Meade TerraStar60, Instruction Manual

Page 1: ...TerraStar60 www meade com 20225_TerraStar60 InstrctnMnl 042111 qxd 4 21 11 4 03 PM Page 1 ...

Page 2: ...amage is often painless so there is no warning to the observer that damage has occurred until it is too late Do not point the telescope at or near the Sun Do not look through the telescope or viewfinder as it is moving Children should always have adult supervision while observing 20225_TerraStar60 InstrctnMnl 042111 qxd 4 21 11 4 03 PM Page 2 ...

Page 3: ...otion controls Durable carry bag for easy transport and storage The tube has a focal length of 700mm and its objective lens has a diameter of 60mm to see in your telescope The focal length will help later on to calculate magnification Setting up your telescope involves these simple steps Assemble your tripod Adjusting the tripod Attach the optical tube to the mount Attach the red dot viewfinder At...

Page 4: ...Leg brace supports See Inset C 9 Leg brace See Inset C 10 Tripod leg nuts and bolts 11 Optical tube lock knobs 12 Horizontal slow motion control See Inset B 13 Diagonal mirror 14 Objective lens cell 15 Focuser drawtube 16 Telescope mount 17 Accessory tray Inset C 18 Red dot viewfinder bracket see Inset A 19 Adjustable sliding leg extension see Inset C 20 Tripod leg lock see Inset C 21 Dew shield l...

Page 5: ...Accessory tray pouch 25 Tripod 26 Straps to secure tripod 2 places 27 Optical tube assembly 28 Strap to secure front of the optical tube 29 Pouch for focuser 30 Shoulder strap with pad 31 Bag for eyepieces red dot finder and diagonal 20225_TerraStar60 InstrctnMnl 042111 qxd 4 21 11 4 03 PM Page 5 ...

Page 6: ...ghten until firm ADJUSTING THE TRIPOD Now that the tripod has been assembled the tripod height can be adjusted so that you can view comfortably 1 Spread the legs out evenly apart 2 To set the height of the tripod unlock the tripod leg lock knob 20 3 Slide the leg 19 in or out to the desired length 4 Tighten the leg lock knob 20 until firm 3 Repeat for the other two legs ATTACH THE OPTICAL TUBE TO ...

Page 7: ...ror thumbscrew to hold the eyepiece securely BALANCING THE OPTICAL TUBE The telescope is designed with a bracket that will allow the user to balance the optical tube This may be needed when heavier eyepieces or accessories are used 1 Loosen the optical tube locks 11 so the tube will slide in the mounting bracket 2 Balance the tube by sliding it back and forth in the bracket until you find a positi...

Page 8: ...emoving the two lock knobs 11 and sliding the optical tube 4 off Replace the front dust cap 22 and rear dust cap Place the lock knobs into the storage bag 31 for safekeeping 6 Retract the drawtube 15 back into the optical tube 4 by turning the focusing knob 23 counter clockwise 7 Place the optical tube assembly into its dedicated space 27 slipping the focuser end first into the pouch sewn into the...

Page 9: ...size as yours and his didn t even focus very well Observe during the daytime Try out your telescope during the daytime at first It is easier to learn how it operates and how to observe when it is light Pick out an easy object to observe A distant mountain a large tree a lighthouse or skyscraper make excellent targets Point the optical tube so it lines up with your object TOO MUCH POWER Can you eve...

Page 10: ...filter often called a moon filter when observing the Moon Neutral density filters are available from Meade as an optional accessory and enhance contrast to improve your observation of lunar features Spend several nights observing the Moon Some nights the Moon is so bright that it makes other objects in the sky difficult to see These are nights that are excellent for lunar observation Observe the S...

Page 11: ...is an excellent exercise for novice astronomers Any small telescope can see the four Galilean moons of Jupiter Fig 6 plus a few others but how many moons does Jupiter actually have No one knows for sure Nor are we sure how many Saturn has either At last count Jupiter had over 60 moons and held a small lead over Saturn Most of these moons are very small and can only be seen with very large telescop...

