3
Goto Axis Position .......................................................................................................................................................................................................30
Hibernate......................................................................................................................................................................................................................30
Sun Menu .....................................................................................................................................................................................................................30
Scrolling Menu.............................................................................................................................................................................................................31
Set Mount Position.......................................................................................................................................................................................................31
Turn On/Off GPS .........................................................................................................................................................................................................31
Turn On/Off RTC.........................................................................................................................................................................................................31
Periodic Error Correction .............................................................................................................................................................................................31
Move to Switch ............................................................................................................................................................................................................31
TELESCOPE BASICS............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 33
Image Orientation...................................................................................................................................................................................................................33
Focusing................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 34
Calculating Magnification...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 34
Determining Field of View..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 34
General Observing Hints ........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 35
ASTRONOMY BASICS ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 36
The Celestial Coordinate System............................................................................................................................................................................................36
Motion of the Stars................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 37
Finding the North Celestial Pole............................................................................................................................................................................................. 38
Polar Aligning the Mount.......................................................................................................................................................................................................38
Polar Align ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................38
All-Star Polar Alignment..............................................................................................................................................................................................39
CELESTIAL OBSERVING ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 41
Observing the Moon............................................................................................................................................................................................................... 41
Lunar Observing Hints ........................................................................................................................................................................................................... 41
Observing the Planets............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 41
Observing the Sun .................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 41
Solar Observing Hints............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 42
Observing Deep Sky Objects.................................................................................................................................................................................................. 42
Seeing Conditions................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 42
Transparency .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 42
Sky Illumination..................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 42
Seeing.....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................42
ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 44
Short Exposure Prime Focus Photography.............................................................................................................................................................................. 44
Eyepiece Projection................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 45
Long Exposure Prime Focus Photography.............................................................................................................................................................................. 47
Periodic Error Correction (PEC).............................................................................................................................................................................................48
Using Periodic Error Correction............................................................................................................................................................................................. 48
Terrestrial Photography.......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 49
Metering .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................49
Reducing Vibration................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 49
CCD Imaging.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 49
Auto Guiding.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 50
TELESCOPE MAINTENANCE ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 51
Care and Cleaning of the Optics............................................................................................................................................................................................. 51
Collimation............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 51
OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 54
APPENDIX A – TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 57
APPENDIX B – GLOSSARY OF TERMS ............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 58
APPENDIX C – RS-232 CONNECTION ................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 61
APPENDIX D – TIME ZONE MAP ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 63
SKY MAPS ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 65
