User manual CELESTRON POWERSTAR 8-PEC

[. . . ] The equatorial mount contains setting circles and slow motion cables to make it easier to locate and track astronomical objects. But, before your journey begins take time to read this manual to familiarize yourself with the operation and parts of your telescope. WARNING--NEVER LOOK AT THE SUN WITH YOUR TELESCOPE OR ITS FINDERSCOPE. PERMANENT AND IRREVERSIBLE EYE DAMAGE MAY RESULT AS WELL AS DAMAGE TO YOUR TELESCOPE. [. . . ] Choose a bright and easy to find star in a star chart and note the coordinates (right ascension and declination). Now, rotate the right ascension circle to match the coordinates of the star with the indicator mark. If you polar aligned the telescope accurately, the declination circle should be correctly set to the proper coordinates. You may notice that there are two sets of numbers on the right ascension dial, one for the northern hemisphere and one for the southern. Observers in the northern hemisphere should use the upper set of numbers while southern observers should use the lower set of numbers. Remember in the northern hemisphere, the right ascension should decrease as the telescope is moved towards the west. The right ascension setting circle does not move as the telescope moves in right ascension and thus it must by aligned each time you want to use it to find a new object. However, you do not need to use a bright star each time but you can use the object you are currently observing. First move the telescope in declination to the correct declination coordinate. Then move the telescope in right ascension until the indicator points to the correct coordinate. After moving the telescope to the correct celestial coordinates, look through the lower power eyepiece to see if you have located the object you wish to view. At low power, with the standard eyepiece, you'll be able to see the whole lunar disk at one time. Change to higher power (magnification) with an optional eyepiece to focus in on a smaller area. Keep in mind that the rotation of the earth will cause the moon to drift out of your field of view. You'll have to manually adjust the telescope to keep the moon centered. Consult a current astronomy magazine or your local newspaper to find out the current phase of the moon. Lunar Observing Hint To increase contrast and bring out visible detail on the lunar surface, try using different filters (available through your local Celestron dealer). A yellow filter works well for improving contrast. Observing the Planets Other easy targets include the five "naked eye" planets of our solar system, so called because they can be spotted in the night sky by the unaided eye. Mars can reveal a host of surface detail and one, if not both, of its polar caps. You'll be able to see the cloud belts of Jupiter, perhaps even the great Red Spot. In addition, you'll be able to see the moons of Jupiter as they orbit the giant planet. Saturn, with its beautiful rings, is easily visible at moderate power, as is Mercury. Most astronomy publications indicate where the planets are in the sky each month. 13 Observing Deep-Sky Objects Deep-sky objects are simply those objects outside the boundaries of our solar system. [. . . ] This turns your telescope into a high power telephoto lens perfect for terrestrial photography and short exposure lunar and filtered solar photography. A full description of all Celestron accessories can be found in the Celestron Accessory Catalog (#93685) or web site www. celestron. com 17 CELESTRON TWO YEAR WARRANTY A. Celestron warrants this telescope to be free from defects in materials and workmanship for two years. Celestron will repair or replace such product or part thereof which, upon inspection by Celestron, is found to be defective in materials or workmanship. [. . . ]