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SquareTrade © AP6.0 A Sirius Leonid Meteor Wally Pacholka ONE YEAR WARRANTY NEW IN BOX This is a very high performance telescope designed for both astronomical and terrestrial observing. In order that you may achieve maximum utilization of the instrument, we urge that you take a few minutes to read the included manual before making first observations through the telescope. As you read through this manual, the technical terms associated with telescopes will be made clear. SCHEMATIC DRAWING OF THE TELESCOPE 1. Eyepiece2. Viewfinder3. Viewfinder collimation screws4. Optical tube assembly5. Vertical lock knobs6. Horizontal lock knob7. Tripod leg8. Leg brace supports9. Accessory tray10. Tripod-to-mount base attachment point11. Tripod attachment bolts12. Accessory tray-to-leg brace wing nut hardware13. Diagonal mirror14. Objective lens cell15. Focuser drawtube16. Altitude rod slow motion fine adjustment control17. Altitude rod coarse adjustment lock knob control18. Altazimuth mount19. Adjustable sliding center leg extension20. Sliding leg extension thumbscrew-lock21. Dew shield/lens shade22. Front lens cap23. Focusing knob24. Viewfinder bracket SPECIFICATIONS Optical Design: Achromatic refractor Optical Diameter: 60mm (2.4") Focal Length: 700mm Focal Ratio: f/11.7 Telescope Mounting: Alt-azimuth Yoke Mount with Slow-motion Control Optical Tube Dimensions: 2.5" dia. x 27" Near Focus(approx.): 17 ft. (5.2m) Resolving Power (arc secs.): 1.6 Optical Coatings: multicoated Limiting Visual Stellar Magnitude: 11.3 Image Scale: 4.14ý/inch Maximum Practical Visual Power: 240X Eyepieces (0.965"): SR4mm, H12mm and H25mm Eyepiece barrel diameter: 0965" Viewfinder: 5 x 24mm Diagonal Mirror (0.965"): Included 3x Barlow lens (0.965"): Included Tripod and accessory tray: Included StarNavigator Astro Software. Use it to locate more than 10,000 celestial objects!! USING THIS TELESCOPE 1. First decide on an easy-to-find object. Land objects during the daytime are a good way to become accustomed to the functions and operations of the telescope. At night, try observing the Moon first, if it is visible, or a bright star. 2. To center an object in the main telescope, first use the aligned viewfinder to sight-in the object you wish to observe. If necessary, slightly loosen one vertical lock (5) and the altitude rod lock knob (17), to re-position the telescope so that the desired object can be centered in the viewfinder. When the object is centered in the viewfinder, it should then, also, be somewhere in the main telescope's field of view. Next, using the 25mm eyepiece, center the object in the main telescope's field of view, and sharply focus the image by turning the focus knob (23). The 25mm eyepiece included as standard equipment is the best eyepiece to use for the initial finding and centering of an object. The low power 25mm eyepiece presents a bright, wide field of view, ideal for terrestrial and general astronomical observing of star fields, clusters of stars, nebulae, and galaxies. For lunar and planetary viewing, switch to a higher power eyepiece such as the MH9mm–conditions permitting. If the image starts to become fuzzy as magnification is increased–back down to a lower power–the atmosphere is not steady enough to support higher powers. 3. If you are observing an astronomical object (the Moon, a planet, star, etc.) you will immediately notice that the object is in a rather slow but continuous motion through the telescopic field of view. This motion is caused by the rotation of the Earth on its axis which results in an apparent motion of the object in the telescope's field of view; i.e. although the Moon, planets and stars are, for practical purposes, fixed in their positions during any 2 or 3 hour observing session, the platform on which the telescope is sitting (the Earth) rotates once every 24 hours underneath these fixed objects. To keep astronomical objects centered in the field, simply move the telescope on one or both of its axes (vertical and/or horizontal) as appropriate. At higher powers, astronomical objects will seem to move through the field more rapidly. 4. Avoid touching the eyepiece while observing through the telescope. Vibrations resulting from such contact will cause the image to move. Likewise, avoid observing sites where ground-based vibrations may resonate the tripod. Viewing from the upper floors of a building may also introduce image movement. 