Page 12: ...you notice about these stars Are they different colors Does one seem brighter than the other Almost all the stars you can see in the sky are part of our galaxy A galaxy is a large grouping of stars containing millions or even billions of stars Some galaxies form a spiral like our galaxy the Milky Way and other galaxies look more like a large football and are called elliptical galaxies There are ma...

Page 13: ...ack down to a lower power Changing eyepieces changes the power or magnification of your telescope STAR CHARTS Star charts and planispheres are useful for a variety of reasons In particular they are a great aid in planning a night of celestial viewing Astronomy and Sky and Telescope magazines print star charts each month for up to the minute maps of the heavens AutoStar Suite Astronomer Edition Sof...

Page 14: ...od 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 ...

Page 15: ... 90mm 8 inches 16 inches or even 3 feet in diameter The Hubble Telescope s objective The focal ratio helps determine how fast the photographic speed of a telescope is The lower the focal ratio number the faster the exposure f 5 is faster than f 10 The faster the ratio the faster exposure time is needed when a camera is hooked up to the telescope Your telescope has slower focal ratio at f 11 7 Some...

Page 16: ...n t think that higher magnification is necessarily better quite often the best view is with lower magnification value TAKING CARE OF YOUR TELESCOPE Your telescope is a precision optical instrument designed for a lifetime of rewarding viewing It will rarely if ever require factory servicing or maintenance Follow these guidelines to keep your telescope in the best condition Avoid cleaning the telesc...

Page 17: ...nd down before reattaching the optical tube OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES 928 45 Erecting Prism 1 25 O D Correctly orients the telescopic image during terrestrial observing and yields an image position at a 45 angle to the main telescope tube resulting in a more comfortable observing position in most cases Additional Eyepieces 1 25 inch barrel diameter For higher or lower magnifications with the telescopes...

Page 18: ...rth America are not included in this warranty but are covered under separate warranties issued by Meade international distributors RGA Number Required Prior to the return of any product or part a Return Goods Authorization RGA number m mu us st t be obtained from Meade by calling 800 626 3233 Each returned part or product must include a written statement detailing the nature of the claimed defect ...

Page 19: ...RVER OBJECT NAME DATE TIME OBSERVED CONSTELLATION EYEPIECE SIZE SEEING CONDITIONS EXCELLENT GOOD POOR NOTES DRAWING OF IMAGE OBSERVATION LOG 20225_TerraStar60 InstrctnMnl 042111 qxd 4 21 11 4 03 PM Page 19 ...

Page 20: ...RVER OBJECT NAME DATE TIME OBSERVED CONSTELLATION EYEPIECE SIZE SEEING CONDITIONS EXCELLENT GOOD POOR NOTES DRAWING OF IMAGE OBSERVATION LOG 20225_TerraStar60 InstrctnMnl 042111 qxd 4 21 11 4 03 PM Page 20 ...

Page 21: ...RVER OBJECT NAME DATE TIME OBSERVED CONSTELLATION EYEPIECE SIZE SEEING CONDITIONS EXCELLENT GOOD POOR NOTES DRAWING OF IMAGE OBSERVATION LOG 20225_TerraStar60 InstrctnMnl 042111 qxd 4 21 11 4 03 PM Page 21 ...

Page 22: ...RVER OBJECT NAME DATE TIME OBSERVED CONSTELLATION EYEPIECE SIZE SEEING CONDITIONS EXCELLENT GOOD POOR NOTES DRAWING OF IMAGE OBSERVATION LOG 20225_TerraStar60 InstrctnMnl 042111 qxd 4 21 11 4 03 PM Page 22 ...

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Page 24: ...ments Corp All rights reserved Specifications subject to change without notice Images depicted may not be representative of the images seen or captured through this product 20225_TerraStar60 InstrctnMnl 042111 qxd 4 21 11 4 03 PM Page 24 ...