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Celestron NexStar HC User's Manual
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1. sec 19 sec 5 sec 32x 16x 8x 4x 2x Hand Control Double line 16 character Liquid Crystal Display 19 fiber optic backlit LED buttons Fork Arm Cast aluminum with integrated hand control receptacle Sofiware Specifications Software Precision 16 bit 20 arc sec calculations Ports RS 232 communication port on hand control Tracking Rates Sidereal Solar Lunar and King Tracking Modes Alt Az EQ North amp EQ South Alignment Procedures AutoAlign 2 star alignment Database 25 user defined programmable object Enhanced information on over 100 objects Total Object Database 4 033 39 Appendix B Glossary of Terms A Absolute magnitude Airy disk Alt Azimuth Mounting Altitude Aperture Apparent Magnitude Arcminute Arcsecond Asterism Asteroid Astrology Astronomical unit AU Aurora Azimuth B Binary Stars Es Celestial Equator Celestial pole Celestial Sphere Collimation D Declination DEC E Ecliptic Equatorial mount The apparent magnitude that a star would have if it were observed from a standard distance of 10 parsecs or 32 6 light years The absolute magnitude of the Sun is 4 8 at a distance of 10 parsecs it would just be visible on Earth on a clear moonless night away from surface light The apparent size of a star s disk produced even by a perfect optical system Since the star can never be focused perfectly 84 per cent of the light wi
2. Pressing the RATE key 11 allows you to instantly change the speed rate of the motors from high speed slew rate to precise guiding rate or anywhere in between Each rate corresponds to a number on the hand controller key pad The number 9 is the fastest rate 4 per second depending on power source and is used for slewing between objects and locating alignment stars The number 1 on the hand control is the slowest rate 1x sidereal and can be used for accurate centering of objects in the eyepiece and photographic guiding To change the speed rate of the motors O Press the RATE key on the hand control The LCD will display the current speed rate O Press the number on the hand control that corresponds to the desired speed The LCD will display NexStar Ready indicating that the rate has been changed 19 The hand control has a double button feature that allows you to instantly speed up the motors without having to choose a speed rate To use this feature simply press the arrow button that corresponds to the direction that you want to move the telescope While holding that button down press the opposite directional button This will increase the slew rate to approximately 1 per second egual to rate 7 on the hand control This feature will not function if the telescope is currently set at a speed rate of 8 or 9 The slower slew rates 6 and lower move the motors in the opposite direction than the faster slew rates 8 and 9 This is done
3. S cetestron NexStarx 4 INSTRUCTION MANUAL iu OU 4 WA RNING za a iN sceau nb oe de 4 OUICKSETUBR 42 22 20 GR A RES 5 ASSEMBLY u RE 8 ASSEMBLING THE NEXSTAR st ia io aia dieta 8 Powering the NexStar nass ed e OR RO HR ER ERU E PE Gu dps 8 The Hand Control a eee 9 The Ey6 pl GG i dn de RAE EROR AREE ER E DURS PUPA Te teris 9 The Star Pointer Finderscope o eiie te terit eben anbauen nen 10 NEXSTAR HCHMODLL 3 e tree ee rage eo Coe Dod TON CYFYD UYN SUR ese use aae ee ara Ce e av Vado 12 THE HAND CONTROL M 12 RABIA atenta etai e e EINEN 13 Utility Features a As ue E HE ERU Alia EO NE ROEE Sats 13 GuideStar SOFWARE zs t e ertet tee e a e uq EOS 14 NEXSTAR GIT MODEL Pe 15 HAND CONTROL OPERATION a a ede a a aa aa a a i iar 16 Alignment Procedure eR E E in a eee te Nase I Y Gn 16 OBJECT VU POCO 18 Selecting am Object oe gh eee at e Y etes 18 Slewing to am Object e eoe nen iet bee a ice eae ime ede 18 Tour Mode nd de a an Fy Dd dn aede MI 19 DIRECTION BUTTONS iia idad dais dr 19 Rate DUO ii iub mds A ss Sv RE 19 SETUP PROCEDURES 4 243822 dada as da ada 20 Tracking Mode i 20 Tracking Rate sus te edyn iin ein eee e ed sate 20 D ate TIme ase iuo Greed ted 21 User Defined Objects iis e e eei u vesci eun tee ER CERRAR Hi 21 Get RAVDEC e taste 21 Get AA de te Do C et
