User manual CELESTRON SS80

[. . . ] 8 THE OPTICAL TUBE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 INSTALLING THE VARIABLE TENSION HANDLES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 THE FINDERSCOPE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 ATTACHING THE FINDERSCOPE BRACKET TO THE TELESCOPE TUBE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [. . . ] If, when focusing on the star, it is irregular in shape or appears to have a flare of light at its edge, this means your mirrors aren't in alignment. If you notice the appearance of a flare of light from the star that remains stable in location, just as you go in and out of exact focus, then re-collimation will help sharpen the image. For example, if it appears to flare toward the three o'clock position in the field of view, then you must move whichever screw or combination of collimation screws necessary to move the star's image toward the direction of the flaring. In this example, you would want to move the image of the star in your eyepiece, by adjusting the collimation screws, toward the three o'clock position in the field of view. It may only be necessary to adjust a screw enough to move the star's image from the center of the field of view to about halfway, or less, toward the field's edge (when using a high power ocular). Figure 14 A collimated telescope should appear as a symmetrical ring pattern similar to the diffraction disk seen here. Collimation adjustments are best made while viewing the star's position in the field of view and turning the adjustment screws simultaneously. It may be helpful to have two people working together: one viewing and instructing which screws to turn and by how much, and the other performing the adjustments. IMPORTANT: After making the first, or each adjustment, it may be necessary to re-aim the telescope tube to re-center the star again in the center of the field of view. The star image can then be judged for symmetry by going just inside and outside of exact focus and noting the star's pattern. Since three screws are present, it may be necessary to move at least two of them to achieve the necessary mirror movement. 15 TELESCOPE BASICS Focusing the Telescope The Star Hopper® telescope is equipped with a rack and pinion focuser. Focusing is accomplished by rotating the focuser knobs until a sharp focus is reached. To focus your telescope, begin by putting the eyepiece in the eyepiece holder of the focuser. 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. 17 Observing Deep-Sky Objects Deep-sky objects are simply those objects outside the boundaries of our solar system. They include star clusters, planetary nebulae, diffuse nebulae, double stars and other galaxies outside our own Milky Way. [. . . ] It features a 10, 000 object database, 75 full color enhanced images, 360° screen rotation, zoom from 4° to 235°, realistic sky display showing stellar brightness and contrast and more. A full description of all Celestron accessories can be found in the Celestron Accessory Catalog (#93685) 25 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. [. . . ]