Meade NG70-SM instruction manual Star Charts

telescopic field of view. This movement is caused by the rotation of the Earth

10and makes an object move through the

telescope’s field of view. To keep astronomical objects centered in the field, simply move the telescope on one or both of its axes—vertically and/or horizontally as needed—try using the telescopes coarse and fine adjustment controls. At higher powers, astronomical objects will seem to move through the field of view of the eyepiece more rapidly.

Place the object to be viewed at the edge

STAR CHARTS

Star charts and planispheres are useful for a variety of reasons. In particular, they are a great aid in planning a night of celestial viewing.

Astronomy and Sky and Telescope magazines print star charts each month for up-to-the-minute maps of the heavens.

AutoStar Suite™ Astronomer Edition Software on DVD will help you learn the night sky. It displays more than 10,000 celestial objects including planets, stars, galaxies, and nebulae. You can print out star charts and even plan your observing sessions. It operates on any Windows® based PC.

of the field and, without touching the telescope, watch it drift through the field to the other side before repositioning the 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 sharpness—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.

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.