CARE
On some nights, it can be so d
amp
outside that your telescope, the
objective, or the eyepiece can b
ecome
wet with dew. With an eyepiece
, you
can pretty much avoid that by k
eeping
it in its cover and putting it in y
our
pants or jacket pocket. The obje
ctive
can also get condensation on i
t when
you bring your telescope back i
nto the
warm house from the cold. If th
at
happens, be sure to let everythin
g dry
thoroughly — especially the len
ses,
before you put their dust covers b
ack
on them. Don’t wipe the glass l
enses
when they are dry, because you m
ight
scratch them. Feel free to wipe t
he
stand and telescope tube off w
ith a
rag, if you like.
TIP!
You can use the Barlow lens t
o double the
magnification of any eyepie
ce. It will only
work well, though, if the air i
s calm and
you’re watching a bright ob
ject, such as the
Moon. Insert the Barlow len
s into the
eyepiece extension until it h
its the stop and
clamp it in place with the tw
o knurled
screws. Then insert the eyep
iece into the
Barlow lens. Don’t forget to s
crew it on tight!
How to Use Your Telescope
15
NOTE:
If your telescope is coming from
the warm house, it will cool off a l
ot in
the first half hour. While it cools
, your
observation targets may look un
stable
and washed-out. They will look b
etter
once it has cooled down to the
surrounding temperature.
TIP!
If you want to look at some
thing high in the sky, your
telescope may point almost s
traight up. That can make it
pretty uncomfortable to pee
r through the eyepiece. It wi
ll
be more comfortable if you f
irst insert the star diagonal a
nd
then mount the eyepiece on t
he eyepiece extension. It wil
l
deflect the light at a right a
ngle. If you do use the star
diagonal, you will need to r
eadjust the eyepiece extens
ion
to get a clear image. Don’t f
orget to tighten the knurled
screws on the eyepiece exte
nsion and the star diagonal
!
Barlow lens
Star diagonal
