Meade 60AZ-A2 instruction manual Some Observing Tips, Surf the WEB

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grouping of stars, containing millions or even billions of stars. Some galaxies form a spiral (like our galaxy, the Milky Way) and other galaxies look more like a large football and are called elliptical galaxies. There are many galaxies that are irregularly shaped and are thought to have been pulled apart because they passed too close to—or even through—a larger galaxy.

You may be able to see the Andromeda galaxy and several others in your telescope. They will appear as small, fuzzy clouds. Only very large telescope will reveal spiral or elliptical details.

You will also be able to see some nebulas with your scope. Nebula means cloud. Most nebulas are clouds of gas. The two easiest to see in the Northern Hemisphere are the Orion nebula during the winter and the Triffid nebula during the summer. These are large clouds of gas in which new stars are being born. Some nebulas are the remains of stars exploding. These explosions are called supernovas.

When you become an advanced observer you can look for other types of objects such as

asteroids, planetary nebula and globular clusters. And if you’re lucky, every so often a bright comet appears in the sky, presenting an unforgettable sight.

The more you learn about objects in the sky, the more you will learn to appreciate the sights you see in your telescope. Start a notebook and write down the observations you make each night. Note the time and the date.

Use a compass to make a circle, or trace around the lid of a jar. Draw what you see in your eyepiece inside the circle. The best exercise for drawing is to observe the moons of Jupiter every night or so. Try to make Jupiter and the moons approximately the same size as they look in your eyepiece. You will see that the moons are in a different position every night. As you get better at drawing, try more challenging sights, like a crater system on the moon or even a nebula.

Go your library or check out the internet for more information about astronomy. Learn about the basics: light years, orbits, star colors, how stars and planets are formed, red shift, the big bang, what are the different

kinds of nebula, what are comets, asteroids and meteors and what is a black hole. The more you learn about 9 astronomy, the more fun, and the

more rewarding your telescope will become.

SOME OBSERVING TIPS

Eyepieces: Always begin your observations using the 25mm low-power eyepiece. The 25mm eyepiece delivers a bright, wide field of view and is the best to use for most viewing conditions. Use the high-power 9mm eyepiece to view details when observing the Moon and planets. If the image become fuzzy, switch back down to a lower power.

SURF THE WEB

The Meade 4M Community: http://www.meade4m.org

Sky &Telescope: http://www.skyandtelescope.com

Astronomy: http://www.astronomy.com

Astronomy Picture of the Day: http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.goc/apod

Photographic Atlas of the Moon: http://www.lpi.ursa.edu/research/lunar_orbiter

Hubble Space Telescope Public Pictures: http://oposite.stsci.edu/pubinfo/pictures.html

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Contents 60AZ-A2 40-04135 8 Page Manual Template 6/29/05 1054 AM Introduction D f e Attach the Optical Tube to the Mount Attach the Accessory TrayAssemble Your Tripod Align the Viewfinder Attach the ViewfinderAttach the Diagonal Mirror and Eyepiece Meade 4M Community To Move the TelescopeSUN Warning Never USE Your Telescope to Look AT the SUN Most Important RuleObserving TOO Much POWER?40-04135 8 Page Manual Template 6/29/05 1054 AM 40-04135 8 Page Manual Template 6/29/05 1054 AM Surf the WEB Some Observing TipsStar Charts Astronomy Resources Have a Good Time Astronomy is FUN Specifications40-04135 8 Page Manual Template 6/29/05 1054 AM Join AN Astronomy CLUB, Attend a Star Party Optional AccessoriesTaking Care of Your Telescope Meade Limited Warranty Meade Customer ServiceDrawing of Image 40-04135 8 Page Manual Template 6/29/05 1055 AM 40-04135 8 Page Manual Template 6/29/05 1055 AM 92618