User manual MEADE AUTOSTAR 494

[. . . ] Instruction Manual Autostar #494 Computer Controller ® Meade Instruments Corporation QUICK START GUIDE WARNING: Never use Autostar to move a telescope to look at the Sun!Looking at or near the Sun will cause instant and irreversible damage to your eye. Eye damage is often painless, so there is no warning to the observer that damage has occurred until it is too late. Do not point a telescope or its viewfinder at or near the Sun. [. . . ] IMPORTANT NOTE: The accuracy of One-Star Alt/Az Alignment, unlike the Two-Star Alignment procedures, depends on how well the observer levels the telescope and how close to North the telescope is pointed when setting the Home Position (Fig. Because the Two-Star Alignments use two stars to align upon, they are more precise than One-Star Alignment. GO TO SATURN After alignment, the motor drive begins operating and the telescope is ready for a night of viewing. Objects in the eyepiece should maintain their position (i. e. , the telescope tracks the object) even though the Earth is rotating beneath the stars. -16- IMPORTANT NOTE: Once aligned, only use the GO TO or Arrow keys to move the telescope. Do not loosen the horizontal and vertical locks of the telescope, or move the tripod manually, or alignment will be lost. This exercise demonstrates how to select an object for viewing from Autostar's database. This example demonstrates how to select Saturn. NOTE: Saturn is not visible the entire year and you may need to choose another object from Autostar's database; however, the procedure, as described below, remains the same. 1 After the telescope is aligned, "Select Item: Object" displays. (If "Select Item: Object" is not currently displayed, press MODE repeatedly until it displays. ) Press ENTER. may have chosen); i. e. , Saturn remains centered in the eyepiece. If an object is observed in the telescope without using Autostar's GO TO or automatic tracking capabilities (see "TO TRACK AN OBJECT AUTOMATICALLY, " page 25), the object gradually drifts out of the field of view due to the Earth's rotation. USING THE GUIDED TOUR This example demonstrates using "Tonight's Best" Guided Tour. After observing Saturn, press MODE twice so that "Select Item: Object" displays again. "Select Item: Guided Tour" displays. "Guided Tour: Tonight's Best" displays. NOTE: If you wish to try other Guided Tours, press the Scroll Down key to scroll through other tour choices. When the tour you wish to select displays, press ENTER. "Tonight's Best: Searching. . . " displays. After calculating, "Tonight's Best: Jupiter" displays. NOTE: Different objects may be displayed on a tour list on any given night. Press ENTER and then use the Scroll keys to display information about the object. Press Mode to exit the information display. [. . . ] If you do not wish to enter this information, simply press ENTER. -29- 9. Autostar then prompts you to enter the Magnitude of the object. Use the Arrow keys to enter this information, if so desired, and press ENTER to go to the next display. "User Object: Add" displays again. [. . . ]