5. Allow a few minutes for your eyes to become "dark adapted" prior to attempting any serious observations. Use a red-filtered flashlight to protect your night vision when reading star maps, or inspecting components of the telescope. 6. Avoid setting up the telescope inside a room and observing through an open window (or worse yet, a closed window). Images viewed in such a manner may appear blurred or distorted due to temperature differences between inside and outside air. Also, it is a good idea to allow your telescope a chance to reach the ambient (surrounding) outside temperature before starting an observing session. The number of fascinating objects visible through your Meade refractor is limited only by your own motivation. Astronomical software, or a good star atlas (e.g., the "Meade Star Chart") will assist you in locating many interesting celestial objects. These objects include: Cloud belts across the surface of the planet Jupiter. The 4 major moons of Jupiter, visible around the planet, changing position each night. Saturn and its famous ring system. The Moon: A veritable treasury of craters, mountain ranges and fault lines. The best contrast for viewing the Moon is during its crescent phase. The contrast during the full Moon phase is low due to the angle of illumination. Deep-Space: Nebulae, galaxies, multiple star systems, star clusters–hundreds of such objects are visible through the Model 230. The Andromeda Galaxy Terrestrial objects: Your Meade telescope may also be used for high resolution land viewing. In this case, note that the diagonal mirror results in an image which is reversed left-for-right, but which is correctly oriented up-and-down. For a fully corrected image, the #931 45° Erect Image Hybrid Roof Prism (1.25" O.D.) is required. Terrestrial observations should almost always be made using a low power eyepiece (50x or less) for bright, sharp images. Land objects will not normally accept higher powers well because the telescope is being pointed through the thickest part of the Earth's atmosphere, unlike astronomical observations made by pointing the telescope up and through a thinner atmosphere. Certain atmospheric conditions can distort an observed image. Planets, in particular, viewed while low on the horizon often exhibit lack of sharpness–the same object when observed higher in the sky will appear to be much better resolved with far greater contrast. Also, turbulent air in the upper atmosphere can cause the images to "shimmer" in the eyepiece–reduce power until the image steadies. Keep in mind that a bright, clearly resolved, but smaller image will show far more interesting detail than a larger, dimmer, fuzzy image. CALCULATING POWER The power, or magnification, at which a telescope is operating is determined by two factors: the optical, or focal length of the telescope's main (objective) lens and the focal length of the eyepiece being used. The focal length of this Model objective lens is 700mm. To compute power, divide the focal length of the eyepiece into the focal length of the objective lens. The resulting quotient is the magnifying power of the telescope when used with the eyepiece in question. For example, the MA25mm eyepiece yields with the Model 230, a power of: Power = 700mm ÷ 25mm = 28 Similarly, if the MH9mm eyepiece is used, the resulting power will be 700mm ÷ 9mm = 78x. Meade eyepieces present extremely sharp, well-resolved images through the Model 230 throughout a wide range of magnifications. A few words of wisdom about power. While the theoretical power or magnification of a telescope is virtually limitless, there are, however, practical limits imposed by the Earth's atmosphere as to what can be seen well at a given power. The most often useful higher magnification with any 60mm diameter telescope is in the range of 80 to 120 power. The general rule to follow with any telescope, regarding power: only use as much magnification as a steady, well-defined image supports. This often varies with the stability of the air being viewed through and is one reason why having various eyepieces is highly desirable. Higher powers are no guaranty of better images; in fact, the opposite is often true. Also, keep in mind, that land viewing and wide-field, deep-space observation are, generally, low