Orion 9827 instruction manual Astrophotography, Sun, Moon Photography, Planetary Photography

Figure 17. Starhopping is a good way to locate hard-to-find objects. Refer to a star chart to map a route to the object that uses bright stars as guideposts. Center the first star you’ve chosen in the finder scope and telescope eyepiece (1). Now move the scope carefully in the direction of the next bright star (2), until it is centered. Repeat (3 and 4). The last hop (5) should place the desired object in the eyepiece.

Determine in which constellation the object lies. Now, find the constellation in the sky. If you do not recognize the constella- tions on sight, consult a planisphere. The planisphere gives an all-sky view and shows which constellations are visible on a given night at a given time.

Now, look at your star chart and find the brightest star in the constellation that is near the object you are trying to find. Using the finder scope, point the telescope at this star and center it in the crosshairs. Next, look again at the star chart and find another suitably bright star near the bright star cur- rently centered in the finder. Keep in mind that the field of view of the finder scope is 7°, so you should choose another star that is no more than 7° from the first star, if possible. Move the telescope slightly, until it is centered on the new star.

Continue using the stars as guideposts until you are at the approximate position of the object you are trying to find (Figure 17). Look in the telescope’s eyepiece, and the object should be somewhere in the field of view. If it’s not, sweep the telescope carefully around the immediate vicinity until the object is found.

If you have trouble finding the object, start the starhop again from the brightest star near the object you wish to view. This time, be sure the stars indicated on the star chart are in fact the stars you are centering in the eyepiece.

E. The Sun

You can change your nighttime scope into a daytime Sun viewer by installing an optional full-aperture solar-filter over the front opening of a AstroView 6 EQ. The primary attraction is sunspots, which change in shape, appearance, and loca- tion daily. Sun­spots are directly related to magnetic activity in the sun and follow an 11 year cycle. Many observers like to make drawings of sunspots to monitor how the sun is chang- ing from day to day.

Important Note: Do not look at the Sun with any optical instrument without a professionally made solar filter, or permanent eye damage could result. Also remember to cover or remove the finder scope before attempting to view the sun.

7. Astrophotography

Several different types of astrophotography can be success- fully attempted with the AstroView 6 EQ.

Moon Photography

This is perhaps the simplest form of astrophotography, as no motor drive is required. All that is needed is a T-Ring for your specific camera model. Attach the T-ring to your camera body, and then thread the T-Ring on to the focuser drawtube.

Now you are ready to shoot. Point the telescope toward the Moon, and center it within the camera’s viewfinder. Focus the image with the telescope’s focuser. Try several exposure times, all less than 1 second, depending on the phase of the moon and the ISO (film speed) of the film being used. A remote shutter release is recommended, as touching the camera’s shutter release can vibrate the camera enough to ruin the exposure.

Planetary Photography

Once basic Moon photography has been mastered, it’s time to get images of the planets. This type of astrophotography also works to get highly magnified shots of the Moon. In addition to the T-ring, you will need a Universal 1.25" Camera Adapter. The EQ-3 Motor Drive System (single or dual axis) is also required. This is because a longer exposure is necessary, which would cause the image to blur if no motor drive was used for tracking. The equatorial mount must be accurately polar aligned, too.

As before, connect the T-ring to your camera. Before connect- ing the Universal camera adapter to the T-Ring, an eyepiece must be inserted and locked into the body of the Universal camera adapter. Start by using a medium-low power eyepiece (about 25mm); you can increase the magnification later with a high-power eyepiece. Then connect the entire camera adapt- er, with eyepiece inside, to the T-Ring. Insert the whole sys- tem into the telescope’s focuser drawtube and secure firmly with the thumbscrews.

Aim the telescope at the planet (or Moon) you wish to shoot. The image will be highly magnified, so you may need to use the finder scope to center it within the camera’s viewfinder.

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