User manual MEADE TELESTAR 60AZ-A2

[. . . ] 40-04135 8 Page Manual Template 6/29/05 10:54 AM Page 1 www. meade. com TELESTAR INSTRUCTION MANUAL 60mm | 2. 4" Altazimuth Refracting Telescope 60AZ-A2 40-04135 8 Page Manual Template 6/29/05 10:54 AM Page 2 40-04135 8 Page Manual Template 6/29/05 10:54 AM Page 3 INTRODUCTION Your telescope is an excellent beginner's instrument, and is designed to observe objects in the sky and also on land. It can be your personal window on the universe or allows you to intimately study the behavior of nesting birds on a distant hillside. The telescope is shipped with the following parts: · Optical tube · Aluminum tripod with an accessory tray · Two 1. 25" eyepieces: MA25mm (28X), MH9mm · 2x 1. 25" Barlow lens · Diagonal mirror · 5x24mm viewfinder with bracket · Telescope mount · Hardware used in the assembly: 3 bolts (2" long) with wing nuts and washers 3 screws (1/2" long) with nuts The tube has a focal length of 700mm, and its objective lens has a diameter of 60mm. The lens diameter is one of the most important pieces of information about the telescope. [. . . ] Meade offers a line of inexpensive color filters. Beyond the Solar System: Once you have observed our own system of planets, it's time to really travel far from home and look at stars and other objects. You can observe thousands of stars with your telescope. At first, you may think stars are just pinpoints of light and aren't very interesting. There is much information that is revealed in stars. The first thing you will notice is that not all Fig. See if you can find blue, orange, yellow, white and red stars. The color of stars sometimes can tell you about the age of a star and the temperature that they burn at. Other stars to look for are multiple stars. Very often, you can find double (or binary) stars, stars that are very close together. 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 40-04135 8 Page Manual Template 6/29/05 10:54 AM Page 11 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 many galaxies that are irregularly shaped and are thought to have been pulled apart because they passed too close to--or even through--a larger galaxy. You may be able to see the Andromeda galaxy and several others in your telescope. They will appear as small, fuzzy clouds. Only very large telescope will reveal spiral or elliptical details. You will also be able to see some nebulas with your scope. The two easiest to see in the Northern Hemisphere are the Orion nebula during the winter and the Triffid nebula during the summer. These are large clouds of gas in which new stars are being born. Some nebulas are the remains of stars exploding. When you become an advanced observer you can look for other types of objects such as asteroids, planetary nebula and globular clusters. And if you're lucky, every so often a bright comet appears in the sky, presenting an unforgettable sight. [. . . ] · Fingerprints and organic materials on the front lens may be removed with a solution of 3 parts distilled water to 1 part isopropyl alcohol. You may also add 1 drop of biodegradable dishwashing soap per pint of solution. Use soft, white facial tissues and make short, gentle strokes. CAUTION: Do not use scented or lotioned tissues or damage could result to the optics. [. . . ]