4. the R A coordinates are marked off in units of time It begins with an arbitrary point in the constellation of Pisces designated as 0 hours 0 minutes 0 seconds All other points are designated by how far i e how long they lag behind this coordinate after it passes overhead moving toward the west Figure 7 1 The celestial sphere seen from the outside showing R A and DEC 27 Motion of the Stars The daily motion of the Sun across the sky is familiar to even the most casual observer This daily trek is not the Sun moving as early astronomers thought but the result of the Earth s rotation The Earth s rotation also causes the stars to do the same scribing out a large circle as the Earth completes one rotation The size of the circular path a star follows depends on where it is in the sky Stars near the celestial eguator form the largest circles rising in the east and setting in the west Moving toward the north celestial pole the point around which the stars in the northern hemisphere appear to rotate these circles become smaller Stars in the mid celestial latitudes rise in the northeast and set in the northwest Stars at high celestial latitudes are always above the horizon and are said to be circumpolar because they never rise and never set You will never see the stars complete one circle because the sunlight during the day washes out the starlight However part of this circular motion of stars in this region of the sky can be seen b
5. truck van or motorcycle Barlow Lens A Barlow lens is a negative lens that increases the focal length of a telescope Used with any eyepiece it doubles the magnification of that eyepiece Celestron offers two Barlow lens in the 1 1 4 size for the NexStar The 2x Ultima Barlow 93506 is a compact triplet design that is fully multicoated for maximum light transmission and parfocal when used with the Ultima eyepieces Model 93507 is a compact achromatic Barlow lens that is under three inches long and weighs only 4 oz It works very well with all Celestron eyepieces Carrying Case 302080 This case fits both the NexStar 4 and NexStar 5 and is made of sturdy ABS plastic It is completely lined with pick n pluck foam for a customized and secure fit to safely transport and store your scope and accessories Eyepieces Like telescopes eyepieces come in a variety of designs Each design has its own advantages and disadvantages For the 1 1 4 barrel diameter there are four different eyepiece designs available Super Modified Achromatic SMA Eyepieces 11 4 The SMA design is an improved version of the Kellner eyepiece SMA s are very good economical general purpose eyepieces that deliver a wide apparent field good color correction and an excellent image at the center of the field of view Celestron offers SMA eyepieces in 1 1 4 sizes in the following focal lengths 6mm 10mm 12mm 17mm and 25mm Pl ssl Pl ssl eyepieces have a
6. 4 element lens designed for low to high power observing The Pl ssls offer razor sharp views across the entire field even at the edges In the 1 1 4 barrel diameter they are available in the following focal lengths 3 6mm 6mm 8mm 10mm 13mm 17mm 25mm 32mm and 40mm Ultima Ultima is not really a design but a trade name for our 5 element wide field eyepieces In the 1 1 4 barrel diameter they are available in the following focal lengths 5mm 7 5mm 12 5mm 18mm 30mm 35mm and 42mm These eyepieces are all parfocal The 35mm Ultima gives the widest possible field of view with a 1 1 4 diagonal Lanthanum Eyepieces LV Series Lanthanum is a unique rare earth glass used in one of the field lenses of this new eyepiece The Lanthanum glass reduces aberrations to a minimum All are fully multicoated and have an astounding 20mm of eye relief perfect for eyeglass wearers In the 1 1 4 barrel diameter they are available in the following focal lengths 2 5mm 4mm 5mm 6mm 9mm 10mm 12mm and 15mm Celestron also offers the LV Zoom eyepiece 3777 with a focal length of 8mm to 24mm It offers an apparent field of 40 at 24mm and 60 at 8mm Eye relief ranges from 15mm to 19mm 36 Eyepiece Filters To enhance your visual observations of solar system objects Celestron offers a wide range of colored filters that thread into the 1 1 4 oculars Available individually are 12 deep yellow 21 orange 25 red 58 green 80A lig
7. As a condition to the obligation of CI to repair or replace such product the product must be returned to CI together with proof of purchase satisfactory to CI The Proper Return Authorization Number must be obtained from CI in advance of return Call Celestron at 310 328 9560 to receive the number to be displayed on the outside of your shipping container All returns must be accompanied by a written statement setting forth the name address and daytime telephone number of the owner together with a brief description of any claimed defects Parts or product for which replacement is made shall become the property of CI The customer shall be responsible for all costs of transportation and insurance both to and from the factory of CI and shall be reguired to prepay such costs CI shall use reasonable efforts to repair or replace any telescope covered by this warranty within thirty days of receipt In the event repair or replacement shall reguire more than thirty days CI shall notify the customer accordingly CI reserves the right to replace any product which has been discontinued from its product line with a new product of comparable value and function This warranty shall be void and of no force of effect in the event a covered product has been modified in design or function or subjected to abuse misuse mishandling or unauthorized repair Further product malfunction or deterioration due to normal wear is not covered by this warranty CI DI
