from the next constellation (in alphabetical order) will be dis- played. To select another constellation in which to view a star cluster, press the Cluster button again.
Locating Galaxies
Nebulas may be beautiful and star clusters impressive, but nothing has quite the breathtaking power of observing a gal- axy. Galaxies are collections of billions of stars that come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Viewing a galaxy always gives the observer a revelation of just how vast our universe truly is. Keep in mind, however, that most galaxies are quite faint, and may be challenging to identify, especially in smaller tele- scopes.
To view a galaxy, press the Galaxy button on the controller. The LCD screen will then display the word “GALAXY” with a flash- ing three-letter constellation designation after it. Now, select the constellation in which you would like to view a galaxy. Use the arrow buttons to scroll through the list of constellations. If you are unsure which constellation the three-letter designation represents, refer to Appendix E. Once you have selected the constellation, press Enter. A galaxy in that constellation will now appear on the LCD screen, along with the guide arrows to lead you to the galaxy. The current constellation is shown in the lower left, and the galaxy’s proper name or catalog number is in the lower right. If you wish to have more information about the galaxy selected, press the Enter button.
To go to the next galaxy in the selected constellation, simply press the up arrow button. The guide arrows will now direct you to the next galaxy in the constellation. If there are no more galaxies available in that constellation, a galaxy from the next constellation (in alphabetical order) will be displayed. To select another constellation in which to view galaxy, press the Galaxy button again.
F. Locating Stars
The IntelliScope database contains 837 stars. Stars always appear like tiny points of light. Even powerful telescopes can- not magnify a star to appear as more than a point of light! You can, however, enjoy the different colors of the stars and locate many pretty double and multiple stars. You can also monitor variable stars from night to night to see how their brightness changes over time.
To view a star, press the Star button on the controller. The LCD screen will then display the word “STAR” with the word “NAMED” flashing next to it. From this screen, use the arrow buttons to choose from “NAMED,” “DOUBLE,” “VARIABLE,” and “CATALOG.”
Named Stars
The named stars are the brightest in the night sky. These are the stars that the ancients gave proper names to, like “Arcturus” or “Mizar.”
To select a named star, press Enter after selecting “NAMED” from the Star button choices. You can now use the arrow but- tons to scroll through the list of named stars. The stars are listed in alphabetical order. Once you have found the named star you would like to observe, the guide arrows will direct you to move the telescope to the star’s position. The upper left corner of the LCD screen will show the named star’s ST
catalog number (the IntelliScope’s entire ST catalog is printed in Appendix F for easy reference), and the lower left shows the constellation in which the star resides. Pressing Enter again will display the star’s R.A. and Dec. coordinates, its magnitude, and a brief description.
To find another named star to observe, simply continue scroll- ing through the list of named stars.
Double (and Multiple) Stars
Many stars in the night sky appear to be single stars, but they are not. They are actually double or multiple star systems. Some of these systems comprise two or more stars gravi- tationally bound to each other, while others are just two (or more) stars in the same line of sight. At high magnifications, it is possible to “split” many double (and multiple) stars into their individual components. It can also be interesting to contrast and compare the different colors and magnitudes of the stars in the system. Be aware, however, that good seeing conditions are critical for separating close components of a double or multiple star.
To select a double (or multiple) star to observe, press Enter after selecting “DOUBLE” from the Star button choices. The LCD screen will then display the word “DOUBLE” with a flash- ing three-letter constellation designation after it. Now, select the constellation in which you would like to view a double star. Use the arrow buttons to scroll through the list of constella- tions. If you are unsure which constellation the three-letter designation represents, refer to Appendix E. Once you have selected the constellation, press Enter. A double star in that constellation will now appear on the LCD screen, along with the guide arrows to lead you to the double star. The current constellation is shown in the lower left, and the double star’s name is in the lower right.
Note: Double stars typically have names like “Zeta” (Greek letter designation) or a number like “36” (Flamsteed number). The full names for these double stars are actually linked to the constellation they reside in. For example, in the constellation Andromeda, these stars would be “Zeta And” and “36 And.”
For more information about the double star selected, press the Enter button. (The “S=” now refers to the separation, in arc-seconds, between the double stars. For multiple stars, the “S=” refers to the separation between the two brightest stars. The “M=” now refers to the magnitude of the brightest star.) To go to the next double star in the selected constellation, simply press the up arrow button. The guide arrows will now direct you to the next double star in the constellation. If there are no more double stars avail-able in that constellation, a double star from the next constellation (in alphabetical order) will be displayed. To select another constellation in which to view a double star, press the Star button, select “DOUBLE”, and press Enter.
Variable Stars
Variable stars are stars that change their brightness, also called magnitude, over time. The period of brightness change varies greatly from star to star; some variable stars change brightness over several days while others may take several months to noticeably change. It is fun and challenging to watch a star’s magnitude change over time. Observers typically com-
