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focus a bit to get a sharp image with the newly inserted eye-
piece.
What to Expect
So what will you see with your telescope? You should be able to
see bands on Jupiter, the rings of Saturn, craters on the Moon,
the waxing and waning of Venus, and many bright deep-sky
objects. Do not expect to see color as you do in NASA photos,
since those are taken with long-exposure cameras and have
"false color" added. Our eyes are not sensitive enough to see
color in deep-sky objects except in a few of the brightest ones.
Objects to Observe
Now that you are all set up and ready to go, one critical decision
must be made: what to look at?
A. The Moon
With its rocky surface, the Moon is one of the easiest and most
interesting objects to view with your telescope. Lunar craters,
maria, and even mountain ranges can all be clearly seen from
a distance of 238,000 miles away! With its ever-changing phas-
es, you'll get a new view of the Moon every night. The best time
to observe our one and only natural satellite is during a partial
phase, that is, when the Moon is not full. During partial phases,
shadows are cast on the surface, which reveal more detail, espe-
cially right along the border between the dark and light portions
of the disk (called the "terminator"). A full Moon is too bright and
devoid of surface shadows to yield a pleasing view. Make sure
to observe the Moon when it is well above the horizon to get the
sharpest images.
Use an optional Moon filter to dim the Moon when it is very bright.
It simply threads onto the bottom of the eyepieces (you must first
remove the eyepiece from the focuser to attach a filter). You'll find
that the Moon filter improves viewing comfort, and helps to bring
out subtle features on the lunar surface.
B. The Planets
The planets don't stay put like the stars, so to find them you
should refer to the monthly star charts at OrionTelescopes.com,
or to charts published monthly in Astronomy, Sky & Telescope, or
other astronomy magazines. Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn are
the brightest objects in the sky after the Sun and the Moon. Other
planets may be visible but will likely appear star-like. Because
planets are quite small in apparent size, optional higher-power
eyepieces or a Barlow lens are recommended and often needed
for detailed observations.
C. The Sun
You can change your nighttime telescope into a daytime Sun
viewer by installing an optional full-aperture solar filter over the
front opening of the telescope. The primary attraction is sunspots,
which change shape, appearance, and location daily. Sunspots
are directly related to magnetic activity in the Sun. Many observ-
ers like to make drawings of sunspots to monitor how the Sun is
changing from day to day.
Important Note: Do not look at the Sun with any optical
instrument without a professionally made solar filter, or per-
manent eye damage could result.
D. The Stars
12
Stars will appear like twinkling points of light. Even powerful tele-
scopes cannot magnify stars to appear as more than a point
of light. You can, however, enjoy the different colors of the stars
and locate many pretty double and multiple stars. The famous
"Double-Double" in the constellation Lyra and the gorgeous two-
color double star Albireo in Cygnus are favorites. Defocusing a
star slightly can help bring out its color.
E. Deep-Sky Objects
Under dark skies, you can observe a wealth of fascinating deep-
sky objects, including gaseous nebulas, open and globular star
clusters, and different types of galaxies. Most deep-sky objects
are very faint, so it is important you find an observing site well
away from light pollution.
To find deep-sky objects with your telescope, you first need to
become reasonably familiar with the night sky. Unless you know
how to recognize the constellation Orion, for instance, you won't
have much luck locating the Orion Nebula. A simple planisphere,
or star wheel, can be a valuable tool for learning the constella-
tions and seeing which ones are visible in the sky on a given
night. Once you have identified a few constellations, a good star
chart, atlas, or astronomy app will come in handy for helping
locate interesting deep-sky objects to view within the constella-
tions.
Do not expect these objects to appear like the photographs you
see in books and on the internet; most will look like dim gray
smudges. Our eyes are not sensitive enough to see color in
deep-sky objects except in a few of the brightest ones. But as you
become more experienced and your observing skills get sharper,
you will be able to ferret out more and more subtle details and
structure.
6. Worthwhile Optional
Accessories
•
Moon Filter – A 1.25" Moon filter will cut down the strong glare
of sunlight reflected from the Moon, making Moon viewing
more comfortable and revealing more surface detail. The filter
threads into the bottom of the Kellner eyepieces that came
with your telescope (Figure 21).
•
Motor Drive – A motor drive, which attaches to the right
ascension axis of an equatorial telescope mount, enables
your telescope to "track" the motion of stars and other celes-
tial objects as they drift slowly from east to west in the night
sky. This keeps them in the eyepiece field of view indefinitely,
instead of drifting out of sight.
Barlow Lens – A 2x Barlow lens doubles the magnifying
•
power of any eyepiece it's used with, giving you a big power
boost to get in closer to your target object. You just insert it
between the diagonal and the eyepiece.
•
Planisphere – A nifty "star wheel" that shows what stars and
constellations are visible in the sky at any time of any night.
Just set the date and time see a mini representation of your
local night sky. Great for identifying what you see and plan-
ning an evening's observing session.
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