8. Observing the Sun Although overlooked by many amateur astronomers solar observation is both rewarding and fun However because the Sun is so bright special precautions must be taken when observing our star so as not to damage your eyes or your telescope Never project an image of the Sun through the telescope Because of the folded optical design tremendous heat build up will result inside the optical tube This can damage the telescope and or any accessories attached to the telescope For safe solar viewing use a solar filter that reduces the intensity of the Sun s light making it safe to view With a filter you can see sunspots as they move across the solar disk and faculae which are bright patches seen near the Sun s edge Solar Observing Hints The best time to observe the Sun is in the early morning or late afternoon when the air is cooler e To center the Sun without looking into the eyepiece watch the shadow of the telescope tube until it forms a circular shadow To ensure accurate tracking be sure to select solar tracking rate Observing Deep Sky Objects Deep sky objects are simply those objects outside the boundaries of our solar system They include star clusters planetary nebulae diffuse nebulae double stars and other galaxies outside our own Milky Way Most deep sky objects have a large angular size Therefore low to moderate power is all you need to see them Visually they are too faint to reveal any of the col
9. Start by removing the telescope from its shipping carton and setting the round base on a flat table or surface It is best to carry the telescope by holding it from the lower portion of the fork arm and from the bottom of the base Remove all of the accessories from their individual boxes Remember to save all of the containers so that they can be used to transport the telescope Before the batteries can be installed the telescope tube should be positioned horizontal to the ground To do this gently rotate the front of the tube upwards until it is level with the ground Powering the NexStar The NexStar can be powered by eight AA batteries not included an optional 12v AC adapter or an optional car battery adapter The battery compartment is located in the center of the telescope s base see figure 3 1 To power the NexStar with batteries Battery Compartment Cover 1 Remove the battery cover from the center of the base by gently lifting up on the round portion of the cover 2 Insert the batteries into the battery compartment of the base 3 Reattach the battery compartment door by gently pushing down on the cover until it snaps into place 4 Turn on the power to the NexStar by flipping the switch located at the base of the fork arm to the On position Figure 3 1 The NexStar 4 Battery Compartment The Hand Control The hand control is located on the side of the fork arm and can be removed and used remotely or used while attach
10. a road trip without a road map and you don t need to try to navigate the night sky without a map either Even if you already know your way around the major constellations these maps can help you locate all kinds of fascinating objects T Adapter 93635 A T Adapter with additional T Ring allows you to attach your SLR camera to the rear cell of your Celestron NexStar This turns your NexStar into a 1300mm telephoto lens perfect for terrestrial photography and short exposure lunar and filtered solar photography T Ring The T Ring couples your 35mm SLR camera body to the T Adapter This accessory is mandatory if you want to do photography through the telescope Each camera make i e Minolta Nikon Pentax etc has its own unique mount and therefore its own T Ring Celestron has 8 different models for 35mm cameras 37 Tripod NexStar A stable tripod is a must for serious astronomical observing and photography This steel field tripod 93497 folds down to a compact 8 x28 It is equipped with a built on wedge tilt plate for quick eguatorial use and astrophotography It has a metal center brace and accessory tray for added stability Vibration Suppression Pads 93503 These pads rest between the ground and tripod feet of your telescope They reduce the amplitude and vibration time of your telescope when shaken by the wind or an accidental bump This accessory is a must for long exposure prime focus photography A full des
