Table of Contents, Unpacking, Parts List, Assembly

Congratulations on your purchase of a quality Orion telescope. Your new SpaceProbe 130ST EQ is designed for high-resolution viewing of astronomical objects. With its precision optics and equatorial mount, you’ll be able to locate and enjoy hundreds of fascinating celestial denizens, including the planets, Moon, and a variety of deep-sky galaxies, nebulas, and star clusters.

If you have never owned a telescope before, we would like to welcome you to amateur astronomy. Take some time to familiar- ize yourself with the night sky. Learn to recognize the patterns of stars in the major constellations. With a little practice, a little patience, and a reasonably dark sky away from city lights, you’ll find your telescope to be a never-ending source of wonder, exploration, and relaxation.

These instructions will help you set up, properly use and care for your telescope. Please read them over thoroughly before get- ting started.

1.Unpacking . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

2.Parts List . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

3.Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

4.Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . 5

5.Setting Up and Using the

Equatorial Mount . . . . . . . . . . 7

6.Collimating the Optics . . . . . . . . 9

7.Using Your Telescope—

Astronomical Observing . . . . . . . 12

8.Care and Maintenance . . . . . . . 14

9.Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . 15

1.Unpacking

The entire telescope system will arrive in one box. Be careful unpacking the box. We recommend keeping the original ship- ping container. In the event that the telescope needs to be shipped to another location, or returned to Orion for warranty repair, having the proper shipping container will help ensure that your telescope will survive the journey intact.

Make sure all the parts in the Parts List are present. Be sure to check boxes carefully, as some parts are small. If anything appears to be missing or broken, immediately call Orion Customer Support (800-676-1343) for assistance.

Warning: Never look directly at the Sun through your telescope or its finder scope—even for an instant—without a professionally made solar filter that completely covers the front of the instrument, or permanent eye damage could result. Be sure to also cover the front of the finder scope with aluminum foil or another opaque material to prevent physical damage to the internal components of the scope itself as well as to your eye. Young children should use this telescope only with adult supervision.

2. Parts List

Qty. Description

1Optical tube assembly

1Optical tube dust cap

2Optical tube mounting rings

125mm (26x) Srius Plössl eyepiece (1.25")

110mm (65x) Sirius Plössl eyepiece (1.25")

16x30 crosshair finder scope

1Dovetail finder scope bracket with O-ring

1Equatorial mount

3Tripod legs with attachment screws

3Leg lock knobs (may already be on tripod legs)

1Counterweight shaft

1 Counterweight

1Tripod accessory tray

1Accessory tray bracket

3Accessory tray wing screws

(may be attached to accessory tray)

2Slow-motion control cables

1Collimation cap

3. Assembly

Assembling the telescope for the first time should take about 30 minutes. No tools are needed other than the ones pro- vided. All screws should be tightened securely to eliminate flexing and wobbling, but be careful not to over-tighten or the threads may strip. Refer to Figure 1 during the assembly process.

During assembly (and anytime, for that matter), DO NOT touch the surfaces of the telescope mirrors or the lenses of the finder scopes or eyepieces with your fingers. The opti- cal surfaces have delicate coatings on them that can easily be damaged if touched inappropriately. NEVER remove any lens assembly from its housing for any reason, or the prod- uct warranty and return policy will be voided.