Meade LightBridge, Instruction Manual

15

SOME TIPS

By the way, you might have noticed something strange when you looked through your

eyepiece. The image is upside down, and it is also reversed. That means reading

words can be a problem or viewing objects on the ground can be a problem. But it has

no affect on astronomical objects. 

Objects move in the eyepiece:  If you are observing an astronomical object (the Moon,

a planet, star, etc.) you will notice that the object will begin to move slowly through the

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

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. 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 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.

Know your observing site: 

If possible, know the location where you will be observing.

Pay attention to holes in the ground and other obstacles. Is it a location where wild

animals, such as skunks, snakes, etc., may appear?  Are there viewing obstructions

such as tall trees, street lights, headlights and so forth?  The best locations are dark

locations, the darker the better. Deep space objects are easiest to see under dark

skies. But it is still possible to observe even in a city.

Surf the Web and visit your local library: 

The internet contains a huge amount of

astronomical information, both for children and adults. Check out astronomy books

from your library. Look for star charts—these are available on a monthly basis in

Astronomy

and 

Sky and Telescope

magazines.

CARE OF OPTICS

Your Meade telescope is a fine instrument. With reasonable care, it will last a lifetime.

Maintenance guidelines include:
a.  Avoid cleaning the telescope’s optics: A little dust on the front surface of the tele-

scope’s correcting lens causes virtually no degradation of image quality and

should not be considered reason to clean the lens. 

Venus, in its thin, crescent phase.

Saturn is the perhaps the most

unforgettable sight to see in a 

telescope.

Looking at or near the 

Sun

will cause 

irreversable

damage to your eye. Do not point

this telescope at or near the Sun. Do not look through the telescope as it is moving.