11. and enter 042 Information To download a list of all the stars contained in the STAR Catalog with SAO number cross references logon to our web site at www celestron com and go to the NexStar page Slewing to an Object Once the desired object is displayed in the hand control screen you have two options 18 1 Press the INFO Key This will give you useful information about the selected object such as R A and declination magnitude and most importantly altitude above the horizon If a star alignment has not yet been performed the altitude will not be displayed The speed at which information scrolls across the hand control display can be changed while the information is being viewed e Hold down the 1 key to speed up the scroll speed e Hold down the 4 key to slow down the scroll speed e Hold down the 7 key to freeze the information on the display 2 Press the ENTER Key This will automatically slew the telescope to the coordinates of the object Caution Never slew the telescope when someone is looking into the eyepiece The telescope can move at very fast slew speeds and may hit an observer in the eye Object information can be obtained without having to do a star alignment After the telescope is powered on press the UNDO key Pressing any of the catalog keys allows you to scroll through object lists or enter catalog numbers as described above However information such as R A and declination of pla
12. around which the telescope rotates when moved in right ascension This axis points the same direction even when the telescope moves in right ascension and declination Aligning the NexStar 4 on a Wedge In order to do a star alignment while using the NexStar on an equatorial wedge it will be necessary to alter some of the alignment procedures when doing the AutoAlign Before the NexStar is attached to the wedge slew the telescope so that the tube is pointed straight up overhead the tube should be parallel to the fork arm Attach the telescope to the wedge and angle the wedge so that the NexStar s fork arm is pointing towards Polaris Move the tripod side to side and tilt the wedge up and down until Polaris is aligned in the StarPointer and visible in the eyepiece Now recycle the power on the NexStar and begin the AutoAlign procedure as follows 1 When the hand control asks you to point the tube north and level use the arrow keys to rotate the telescope tube downward until the tube is perpendicular at 90 with the fork arm 2 Continue to enter the date and time as requested When asked to choose location you must scroll down to the Enter Long Lat option Since the telescope s fork arm is pointed at the celestial pole Figure 7 3 Polaris you will need to enter location This is how the telescope is to be set up for polar information as if you were doing an Alt Az alignment The tube should be parallel to the alignment from th
13. difficult if not impossible to see To maximize your observing limit deep sky viewing to moonless nights far from the light polluted skies found around major urban areas LPR filters enhance deep sky viewing from light polluted areas by blocking unwanted light while transmitting light from certain deep sky objects You can on the other hand observe planets and stars from light polluted areas or when the Moon is out 33 Seeing Seeing conditions refers to the stability of the atmosphere and directly affects the amount of fine detail seen in extended objects The air in our atmosphere acts as a lens which bends and distorts incoming light rays The amount of bending depends on air density Varying temperature layers have different densities and therefore bend light differently Light rays from the same object arrive slightly displaced creating an imperfect or smeared image These atmospheric disturbances vary from time to time and place to place The size of the air parcels compared to your aperture determines the seeing guality Under good seeing conditions fine detail is visible on the brighter planets like Jupiter and Mars and stars are pinpoint images Under poor seeing conditions images are blurred and stars appear as blobs The conditions described here apply to both visual and photographic observations Figure 8 1 Seeing conditions directly affect image guality These drawings represent a point source i e star under bad seeing co
