is polar aligned the telescope should be moved only on the R A and Dec axes To point the scope overhead first loosen the R A lock kno...

Страница 16: ...ez then you have fog haze clouds smog or other conditions that are hindering your viewing See Figure 11 Eyepiece Selection By using eyepieces of different focal lengths it is possible to attain many magnifications or powers with the Observer 60mm Your telescope comes with two Kellner eyepieces Figure 12 a 25mm which gives a magnification of 36x and a 10mm which gives a magnification of 90x Other e...

Страница 17: ...the front opening of the Observer 60mm The primary attrac tion is sunspots which change shape appearance and loca tion daily Sunspots are directly related to magnetic activity in the Sun Many observers like to make drawings of sunspots to monitor how the Sun is changing from day to day Important Note Do not look at the Sun with any optical instrument without a professionally made solar filter or p...

Страница 18: ...s in temperature and humidity Do not store the tele scope outdoors although storage in a garage or shed is OK Small components like eyepieces and other accessories should be kept in a protective box or storage case Keep the caps on the front of the telescope and on the focuser draw tube when not in use Your Observer 60mm telescope requires very little mechani cal maintenance The optical tube is al...

Страница 19: ...19 ...

Страница 20: ...ay Watsonville CA 95076 If the product is not registered proof of purchase such as a copy of the original invoice is required This warranty does not apply if in Orion s judgment the instrument has been abused mishan dled or modified nor does it apply to normal wear and tear This warranty gives you specific legal rights and you may also have other rights which vary from state to state For further w...

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