20
tive to color in faint light. Still, there is something very special
about seeing an astronomical object in real time, with your
own eyes — “live,” if not in living color.
note about astrophotography
SkyQuest IntelliScope Dobsonians are designed for visual,
not photographic use. Their mounts are not equatorial-type
designs and are not motor driven, so they are not suitable for
long-exposure astrophotography. Also, the telescopes’ optics
have been optimized for visual, rather than photographic, use.
With that in mind, however, it is possible to do some simple
astrophotography with a SkyQuest IntelliScope. With the use
of afocal photography techniques (where the camera is sim-
ply put right up to the eyepiece to take a picture) and digital
cameras, it is possible to take pictures of bright objects. Cer-
tain photographic aids, such as the Orion SteadyPix afocal
adapter, can help in taking photos by the afocal, or eyepiece
projection, method.
6. intelliscope computerized object location
Perhaps the most exciting feature of the SkyQuest XT Intel-
liScope is the IntelliScope Computerized Object Locator
(controller). When plugged into the IntelliScope port on the
telescope’s base, the IntelliScope controller enables the user
to point the telescope quickly and effortlessly to more than
14,000 celestial objects with the push of a button. After a sim-
ple two-star alignment procedure, you just select an object
to view from the intuitive keypad, then read the guide arrows
on the controller’s illuminated liquid crystal display and move
the telescope in the corresponding direction. In seconds the
object will be waiting in the telescope’s field of view, ready to
observe. It’s that simple!
The controller provides a whole new level of convenience and
capability, as you’re able to locate and view more objects in
an evening than you ever could before.
The IntelliScope controller works by communicating electroni-
cally with a pair of high-resolution, 9,216-step digital encod-
ers that allow highly precise positioning of the telescope to
coordinates programmed into the IntelliScope controller’s
database for each object. Since the telescope is not depen-
dent on motors for movement, you can move the telescope to
your target much more quickly (and quietly!) than motorized
telescopes can — and without guzzling all those batteries in
the process.
The IntelliScope database includes:
• 7,840 objects from the Revised New General Catalog
• 5,386 objects from the Index Catalog
• 110 objects from the Messier Catalog
• 837 selected stars (mostly double, multiple, and
variable stars)
• 8 planets
• 99 user-programmable objects
With the user-friendly IntelliScope controller, there are many
ways to locate an object. If you know its catalog number
(NGC or Messier number, for instance), you can enter it using
the illuminated keypad buttons. Or you can press one of the
object-category buttons (Cluster, Nebula, Galaxy, etc.) to
access a list of objects by type. For a tour of the best objects
visible in a given month, you just press the Tour button. Anoth-
er great feature of the IntelliScope is the ability to identify an
“unknown” object in the field of view — just press the ID but-
ton. You can even add up to 99 objects of your own choosing
to the IntelliScope controller’s database.
The backlit, two-line liquid crystal display on the controller
shows you the object’s catalog number, its common name if it
has one, the constellation in which it resides, its right ascen-
sion and declination coordinates, the object type, magnitude,
angular size, as well as a brief description in scrolling text.
The two guide arrows and associated “navigation numbers”
tell you in what direction to move the telescope to pinpoint
an object’s location. As the telescope approaches the object’s
location, the numbers get progressively smaller. When the
navigation numbers reach 0, the telescope will be pointed
right at the object! You just look into the eyepiece and enjoy
the view!
The features, functionality, and alignment procedure of
the IntelliScope Computerized Object Locator are cov-
ered in detail in the separate instruction manual for that
component.