No surface markings can be seen on Venus, which is always shrouded in dense clouds.
MARS If atmospheric conditions are good, you may be able to see some subtle surface detail on the Red Planet, possibly even the polar ice cap. Mars makes a close approach to Earth every two years; during those approaches its disk is larger and thus more favorable for viewing.
C. Stars
Stars will appear like twinkling points of light in the telescope. Even the largest telescopes cannot magnify stars to appear as anything more than points of light. You can, however, enjoy the different colors of the stars and locate many pretty double and multiple stars. The famous “Double-Double” in the con- stellation Lyra and the gorgeous two-color double star Albireo in Cygnus are favorites. Defocusing the image of a star slight- ly can help bring out its color.
D. Deep-Sky Objects
Under dark skies, you can observe a number of brighter deep-sky objects with the Apex telescopes, including gaseous nebulas, open and globular star clusters, and the brighter 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. Don’t expect these objects to appear like the pho- tographs you see in books and magazines; most will look like dim gray “ghosts.” (Our eyes are not sensitive enough to see color in deep-sky objects except in few of the brightest ones.) But as you become more experienced and your observing skills improve, you will be able to coax out more and more intricate details.
Photography
When coupled to a 35mm single-lens reflex camera, the Apex becomes a telephoto lens. For terrestrial or astronomical pho- tography, you need only a T-ring for your specific camera model. The T-ring attaches to your camera and threads onto the Apex’s eyepiece adapter (see Figure 6).
Use the camera’s viewfinder to frame the picture. Use the telescope’s focuser to focus the image. You may want to con- sider using a remote shutter release instead of the shutter release on the camera; touching the camera can vibrate the system and blur the resulting photographic image on the film. Also, be sure to use a solid tripod.
| Knurled ring | Figure 6: A T-ring |
| Eyepiece adapter | is all that is |
| needed to |
| | |
| | | connect a 35mm |
| | | SLR camera to |
| | | the Apex |
| | | telescopes; it |
| | | threads onto the |
| | | eyepiece adapter |
| | | with eyepiece |
| | | and diagonal |
| T-ring |
| removed. |
| | | |
If you would like to change the orientation of the camera rela- tive to the telescope, do so by first loosening the knurled ring located in front of the eyepiece adapter (see Figure 6). You can then rotate the camera (and eyepiece adapter) to the desired orientation. Retighten the knurled ring when done.
Care & Maintenance
Transporting and Storing
The included soft carry case provides an excellent way to transport and store the optical tube and its accessories. To place the optical tube in the case, the eyepiece, diagonal, finder scope and bracket must be removed from the tube. When removing the eyepiece and diagonal, remember to first loosen the securing thumb screws. The finder scope and bracket can be removed together by loosening the thumb screw on the tube’s dovetail holder. Cover the front of the opti- cal tube with the dust cover and the rear opening of the eyepiece adapter with its cap. Now place the tube in the case’s main compartment. The finder scope and bracket can also be placed in the main compartment. Use the included removable padded divider or padded tray to separate the find- er scope and bracket from the optical tube. The Apex 90mm and Apex 102mm come with one small padded divider and one padded tray. The Apex 127mm comes with one padded tray only. The padded tray will be on the bottom of the main compartment of the case when it is shipped to you. For the Apex 90mm, use the small divider to separate the finder scope and bracket from the optical tube. For the Apex 102mm and Apex 127mm, position the padded tray on top of the opti- cal tube; the finder scope and bracket can be stored on top of the tray so they will not damage the tube. The eyepiece and diagonal should be covered with their caps and placed in the external compartments of the case.
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 changes in temperature and humidity. Do not store the tele- scope outdoors, although storage in a garage or shed is OK.
Cleaning the tube
Your Apex Maksutov-Cassegrain telescope requires very little mechanical maintenance. The optical tube is aluminum and has a smooth painted finish that is fairly scratch-resistant. If a scratch does appear on the tube, it will not harm the tele- scope. If you wish, you may apply some auto touch-up paint to the scratch. Smudges on the tube can be wiped off with a soft cloth and a household cleaner such as Windex or Formula 409.
Cleaning Lenses
Any quality optical lens cleaning tissue and optical lens clean- ing fluid specifically designed for multi-coated optics can be used to clean the Apex’s front meniscus lens or exposed lens- es of your eyepieces or finder scope. Never use regular glass cleaner or cleaning fluid designed for eyeglasses. Before cleaning with fluid and tissue, however, blow any loose parti- cles off the lens with a blower bulb or compressed air. Then apply some cleaning fluid to a tissue, never directly on the optics. Wipe the lens gently in a circular motion, then remove any excess fluid with a fresh lens tissue. Oily fingerprints and
