Meade 70AZ-AR instruction manual Astronomy Resources

Tel70AZAR_5 3/28/07 10:09 AM Page 13

telescope so that the object to be viewed is again placed at the edge of the field, ready to be further observed.

Vibrations: Avoid touching the eyepiece while observing through the telescope. Vibrations resulting from such contact will cause the image to move. Avoid observing sites where vibrations cause image movement (for example, near railroad tracks). Viewing from the upper floors of a building may also cause image movement.

Let your eyes “dark-adapt:” Allow five or ten minutes for your eyes to become “dark adapted” before observing. Use a red- filtered flashlight to protect your night vision when reading star maps, or inspecting the telescope. Do not use use a regular flash- light or turn on other lights when observing with a group of other astronomers. You can make your own red filtered flashlight by taping red cellophane over a flashlight lens.

Viewing through windows: Avoid setting up the telescope inside a room and observing through an opened or closed window pane. Images may appear blurred or distorted due

to temperature differences between inside and outside air. Also, it is a good idea to allow your telescope to reach the ambient (surrounding) outside temperature before starting an observing session.

When to observe: Planets and other objects viewed low on the horizon often lack sharp-ness—the same object, when observed higher in the sky, will appear sharper and have greater contrast. Try reducing power (change your eyepiece) if your image is fuzzy or shimmers. Keep in mind that a bright, clear, but smaller image is more interesting than a larger, dimmer, fuzzy one. Using too high a power eyepiece is one of the most common mistakes made by new astronomers.

Dress Warm: Even on summer nights, the air can feel cool or cold as the night wears on. It is important to dress warm or to have a sweater, jacket, gloves, etc., nearby.

Know your observing site: If possible, know the location where you will be observing. Pay attention to holes in the ground and other obstacles. Is it a location where wild

animals, such as skunks, snakes, etc., may appear? Are there viewing obstructions such as tall trees, street 11 lights, headlights and so forth? The

best locations are dark locations, the darker the better. Deep space objects are easiest to see under dark skies. But it is still possible to observe even in a city.

Surf the Web and visit your local library: The internet contains a huge amount of astronomical information, both for children and adults. Check out astronomy books from your library. Look for star charts—these are available on a monthly basis in

ASTRONOMY RESOURCES

•The Meade 4M Community

6001 Oak Canyon, Irvine, CA 92618

•Astronomical League Executive Secretary

5675 Real del Norte, Las Cruces, NM 88012

•The Astronomical Society of the Pacific

390 Ashton Ave., San Francisco, CA 94112

•The Planetary Society

65 North Catalina Ave, Pasadena, CA 91106

•International Dark-Sky Association, Inc.

3225 N. First Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85719-2103

Looking at or near the Sun will cause irreversible damage to your eye. Do not point this telescope at or near the Sun. Do not look through the telescope as it is moving.