Meade StarNavigator Slew Speeds, Playing the Audio, Observe the Moon, Astronomical Observing

NOTE:

Do not look through the telescope's eyepiece or viewfinder while it is rapidly moving. Children should always have adult supervision while observing.

TIP: When a message is scrolling across the display, press and hold the Up Arrow key to increase the scrolling speed or press and hold the Down Arrow key to decrease the scrolling speed.

TIP: StarNavigator shortcut keys:

"7" Volume down

"9" Volume up

"?" Stop/skip selected audio file

Slew Speeds

Audiostar has nine slew speeds that are directly proportional to the sidereal rate (see TO TRACK AN OBJECT AUTOMATICALLY on page 16 for a definition of "sidereal rate") and have been calculated to accomplish specific functions. Pressing a number key changes the slew speed, which is shown for about two seconds on Audiostar’s display.

The nine available speeds are:

￿	Number 1	=	1x	= 1 x sidereal (0.25 arc-min/sec or 0.004°/sec)
￿	Number 2	=	2x	= 2 x sidereal (0.5 arc-min/sec or 0.008°/sec)
￿	Number 3	=	8x	= 8 x sidereal (2 arc-min/sec or 0.033°/sec)
￿	Number 4	=	16x	= 16 x sidereal (4 arc-min/sec or 0.067°/sec)
￿	Number 5	=	64x	= 64 x sidereal (16 arc-min/sec or 0.27°/sec)
￿	Number 6	=	0.5°	= 120 x sidereal (30 arc-min/sec or 0.5°/sec)
￿	Number 7	=	1°/s	= 240 x sidereal (60 arc-min/sec or 1°/sec)
￿	Number 8	=	1.5°/s	= 360 x sidereal (90 arc-min/sec or 1.5°/sec)
￿	Number 9	=	Max	= (Maximum speed possible, dependent on battery power)

Speeds 1, 2, or 3: Best used for fine centring of an object in the field of view of a higher power eyepiece, such as a 12 mm or a 9 mm eyepiece.

Speeds 4, 5, or 6: Enables centring an object in the field of a low-to-moderate power eyepiece, such as a standard 26 mm eyepiece.

Speeds 7 or 8: Best used for rough centring of an object in the eyepiece.

Speed 9: Moves the telescope quickly from one point in the sky to another.

Playing the Audio

The StarNavigator telescope is equipped with Astronomer Inside technology. This revolutionary technology provides object descriptions of night sky objects while you are viewing them. Object descriptions for the Moon, planets, stars, clusters, nebulae and galaxies are presented by Astronomer Inside. Information such as temperature, size, distance and mythology are presented in a fun and entertaining way.

To activate Astronomer Inside technology a night sky object needs to be selected. To select an object, go to the Object menu. See page 22 for instructions on navigating the Objects menu.

Once an object is selected on the AudioStar, an audio presentation for that object will begin to play. While the audio is playing, the volume can be adjusted by pressing the 7 (volume down) or 9 (volume up) keys. To skip the current audio file and play the next, press the ? key. If there are no other audio files for that object, the audio will stop playing.

Observe the Moon

Point your telescope at the Moon (note that the Moon is not visible every night) and practice using the Arrow keys and the slew speeds to view different features. The Moon contains many interesting features, including craters, mountain ranges, and fault lines. The best time to view the Moon is during its crescent or half phase. Sunlight strikes the Moon at an angle during these periods and adds a depth to the view. No shadows are seen during a full Moon, causing the overly bright surface to appear flat and rather uninteresting.

Consider the use of a neutral density Moon filter when observing the Moon. Not only does it cut down the Moon's bright glare, but it also enhances contrast, providing a more dramatic image.

Astronomical Observing

Used as an astronomical instrument, your telescope has many optical and electromechanical capabilities. It is in astronomical applications where the high level of optical performance is readily visible.

Looking at or near the Sun will cause irreversible damage to your eye. Do not point this telescope at or near the Sun. Do not look through the telescope as it is moving.

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