Two-Star Alt/Az Alignment, Go To Saturn

When the procedure is performed correctly, "Alignment Successful" displays. If Autostar does not display this message, perform this procedure again.

NOTE: Autostar locates alignment stars based on the date, time, and location entered. The alignment stars may change from night to night. All that is required is for the observer to center the selected stars in the eyepiece when prompted.

NOTE: The GO TO key also allows you to perform a "spiral search." A spiral search is useful when the telescope slews to an object, but that object is not visible in the eyepiece after the telescope finishes its search. (This sometimes occurs during an alignment procedure.) Press GO TO when the slew is finished and the telescope starts slewing in a spiral pattern at a very slow speed around the search area. Look through the eyepiece and when the object does become visible, press MODE to stop the spiral search. Then use the Arrow keys to center the object.

Two other methods of alignment are available to the observer: Two-Star and One-Star. These

methods are included in case the observer prefers to pick out his or her own alignment stars.

Two-Star Alt/Az Alignment

Two-Star Alignment requires some knowledge of the night sky. Two-Star Alignment is identical to Easy: Align (see EASY (TWO-STAR) ALIGN, above), except Autostar displays a database of bright stars and two stars are chosen by the observer from this database for alignment. It is rec- ommended that you choose stars with which you are familiar from this database when first try- ing out this method or the One-Star Alignment method.

One-Star Alt/Az Alignment

One-Star Alignment also requires some knowledge of the night sky. One-Star Alignment is iden- tical to Easy: Align (see EASY (TWO-STAR) ALIGN, above), except Autostar displays a database of bright stars and one star is chosen by the observer from this database for alignment.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The accuracy of One-Star Alt/Az Alignment, unlike the Two- Star Alignment procedures, depends on how well the observer levels the telescope and how close to North the telescope is pointed when setting the Home Position (Fig. 16). Because the Two-Star Alignment methods use two stars to align upon,

they are more precise than One-Star Alignment.

Go To Saturn

After performing the Easy Align procedure, the motor drive begins operating and the telescope is aligned for a night of viewing. Objects in the eyepiece should maintain their position even though the Earth is rotating beneath the stars.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Once aligned, only use GO TO or the Arrow keys to move the telescope. Do not loosen the telescope locks, or move the base manually, or align- ment will be lost.

This exercise shows how to select a celestial object (Saturn) for viewing from AutoStar’s database.

NOTE: Saturn is not visible all the time and you may need to choose another object from AutoStar's Object database; however, the procedure, as described below, remains the same; just choose a different object in step #3.

1 After the telescope is aligned, “Select Item: Object” displays. Press ENTER.

2.“Object: Solar System” displays. Press ENTER.

3.“Solar System: Mercury” displays. Keep pressing the Scroll Down key until “Solar System: Saturn” displays.

4.Press ENTER. “Calculating” displays. Then “Saturn” and a set of coordinates displays. Note that Saturn’s (and other planets’) coordinates change throughout the year.

5.Press GO TO. “Saturn: Slewing...” displays and the telescope slews until it finds Saturn. You may need to use the Arrow keys to center Saturn precisely in the eyepiece. AutoStar then automatically moves the telescope so that it "tracks" Saturn (or whatever other object you may have chosen); i.e., Saturn remains centered in the eyepiece.