power applications of your telescope. This week's sky Fishing for a faint fuzzy Star-party attendees in late August and early September should set their sights on the 10th-magnitude interloper C/2007 W1 (Boattini). It will be well-placed in the east by late evening and remain up the rest of the night. To catch this comet, you'll need to be out under a dark sky and avoid the Moon's unwanted light. As Boattini slides across the back of Pisces the Fish, the comet will resemble some of the fainter Messier objects. You should get a nice view through a 4-inch scope under good conditions.At best, Boattini will show a stubby tail. The solar system conspires against us this month, because the comet's tail extends mostly behind it from our perspective. In this respect, it mimics last year's appearance of Comet 17P/Holmes.At September's close, Comet C/2007 W1 passes close to Psi1 Piscium, an easy double star for small telescopes. Its components shine at magnitudes 5.4 and 5.6 and have a comfortable separation of 30". Can you see any color difference between the two stars?If you're in a comet-hunting mood, lots of other targets await those with bigger scopes. Almost a dozen glow at 12th magnitude or brighter. Stargazing Summary Like a retail business, skywatching has three keys to success: location, location, and location. This month is a prime example. Venus, Mars, and Mercury huddle close together for most of the month. They are so low in the sky, though, that they are difficult to see. The best views come from south of about Dallas or Albuquerque, where the planets stand a little higher above the horizon at sunset. Even so, the viewing window is limited to a few minutes, and a clear western horizon is a must. Skywatchers in the northern states will have little chance to see them without optical aid. September 2008 Like a retail business, skywatching has three keys to success: location, location, and location. This month is a prime example. Venus, Mars, and Mercury huddle close together for most of the month. They are so low in the sky, though, that they are difficult to see. The best views come from south of about Dallas or Albuquerque, where the planets stand a little higher above the horizon at sunset. Even so, the viewing window is limited to a few minutes, and a clear western horizon is a must. Skywatchers in the northern states will have little chance to see them without optical aid. 2 Spica, the brightest star of Virgo, stands to the upper left of the Moon shortly after sunset. Binoculars will help you find it. Three planets congregate to their lower right: brilliant Venus, plus Mars and Mercury. From far-southern latitudes, they are visible to the naked eye, but just barely, very low in the west. 6 The Moon swings just below Antares, the brightest star of Scorpius. At their closest, they will be separated by about the width of a finger held at arm’s length. 8/9 Jupiter, which looks like a brilliant star, stands to the left of the Moon on the 8th, and just above it on the 9th. 10 Mercury stands farthest from the Sun for its current evening appearance, but is difficult to find, low in the west shortly after sunset. 12 The planet Uranus is at opposition. It rises at sunset, sets at sunrise, and is brightest for the year. Through binoculars, it looks like a faint blue-green star. The Moon will just miss Uranus on the 14th. 22 The autumnal equinox occurs at 10:44 a.m., marking the beginning of fall in the northern hemisphere. 26 Regulus, in Leo, the lion, is within about one degree of the Moon. They rise almost two hours before sunrise. 27 Saturn stands to the left of the Moon at first light and looks like a golden star. And here, for your viewing pleasure, are Pics taken by Amateur Astronomers!! The MOON: Southern Highlands with Moretus, Clavius and Tycho Maurice John CollinsPalmerston North, NZ Radu Gherase Valenii de munte, Romania Robert Turner Bethune, SC Peter W. O'Brie Derry NH Bill Logan Pleiades GeorgeGeorge LilleyWarner Robins, GA US M08 Narrowband MTaylorMatt TaylorClaremore, OK US Great Orion Nebula PLEASE BE CAREFUL: NEVER POINT THE TELESCOPE DIRECTLY AT OR NEAR THE SUN AT ANY TIME! OBSERVING THE SUN, EVEN FOR THE SMALLEST FRACTION OF A SECOND, MAY RESULT IN INSTANT AND IRREVERSIBLE EYE DAMAGE, AS WELL AS PHYSICAL DAMAGE TO THE TELESCOPE ITSELF.
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