User manual ORION TELESCOPES & BINOCULARS STARMAX 90 EQ

[. . . ] INSTRUCTION MANUAL Orion StarMaxTM 90 EQ ® #9821 Equatorial Maksutov-Cassegrain Telescope Customer Support (800) 676-1343 E-mail: support@telescope. com Corporate Offices (831) 763-7000 Providing Exceptional Consumer Optical Products Since 1975 P. O. Box 1815, Santa Cruz, CA 95061 IN 162 Rev. B 03/02 Finder scope bracket Finder scope Mounting block Eyepiece Counterweight shaft Right Ascension slow-motion control Counterweight Counterweight lock knob Star diagonal Declination slow motion control Tripod leg Accessory tray Accessory tray bracket Leg lock knob Figure 1. Orion StarMax 90mm EQ 2 Welcome to a new world of adventure. [. . . ] Let's say you want to view an object that is directly overhead, at the zenith. One thing you DO NOT do is make any adjustment to the latitude adjustment t-bolt. That will nullify the mount's polar alignment. Remember, once the mount is polar aligned, the telescope should be moved only on the R. A. To point the scope overhead, first loosen the R. A. lock knob and rotate the telescope on the R. A. axis until the counterweight shaft is horizontal (parallel to the ground). lock knob and rotate the telescope until it is pointing straight overhead. The counterweight shaft is still horizontal. Similarly, to point the telescope directly south, the counterweight shaft should again be horizontal. Then you simply rotate the scope on the Dec. axis until it points in the south direction. 8 What if you need to aim the telescope directly north, but at an object that is nearer to the horizon than Polaris?You can't do it with the counterweight down as pictured in Figure 1. Again, you have to rotate the scope in R. A. so the counterweight shaft is positioned horizontally. so it points to where you want it near the horizon. To point the telescope to the east or west, or in other directions, you rotate the telescope on its R. A. Depending on the altitude of the object you want to observe, the counterweight shaft will be oriented somewhere between vertical and horizontal. Figure 6 illustrates how the telescope will look pointed at the four cardinal directions - north, south, east, and west The key things to remember when pointing the telescope is that a) you only move it in R. A. and Dec. , not in azimuth or latitude (altitude), and b) the counterweight and shaft will not always appear as it does in Figure 1. Using Your Telescope-- Astronomical Observing Choosing an Observing Site When selecting a location for observing, get as far away as possible from direct artificial light such as street lights, porch lights, and automobile headlights. The glare from these lights will greatly impair your dark-adapted night vision. [. . . ] Remember to aim well clear of the Sun, unless the front of the telescope is fitted with a professionally made solar filter and 12 adapter. Also keep the finder scope caps on if you leave it attached to the optical tube. Cleaning the Tube Your StarMax 90mm EQ telescope requires very little mechanical maintenance. The optical tube is aluminum and has a smooth painted finish that is fairly scratch-resistant. [. . . ]