4.
If the image of your eye is centered in the reflection of the Secondary Mirror (5), your
Secondary Mirror (5) is collimated. If it is off to one side, then secondary mirror adjustment
will be required. You will see three screw heads on the Secondary Mirror (5). They are
positioned 120 degrees apart. By adjusting these three screws very slowly and carefully, the
Secondary Mirror (5) will reflect an image of your eye that is perfectly centered in the
reflection of the Secondary Mirror (5). Once this is accomplished, your Secondary Mirror (5)
is now collimated.
5.
Your telescope is now ready to deliver the best images possible.
Enjoying Your New Telescope
1. First determine your targeted object. Any bright object in the night sky is a good starting
point. One of the favorite starting points in astronomy is the moon. This is an object sure to
please any budding astronomer or experienced veteran. When you have developed
proficiency at this level, other objects become good targets. Saturn, Mars, Jupiter, and Venus
are good second steps to take.
2. Avoid the temptation to move directly to the highest power. The low power eyepiece will
give you a wider field of view, and brighter image--thus making it very easy to find your
target object. At this point with a focused image, you've passed the first obstacle. Once you
pass this step, you'll will enjoy the time spent with your telescope. Every celestial object you
center in the telescope will be easily focused, which is important for continuing your
exploration of the night sky.
3. The low power eyepieces are perfect for viewing the full moon, planets, star clusters,
nebulae, and even constellations. These should build your foundation. However, for more
detail, try bumping up in magnification to higher power eyepieces on some of these objects.
During calm and crisp nights, the light/dark separation line on the moon (called the
"Terminator") is marvelous at high power. You can see mountains, ridges and craters jump
out at you due to the highlights. Similarly, you can move up to higher magnifications on
the planets and nebulae. Star clusters and stars are best viewed through the low power no
matter what.
4. The recurring astronomical theater we call the night sky is an ever-changing billboard. In
other words, not the same movie plays all the time. Rather, the positions of the stars change
not only hourly as they seem to rise and set, but also throughout the year. As the earth orbits
the sun our perspective on the stars changes on a yearly cycle about that orbit. The reason
the sky seems to move daily just as the sun and the moon "move" across our sky, is that the
earth is rotating about its axis. As a result you may notice that after a few minutes or a few
seconds depending on what power you are viewing at, the objects in your telescope will
move. At higher magnifications especially, you will notice that the moon or Jupiter will
"race" right out of the field of view. To compensate, just move your telescope to "track" it in
the necessary path.
Secondary Mirror Collimated
Secondary Mirror (Out of Alignment)
