Applications of the Telescope

– 9 –

eyepiece, precisely center the object in the main telescope’s field of view, and sharply focus the image by turning the focus knob (26). The 25mm eyepiece included as standard equipment is the best eyepiece to use for the initial finding and centering of any object. The 25mm eyepiece presents a bright, wide field of view, ideal for terrestrial and general astronomical observing of star fields, clusters of stars, nebulae, and galaxies. For lunar and planetary viewing, switch to a higher power eyepiece such as the H12.5mm–conditions permitting. If the image starts to become fuzzy as you work into higher magnifications, then back down to a lower power; the atmospheric steadiness is not sufficient to support higher powers at the time you are observing.

e.Note that the object immediately starts to drift out of the field of view. This motion is caused by the Earth’s rotation. To “track” the object and keep it in the field of view, turn the R.A. slow motion control cable (27). Objects will appear to move through the field more rapidly at higher powers. Note: the Declination flexible cable control (28) is used only for centering purposes, and not for tracking.

2.Avoid touching the eyepiece while observing through the telescope. Vibrations resulting from such contact will cause the image to move. Likewise, avoid observing sites where ground-based vibrations may resonate the tripod. Viewing from the upper floors of a building may also introduce image movement.

3.Allow a few minutes for your eyes to become “dark adapted” prior to attempting any serious observations. Use a red-filtered flashlight to protect your night vision when reading star maps, or inspecting components of the telescope.

4.Avoid setting up the telescope inside a room and observing through an open window (or worse yet, a closed window). Images viewed in such a manner may appear blurred or distorted due to temperature differences between inside and outside air. Also, it is a good idea to allow your telescope a chance to reach the ambient (surrounding) outside temperature before starting an observing session.

5.Warning! Never attempt to observe the sun through your Polaris 60EQ-D telescope. Observing the sun, even for the smallest fraction of a second, will cause instant and irreversible eye damage as well as physical damage to the telescope.

6.Certain atmospheric conditions can distort an observed image. Planets, in particular, viewed while low on the horizon often exhibit lack of sharpness— the same object when observed higher in the sky will appear to be much better resolved with far greater contrast. Also, turbulent air in the upper atmosphere can cause the images to “shimmer” in the eyepiece— reduce power until the image steadies. Keep in mind that a bright, clearly resolved, but smaller image will show far more interesting detail than a larger, dimmer, fuzzy image.

7.Setting Circles: These etched dials (13) and (16), Fig. 1, aid in the location of faint celestial objects, perhaps, not easily found by direct visual observation. To use the setting circles, follow this procedure:

a.Using a star chart or star atlas, look up the celestial coordinates (Right Ascension and Declination) of an easy to find object, such as a bright star.

b.With the telescope aligned to the Pole, center the object in the telescope’s field of view.

c.Manually turn the R.A. setting circle to read the R.A. of the object now in the telescopic field.

d.The setting circles are now calibrated. (Note that the Declination circle is factory pre-calibrated). To locate a faint object using the setting circles, determine the object’s celestial coordinates from a star chart and move the telescope in R.A. and Declination until the setting circles read the R.A. and Declination of the object you are attempting to locate. If the above procedure has been carefully performed, the faint object will now be located in the vicinity of the telescope’s telescopic field in a low power eyepiece.

e.The R.A. circle must be re-calibrated to the R.A. of a known object each time the setting circles are used, which may be several times in one observing session.

The Polaris 60EQ-D may be used for a lifetime of rewarding astronomical observing, but basic to your enjoyment of the telescope is a good understanding of the instrument. Read the above instructions carefully until you understand all the telescope’s parts and functions. One or two observing sessions will serve to clarify these points forever in your mind.