Meade LT Series, LT SC Series, LT ACF Series Observe the Moon, Terrestrial Observing

the telescope up, down, right, or left.

4.Press a Number key (Pg. 19, Fig. 5, 6) to change the telescope’s slew speed. See Slew Speeds, on pg 20 for more information.

5.Use the viewfinder (Pg. 13, Fig. 1, 13) to locate an object and practice using the AutoStar’s Arrow keys to center the object in the telescope’s field of view.

6.Use the telescope’s focus knob (Pg. 14, Fig. 2, 9) to bring the object into focus.

If you wish to observe a distant land object, such as a mountain top or a bird, you want to use your telescope in its Terrestrial Observing mode. To start up the telescope in Terrestrial mode:

1.Turn on the telescope.

2.Move your telescope using the direction arrows on the handbox while looking through the Red- Dot Finder to put your target in the eyepiece.

3.Focus on the target with the focus knob (pg. 14, Fig. 2, 9).

#497 HANDBOX

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.

Terrestrial Observing

The LT Series is an excellent high-resolution, terrestrial (land) telescopes. Viewing terrestrial objects requires looking along the Earth’s surface through heat waves. These heat waves often cause degradation of image quality. Lower power eyepieces, like the Super Plössl 26mm eyepiece, magnify these heat waves less than higher power eyepieces. Therefore, lower power eyepieces provide a steadier, higher quality image. If the image is fuzzy or ill-defined, reduce to a lower power eyepiece, where the heat waves do not have such an effect on image quality. Observing in early morning hours, before the ground has built up internal heat, produces better viewing conditions than during late afternoon hours.

LT Series TIPS

Observing Considerations

•Try to pick an observing site away from street and house lights and car headlights. While this is not always possible, the darker the site, the better.

•Try not to use a standard flashlight. Experienced observers use red LED flashlights, the red utility light on the AutoStar #497 handbox, or tape red cellophane over their flashlights to use for setup and map reading so they don’t have to continually readjust their eyes to the darkness. Be careful not to shine bright lights if there are other observers in the area. Do not shine a flashlight into the telescope while someone is observing!

•Dress warmly. It gets chilly when you’re sitting for prolonged periods.

•Practice setting up your equipment during the day or in a lighted area to become familiar with it before going to a dark site.

•Use your 26mm eyepiece to view terrestrial objects and wider areas of space, such as open star clusters. Use optional higher power eyepieces, such as a 9mm eyepiece, when you wish to view something up close, such as craters on the Moon or the rings of Saturn.

AUTOSTARAutoStar

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