Meade LX90 instruction manual Observing Satellites, To GO to a user-entered object

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9.AutoStar then prompts you to enter the magnitude of the object. This step is also optional. Use the Number keys to enter this information, if so desired, and press ENTER to go to the next display. "User Object: Add" displays again.

To GO TO a user-entered object:

In this procedure, you will choose an object from the User Object list and GO TO the object.

1.With "User Object: Add" displayed, press the Scroll Up key once. "User Object: Select" displays. Press ENTER.

2.Use the Scroll keys (if necessary) to scroll to the desired object. Press ENTER.

3.The name of the object and the Right Ascension and Declination coordinates display.

4.Press GO TO and the telescope slews to the object.

Observing Satellites

In this procedure, you will prepare your telescope to observe a satellite pass.

1.Navigate to the "Object: Satellite" menu option and press ENTER.

2.Use the Scroll keys to scroll through the list of satellites.

3.Select a satellite from list and press ENTER.

4."Calculating...." and then "Tracking..." displays. If the satellite is going to make a pass, "Located" displays.

5.Use the Scroll keys to display data about the pass: aos—acquisition of signal and los—loss of signal. If you subtract the aos from the los, you can calculate how long the satellite will be visible. Location information also displays.

6."Alarm" displays after the location information. Press ENTER and AutoStar automatically sets the alarm to sound a minute before the satellite's scheduled appearance. You may return to regular observations until the alarm goes off.

7.When the alarm goes off, return to the Satellite menu and press a Scroll key until the desired satellite is on the top line of the display.

8.Press GO TO. AutoStar slews the telescope to where the satellite should appear. The motor drive stops and a countdown is displayed.

NOTE: If the scheduled appearance position of the satellite is obstructed (i.e., by a building, tree, or hill), press ENTER and AutoStar starts to move the telescope along the expected satellite track. When the track clears the obstruction, press ENTER again to pause the telescope, then continue with this procedure.

9.With about 20 seconds left on the countdown timer, start watching through the telescope SmartFinder (1, Fig. 17) for the satellite to enter the field of view.

10.When the satellite enters the viewfinder field of view, press ENTER. The telescope starts to track with the satellite.

11.Use the AutoStar Arrow keys to center the object in the viewfinder, then look through the eyepiece to view the object.

Satellite orbits change and new satellites (including the Space Shuttle) are launched. Visit the Meade web site (www.meade.com) approximately once a month to get updated information and instructions on how to download this data to AutoStar. If orbital parameters are more than one month old, the satellite pass may not happen at the time predicted by AutoStar. Downloading requires the optional #505 AstroFinder™ Software and Cable Connector Kit. See “OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES,” page 41.

NOTE: Satellite observing is an exciting challenge. Most satellites are in low orbit, travelling at approximately 17,500 mph. When visible, they move quickly across the sky and are only in the field of view for a few minutes, requiring AutoStar to slew the telescope rapidly. Best viewing is near Sunrise or Sunset when the sky is still dark. Viewing in the middle of the night can be problematic because the satellite may pass overhead, but not be visible as it is in the Earth's shadow.

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Contents LX90 Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope Meade Schmidt-Cassegrain Optical System Contents QUICK-START Guide ON/OFF Telescope Features E DPage To Attach the Handbox Holder Autostar Features Tour the Cosmos with Just the Push of a ButtonTopmost screen Select Item Object Page How to Attach the Tripod to the Telescope Assembly Getting StartedHow to Assemble Your Telescope Precautionary notes for the tripodUsing SmartFinder Choosing an EyepieceAligning SmartFinder Aligning the ViewfinderObserving Using AutoStars Arrow Keys ObservingObserving By Moving the Telescope Manually Terrestrial ObservingSlew Speeds Observe the MoonAstronomical Observing To Track an Object AutomaticallyMoving Through AutoStar’s Menus Initializing AutoStar for the First TimeObserve a Star using the Automatic Tracking Feature How to perform the Automatic Alignment procedureAutomatic Alignment While it does soUsing the Guided Tour Go To SaturnBasic Autostar Operation AutoStar Navigation ExerciseTo Calculate Sunset time Entering Data into AutoStarNavigating AutoStar AUTOSTAR’S Menus Select Item ObjectMenus and Menu Options Object MenuUtilities Menu Event MenuGlossary Menu Observing Considerations Setup Menu Time Zone Shift Menu Daylight SAVING, Advanced Autostar Features Adding Observing SitesTo Add a Site to the user-defined site list To Edit a SiteUsing AutoStar to Find Objects Not in the Database Observing Satellites To GO to a user-entered objectHow to Create Your Own Guided Tour Command LineWhat you will need Tour ModesWriting a Tour TitlePick END Landmarks Downloading ToursTo Add a landmark to the database To Select a landmark from the databaseIdentify Advanced Alt/Az AlignmentTo perform a Landmark Survey To check on the available amount of memory in AutoStarOne-Star Alt/Az Alignment BrowseTwo-Star Alt/Az Alignment Photography with a Digital Camera Photography with the LX90Few tips on photography with the LX90 Photography with Meade’s AutoStar Suite Meade Deep Sky ImagerOptional Accessories Eyepiece Power 2x Barlow Super Plössl 4-elementsSuper Wide Angle 6-elements Ultra Wide Angle 8-elements#62 T-Adapter Maintenance CollimationPage Gauging the Movement of the Telescope Meade Customer ServiceInspecting the Optics AutoStar Dimensions LX90 SpecificationsAutoStar Specifications Polar Alignment Celestial CoordinatesSetting Circles Locating the Celestial PoleAutoStar Polar Alignment Easy Polar AlignmentLining Up with the Celestial Pole Equatorial WedgePrecise Polar Alignment Star Charts Latitude Chart for Major Cities of the World City State/Prov./Country LatitudeCity Country Latitude City State/Country LatitudeAppendix C Training the Drive Appendix D Changing the LNT Module Battery To replace the batteryMoon AutoStar GlossaryObjects in Space Planets Deep-Sky ObjectsPage Page Page Meade Limited Warranty
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