HELPFUL HINTS
•Your telescope is a very sensitive instrument. For best results and fewer vibrations, set your telescope up on a level location on the ground rather than your concrete driveway or your wooden deck. This will provide a more stable foundation for viewing, especially if you’ve drawn a crowd with your new telescope.
•If possible, view from a location that has relatively few lights. This will allow you to see much fainter objects. You’d be surprised how much more you’ll see from your local lake or park when compared to a backyard in the city.
•Using your telescope out a window is NEVER recommended.
•View objects that are high in the sky if possible. Waiting until the object rises well above the horizon will provide a brighter and crisper image. Objects on the horizon are viewed through several layers of earth’s atmosphere. Ever wonder why the moon appears orange as it sets on the horizon? It’s because you are looking through a considerably greater amount of atmosphere than you would directly overhead. (Note: If objects high in the sky are distorted or wavy, you are probably viewing on a very humid night.) During nights of unstable atmosphere, viewing through a telescope can be frustrating if not impossible. Astronomers refer to crisp, clear nights as nights of “good seeing.”
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