14. fields 14 gt Er PEN Y MEL fydd yj NexStar GT The NexStar GT has a removable hand controller built into the side of the fork arm designed to give you instant access to all the functions the NexStar has to offer With automatic slewing to over 4 000 objects and common sense menu descriptions even a beginner can master its variety of features in just a few observing sessions Below is a brief description of the individual components of the NexStar GT hand controller 1 Liquid Crystal Display LCD Window Has a dual line 16 character display screen that is backlit for comfortable viewing of telescope information and scrolling text 2 Align Instructs the NexStar to use a selected star or object as an alignment position 3 Direction Keys Allows complete control of the NexStar in any direction Use the direction keys to move the telescope to the initial alignment stars or for centering objects in the eyepiece NexStar OD L 4 ELESTHRUIT Figure 5 1 The NexStar Hand Control 4 Catalog Keys The NexStar has keys on the hand control to allow direct access to each of the catalogs in its 4 000 object database The NexStar contains the following catalogs in its database 15 Messier Complete list of all Messier objects NGC Complete list of all the deep sky objects in the Revised New General Catalog Caldwell A combination of the best NGC and IC objects Planets All 8 planets in our Solar System plus th
15. observing the dew must be removed either with a hair dryer on low setting or by pointing the telescope at the ground until the dew has evaporated If moisture condenses on the inside of the corrector remove the accessories from the rear cell of the telescope Place the telescope in a dust free environment and point it down This will remove the moisture from the telescope tube To minimize the need to clean your telescope replace all lens covers once you have finished using it Since the rear cell is NOT sealed the cover should be placed over the opening when not in use This will prevent contaminants from entering the optical tube Internal adjustments and cleaning should be done only by the Celestron repair department If your telescope is in need of internal cleaning please call the factory for a return authorization number and price guote 35 a cl 11M Optional Accessories You will find that additional accessories enhance your viewing pleasure and expand the usefulness of your telescope For ease of reference all the accessories are listed in alphabetical order Adapter AC 18770 Allows DC battery powered telescopes to be converted for use with 120 volt AC power The adapter attaches to any standard wall outlet Adapter Car Battery 18769 Celestron offers the Car Battery Adapter that allows you to run the NexStar drive off an external power source The adapter attaches to the cigarette lighter of your car
16. reflective surfaces to bounce the light to the eyepiece This produces an image that is right side up but reversed from left to right i e reversed This is normal for the Maksutov Cassegrain design JUN Californi y UL LESK302 SOEX Fig 6 2a Actual image Fig 6 2b Reversed from left to orientation as seen with the right as viewed through the unaided eye eyepiece 24 Focusing The NexStar s focusing mechanism controls the primary mirror which is mounted on a ring that slides back and forth on the primary baffle tube The focusing knob which moves the primary mirror is on the rear cell of the telescope just below the star diagonal and eyepiece Turn the focusing knob until the image is sharp If the knob will not turn it has reached the end of its travel on the focusing mechanism Turn the knob in the opposite direction until the image is sharp Once an image is in focus turn the knob clockwise to focus on a closer object and counterclockwise for a more distant object A single turn of the focusing knob moves the primary mirror only slightly Therefore it will take many turns about 25 to go from close focus approximately 20 feet to infinity For astronomical viewing out of focus star images are very diffuse making them difficult to see If you turn the focus knob too guickly you can go right through focus without seeing the image To avoid this problem your first astronomical target should be a bright object
