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To see what you’re doing in the darkness, use a red-filtered
flashlight rather than a white light. Red light does not spoil your
eyes’ dark adaptation like white light does. A flashlight with a
red LED light is ideal. Beware, too, that nearby porch, street-
lights, and car headlights will ruin your night vision.
Everything Fits in the Carrying Case!
The StarBlast 90mm refractor comes complete with a soft case
that neatly holds all its components (K). The telescope optical
tube and tripod both fit inside the case, separated by a pro-
tective divider to keep them from contacting each other. The
tripod accessory tray fits in a pocket inside the case. The case
is equipped with both hand straps and a shoulder strap for con-
venient transport of your telescope wherever you go! The eye-
pieces and finder scope should be kept in the included small
accessory pouch (I) inside the larger case. Each eyepiece
comes with a white plastic “bolt case” (G and H) designed to
protect and keep the eyepiece clean when it’s not in use.
Using MoonMap 260
Included with your StarBlast 90mm refractor telescope is
Orion’s exclusive MoonMap 260 (J). It depicts the locations
and names of over 260 features on the Moon such as craters,
mountains, valleys, "seas" and more. It is a great tool for begin-
ning astronomers. This detailed map will even show you where
various spacecraft from past space missions have landed on
the Moon's surface!
The great thing about the Moon is that its phase changes every
night. Focus your attention on the border between the illumi-
nated and dark portions or the surface, called the “terminator”.
Shadows cast along the terminator help to reveal the rugged
relief of the landscape. Note that the worst time to view the
Moon is during the full Moon phase. That’s because sunlight
shines directly downward on the lunar surface, so no shadows
are cast by the moon's topography.
Telescope Care and
Maintenance
If you give your telescope reasonable care, it will last a lifetime.
Store it in a clean, dry, dust-free place, safe from rapid changes
in temperature and humidity. Do not store the telescope out-
doors, although storage in a garage or shed is okay.
Keep the dust cover on the front of the telescope when it is not
in use. It’s the rubber cap tethered to the front of the telescope.
Your refractor telescope requires very little mechanical main-
tenance. The optical tube has a smooth painted finish that is
fairly scratch-resistant. If a scratch does appear on the tube, it
will not harm the telescope. If you wish, you may apply some
auto touch-up paint to the scratch. Smudges on the tube can be
wiped off with a soft cloth and household cleaning fluid.
Cleaning Optics
Any quality optical lens cleaning tissue and optical lens cleaning
fluid specifically designed for multi-coated optics can be used
to clean the lenses of your telescope and eyepieces. Never
use regular glass cleaner or cleaning fluid designed for eye-
glasses. Before cleaning, remove any loose particles or dust
from the lens with a blower bulb or soft brush. Then apply some
cleaning fluid to a tissue, never directly on the optics. Wipe the
lens gently in a circular motion, then remove any excess fluid
with a fresh lens tissue. Oily fingerprints and smudges may be
removed using this method. Use caution; rubbing too hard may
scratch the lens. On larger lenses, clean only a small area at a
time, using a fresh lens tissue on each area. Never reuse tis-
sues.
When bringing the telescope inside after an evening’s viewing
it is normal for moisture to accumulate on the lenses due to
the change in temperature. We suggest leaving the telescope
and eyepieces uncovered overnight to allow the condensation
to evaporate.
Figure 9.
Adjust the legs to the desired height, then lock them by
turning the leg lock knobs clockwise.
Figure10.
All included components of the StarBlast 90mm fit neatly
in the included soft case.
Leg lock
knobs
Accessory tray
Optical tube
Tripod
Accessory
case
