User manual MEADE POLARIS 60AZ-AR

[. . . ] Polaris 60 AZ - AR 3/10/06 11:48 AM Page 1 www. meade. com POLARIS INSTRUCTION MANUAL 60mm | 2. 4" Altazimuth Refracting Telescope 60AZ-AR Polaris 60 AZ - AR 3/10/06 11:48 AM Page 2 Polaris 60 AZ - AR The tube has a focal length of 700mm, and its objective lens has a diameter of 60mm. The lens diameter is one of the most important pieces of information about the The telescope is shipped with the following parts: · Optical tube · Aluminum tripod with an accessory tray · Two 1. 25" eyepieces: MA25mm (28X), MH9mm (78X) · 2X - 1. 25" Barlow lens · Diagonal mirror · Red Dot viewfinder with bracket · Telescope mount · Hardware used in the assembly: 3 bolts (2" long) with wing nuts and washers 3 screws (1/2" long) with nuts 3/10/06 11:48 AM INTRODUCTION Your telescope is an excellent beginner's instrument, and is designed to observe objects in the sky and also on land. It can be your personal window on the universe or allows you to intimately study the behavior of nesting birds on a distant hillside. Page 3 Study the the picture on the next page and become acquainted with the parts of your telescope. Then proceed to "Assemble your Tripod. " Setting up your telescope involves these simple steps: · Assemble your tripod · Attach the accessory tray · Attach the optical tube to the mount · Attach the red dot viewfinder · Attach the diagonal mirror and eyepiece · Align the red dot viewfinder telescope. [. . . ] Jupiter's rings cannot be seen from Earth at all--the Voyager spacecraft discovered the ring after it passed Jupiter and looked back at it. It turns out, only with the sunlight shining through them, can the rings be seen. Optional color filters help bring out detail and contrast of the planets. Meade offers a line of inexpensive color filters. The first thing you will notice is that not all stars are the same colors. See if you can find blue, orange, yellow, white and red stars. The color of stars sometimes can tell you about the age of a star and the temperature that they burn at. Very often, you can find double (or binary) stars, stars that are very close together. A galaxy is a large grouping of stars, containing millions or even billions of stars. 5 Polaris 60 AZ - AR spiral (like our galaxy, the Milky Way) and other galaxies look more like a large football and are called elliptical galaxies. There are many galaxies that are irregularly shaped and are thought to have been pulled apart because they passed too close to--or even through--a larger galaxy. You may be able to see the Andromeda galaxy and several others in your telescope. Only very large telescope will reveal spiral or elliptical details. 3/10/06 11:48 AM You will also be able to see some nebulas with your scope. The two easiest to see in the Northern Hemisphere are the Orion nebula during the winter and the Triffid nebula during the summer. When you become an advanced observer you can look for other types of objects such as asteroids, planetary nebula and globular clusters. And if you're lucky, every so often a Page 11 Use a compass to make a circle, or trace around the lid of a jar. The best exercise for drawing is to observe the moons of Jupiter every night or so. Try to make Jupiter and the moons approximately the same size as they look in your eyepiece. As you get better at drawing, try more challenging sights, like a crater system on the moon or even a nebula. Go your library or check out the internet for more information about astronomy. Learn about the basics: light years, orbits, star colors, how stars and planets are formed, red shift, the big bang, what are the different kinds of nebula, what are comets, asteroids and meteors and what is a black hole. The bright comet appears in the sky, presenting an unforgettable sight. The more you learn about objects in the sky, the more you will learn to appreciate the sights you see in your telescope. Note the time and the date. Eyepieces: Always begin your observations using the 25mm low-power eyepiece. The 25mm eyepiece delivers a bright, wide field of view and is the best to use for most viewing conditions. [. . . ] Your telescope is a precision optical instrument designed for a lifetime of rewarding viewing. Follow these guidelines to keep your telescope in the best condition: 11:48 AM · Avoid cleaning the telescope's lenses. A little dust on the front surface of the Eyepiece's magnification x 2 = Magnification with a 2X Barlow lens Page 15 CAUTION: Do not use scented or lotioned tissues or damage could result to the optics. OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES #928 45° Erecting Prism (1. 25 O. D. ): Correctly orients the telescopic image during terrestrial observing #126 Barlow · When absolutely necessary, dust on the front lens should be removed with very gentle strokes of a camel hair brush or blown off with an ear syringe (available at most pharmacies). · Fingerprints and organic materials on the front lens may be removed with a solution of 3 parts distilled water to 1 part isopropyl alcohol. [. . . ]