17. so that an object will move in the appropriate direction when looking into the eyepiece i e pressing the right arrow button will move the star towards the right in the field of view of the eyepiece However if any of the slower slew rates rate 6 and below are used to center an object in the Star Pointer you may need to press the opposite directional button to make the telescope move in the correct direction Nine available slew speeds Setup Procedures The NexStar contains many user defined setup functions designed to give the user control over the telescope s many advanced features All of the setup and utility features can be accessed by pressing the MENU key and scrolling through the options Tracking Mode Once the NexStar is aligned the tracking motors will automatically turn on and begin tracking the sky However the tracking can be turned off for terrestrial use Alt Az This is the default tracking rate and is used when the telescope is placed on a flat surface or tripod without the use of an equatorial wedge The telescope must be aligned with two stars before it can track in Alt Az EQ North Used to track the sky when the telescope is polar aligned using an equatorial wedge in the Northern Hemisphere EQ South Used to track the sky when the telescope is polar aligned using an equatorial wedge in the Southern Hemisphere Off When using the telescope for terrestrial land observation the tracking can be turned off so tha
18. the exposure length manually You also need a cable release with a locking function to hold the shutter open while you do other things Mechanical and air release models are available Attaching a Camera to the NexStar The NexStar 4 has a special adaptor port located on the back of the rear cell to connect a 35mm camera body Attaching a camera to the NexStar requires the use of the optional T adapter 93635 A and a T ring specific to the brand of camera being used To attach the photographic accessories Camera Body 1 Remove the screw on cover from the photo adaptor port on the rear cell 2 Thread the T adapter securely onto the photo adapter port 3 Thread the T ring onto the exposed end of the T adapter 4 Remove any lens from the body of your camera 5 Attach the camera body to the T ring by aligning the red dot on the side of the T ring with the dot on the camera body and twisting Before attempting photography through your NexStar make T Adapter sure that the flip mirror is in the down position This will allow the light path to go straight through the optical tube and pass directly into the camera 30 Finding the North Celestial Pole In each hemisphere there is a point in the sky around which all the other stars appear to rotate These points are called the celestial poles and are named for the hemisphere in which they reside For example in the northern hemisphere all stars move around the north cele
19. Although this is the maximum useful magnification most observing is done in the range of 20 to 35 power for every inch of aperture which is 80 to 140 times for the NexStar telescope Determining Field of View Determining the field of view is important if you want to get an idea of the angular size of the object you are observing To calculate the actual field of view divide the apparent field of the eyepiece supplied by the eyepiece manufacturer by the magnification In equation format the formula looks like this Apparent Field of Eyepiece True Field Magnification As you can see before determining the field of view you must calculate the magnification Using the example in the previous section we can determine the field of view using the same 25mm eyepiece The 25mm eyepiece has an apparent field of view of 52 Divide the 52 by the magnification which is 52 power This yields an actual field of view of 1 07 To convert degrees to feet at 1 000 yards which is more useful for terrestrial observing simply multiply by 52 5 Continuing with our example multiply the angular field 1 0 by 52 5 This produces a linear field width of 52 5 feet at a distance of one thousand yards The apparent field of each eyepiece that Celestron manufactures is found in the Celestron Accessory Catalog 93685 25 General Observing Hints When working with any optical instrument there are a few things to remember to ensure you get the best pos
20. Earth rotates beneath them The NexStar HC is fully upgradeable and can be equipped with the optional NexStar Hand Control with a database of over 4 000 objects see the Optional Accessories section of this manual Figure 4 1 The NexStar HC Hand Control The Hand Control The NexStar HC has a removable hand control that gives the user quick access to all the motion controls the NexStar HC offers Below is a brief description of the individual components of the NexStar HC hand controller l Star Key Activation Light Indicates that the Star button has been pressed and the utility functions on the hand control are active 2 Direction Buttons Allows complete control of the NexStar in any direction Use the direction keys to move the telescope from object to object or for centering objects in the eyepiece 3 Rate Instantly changes the rate of speed of the motors when the direction buttons are pressed Press this button repeatedly to cycle through the speeds of the motors 12 4 Star Key Gives the user access to the utility functions of the hand control such as changing the direction of the arrow keys and backlash compensation 5 Hand Control Slew Rate Indicator Lights Displays the speed at which the telescope will move when each direction button is pressed Rate Button Pressing the RATE key 3 allows you to instantly change the speed rate of the motors from high speed slew rate to precise centering rate or two speeds in be
