Care and Maintenance, Specifications

sometimes it is visible to the naked eye during full daylight! Ironically, Venus appears as a thin crescent, not a full disk, when at its peak brightness. Because it is so close to the Sun, it never wanders too far from the morning or evening horizon. No surface markings can be seen on Venus, which is always shrouded in dense clouds.

D. The Stars

Stars will appear like twinkling points of light. Even powerful telescopes cannot magnify stars to appear as more than a point of light. You can, however, enjoy the different colors of the stars and locate many pretty double and multiple stars. The gorgeous two-color double star Albireo in Cygnus is a favorites. Defocusing a star slightly can help bring out its color.

E. Deep-Sky Objects

Under dark skies, you can observe a wealth of fascinating deep-sky objects, including gaseous nebulas, open and glob- ular star clusters, and a variety of different types of galaxies. Most deep-sky objects are very faint, so it is important that you find an observing site well away from light pollution. Take plenty of time to let your eyes adjust to the darkness. Do not expect these subjects to appear like the photographs you see in books and magazines; most will look like dim gray smudges. Our eyes are not sensitive enough to see color in deep-sky objects except in a few of the brightest ones. But as you become more experienced and your observing skills get sharper, you will be able to ferret out more and more subtle details and structure.

To find deep sky objects in the sky, it is best to consult a star chart or Planisphere. These guides will help you locate the brightest and best deep-sky objects for viewing with your StarBlast .

You can also try low-power scanning of the Milky Way. Use the 17mm eyepiece and just cruise through the “star clouds” of our galaxy. You’ll be amazed at the rich fields of stars and objects you’ll see! The Milky Way is best observed on summer and winter evenings.

Care and Maintenance

If you give your telescope reasonable care, it will last a life- time. Store it in a clean, dry, dust-free place, safe from rapid temperature changes and humidity. Do not store the telescope outdoors, although storage in a garage or shed is OK. Small components like eyepiece and other accessories should be kept in a protective box or storage case. Keep the dust caps on the front of the scope and on the focuser when it is not in use.

The telescope requires very little mechanical maintenance. The optical tube is made of steel and has a smooth painted finish that is fairly scratch resistant. If a scratch does appear on the tube, it will not harm the telescope. Smudges on the tube can be wiped off with e soft cloth and a household clean- er such as Windex or Formula 409.

Refer to Appendix B for detailed instructions on how to clean the optics of the StarBlast.

Specifications

Primary mirror: Parabolic, center marked

Primary mirror diameter: 113mm

Secondary mirror minor axis: 34.3mm

Mirror coatings: Aluminum with SiO2 overcoat

Focal length: 450mm

Focal ratio: f/4.0

Focuser: Rack-and-pinion, accepts 1.25" eyepieces

Eyepieces: 17mm and 6mm Explorer II, 1.25"

Magnification: 26x (with 17mm), 75x (with 6mm)

Finder: EZ Finder II reflex sight

Mount: Altazimuth, wood base, eyepiece rack, integral carry handle

Weight: 13 lbs.

Tube Length: 18"

Tube Outer Diameter: 5.5"

Appendix A: Aligning the Mirrors

Your telescope’s optics were aligned at the factory, and should not need much adjustment unless the telescope is handled roughly. Accurate mirror alignment is important to ensure the peak performance of your telescope, so it should be checked regularly. Collimating (aligning the mirrors) is relatively easy to do and can be done in daylight.

To check collimation (mirror alignment), remove the eyepiece and look down the focuser (4) . You should see the secondary mirror (16) centered in the drawtube, as well as the reflection of the primary mirror (15) centered in the secondary mirror, and the reflection of the secondary mirror (and your eye) cen- tered in the reflection of the primary mirror, as in Figure 10a. If anything is off-center, as in Figure 10b, proceed with the fol- lowing collimation procedure.

The Collimation Cap and Mirror Center Mark

Your StarBlast comes with a collimation cap (17). This is a simple cap that fits on the focuser like a dust cap, but has a hole in the center and a silver bottom. This helps center your eye so that collimating is easy to perform. Figures 10b, c, d and e assume you have the collimation cap in place.

In addition to the collimation cap, the primary mirror is marked with a ring with the hole exactly at the center of the primary mirror. This is of great help in collimating the primary mirror since you can center the dot of the collimation cap in the mid- dle of the ring.

Note: The center ring sticker need not ever be removed from the primary mirror. Because it lies directly in the shadow of the secondary mirror, its presence in no way adversely affects the optical performance of the tele- scope or the image quality. That might seem counterintuitive, but it’s true!