AUTOSTAR OPERATION
OBJECT
Select from over 1400 database objects and
press GO TO to move the telescope automatically to the object and place it in the telescopic field of view.
SETUP
Quick, easy alignment permits all telescope operations with only a
Select Item:
Setup
UTILITIES Calculate eyepiece magnifications; set the timer for an observing session; or survey user landmarkss. in
Select Item:
Utilities
GLOSSARY
Discover the world of astronomy by alphabetically accessing astronomical terms.
Select Item:
Object
The Universe of
Autostar
Select Item:
Glossary
Select Item: Event
EVENT
Access the time of an astronomical event, such as the rising or setting times of the Moon.
Select Item: Guided Tour
GUIDED TOUR Journey through the universe as Autostar escorts you to the best celestial objects at your location.
Object
Event
Guided Tours
Glossary
Utilities
Setup
Fig. 19: Menus set in a loop.
Select Item |
Object |
Solar System |
Fig. 20: AutoStar menu levels.
Fig. 18: The AutoStar Universe: The six primary categories listed in the Select Item menu of AutoStar.
It is important to understand that menu selections are set in a loop (Fig. 19). This means that pressing the Scroll Down key (6, Fig. 5) cycles down through all the available options within a given category, then returns to the first option. The Scroll Up key (6, Fig. 5) cycles up through the options in the opposite order. Note that this capability is a quick way to get to an option that is near the bottom of the list. The following example demonstrates this capability.
Example:
To navigate to the “Select Item: Setup” menu option when the “Select Item: Object” menu is displayed:
1.Press the Scroll Down key four times or the Scroll Up key once.
The screen in Fig. 20 displays two lines of information. The top line shows the current menu level. The second line displays an option which may be selected within that menu level. Some options are choices that select the next menu level down. The Scroll keys move up and down within the list of available options, showing one option at a time.
When the desired option is displayed on the second line, press the ENTER key to choose that option and move down one menu level.
Press the MODE key to leave a level; e.g., the wrong menu option is chosen.
IMPORTANT NOTE: No matter how many levels into AutoStar are traveled, each press of the MODE key moves up a level, until the top level, "Select Item," is reached. Once in the Select Item level, press MODE to return to the topmost level, "Select Item: Object."
AutoStar Navigation Exercise
To demonstrate how the AutoStar menu structure works, the following exercise calculates Sunset time so an evening observing session can be planned.
NOTE: To perform an accurate calculation, AutoStar must be properly initialized with the current date, time, and location of the observing site. To enter the current date, time, and location information of your observing site, see INITIALIZING AUTOSTAR, page 16, before proceeding with this exercise.
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