21. NTER 5 The hand control will now say Recycle Power Re start the power to the telescope to save the changes The telescope will now recognize your NexStar model as long as the custom setting is not changed Celestron International Technical Support Department 2835 Columbia Street Torrance CA 90503 310 328 9560 310 212 5835 Fax Monday Friday 8am 4pm PST 11 00
22. RS 232 communication port capable of interfacing with popular astronomy software Moon Filter 94119 A Celestron s Moon Filter is an economical eyepiece filter for reducing the brightness of the moon and improving contrast so greater detail can be observed on the lunar surface The clear aperture is 21mm and the transmission is about 1890 Planisphere 93720 A simple and inexpensive tool for all levels of observers from naked eye viewers to users of highly sophisticated telescopes The Celestron Planisphere makes it easy to locate stars for observing and is a great planet finder as well A map of the night sky oriented by month and day rotates within a depiction of the 24 hours of the day to display exactly which stars and planets will be visible at any given time Ingeniously simple to use yet quite effective Made of durable materials and coated for added protection Celestron Planispheres come in three different models to match the latitude from which you re observing For 20 to 40 of latitude 93720 30 For 30 to 50 of latitude 93720 40 For 40 to 60 of latitude 93720 50 Polarizing Filter Set 93608 The polarizing filter set limits the transmission of light to a specific plane thus increasing contrast between various objects This is used primarily for terrestrial lunar and planetary observing Sky Maps 93722 Celestron Sky Maps are the ideal teaching guide for learning the night sky You wouldn t set off on
23. SCLAIMS ANY WARRANTIES EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WHETHER OF MERCHANTABILITY OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR USE EXCEPT AS EXPRESSLY SET FORTH HEREIN THE SOLE OBLIGATION OF CI UNDER THIS LIMITED WARRANTY SHALL BE TO REPAIR OR REPLACE THE COVERED PRODUCT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TERMS SET FORTH HEREIN CI EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY LOST PROFITS GENERAL SPECIAL INDIRECT OR CONSEOUENTIAL DAMAGES WHICH MAY RESULT FROM BREACH OF ANY WARRANTY OR ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE ANY CI PRODUCT ANY WARRANTIES WHICH ARE IMPLIED AND WHICH CANNOT BE DISCLAIMED SHALL BE LIMITED IN DURATION TO A TERM OF ONE YEAR FROM THE DATE OF ORIGINAL RETAIL PURCHASE Some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or conseguential damages or limitation on how long an implied warranty lasts so the above limitations and exclusions may not apply to you This warranty gives you specific legal rights and you may also have other rights which vary from state to state CI reserves the right to modify or discontinue without prior notice to you any model or style telescope If warranty problems arise or if you need assistance in using your telescope contact Celestron International Customer Service Department 2835 Columbia Street Torrance CA 90503 Tel 310 328 9560 Fax 310 212 5835 Monday Friday SAM 4PM PST This warranty supersedes all other product warranties This warranty is valid to U S A and Canadian customers who have purchased this produc
24. Star Winter Figure 7 5 The position of the Big Dipper changes throughout the year and the night The north celestial pole is the point in the northern hemisphere around which all stars appear to rotate The counterpart in the southern hemisphere is referred to as the south celestial pole Little Dipper Cassiopela N C P Polaris e North Star Figure 7 6 The two stars in the front of the bowl of the Big Dipper point to Polaris which is less than one degree from the true north celestial pole Cassiopeia the W shaped constellation is on the opposite side of the pole from the Big Dipper The North Celestial Pole N C P is marked by the sign 31 e CELESTRON Celestial Observing With your telescope set up you are ready to use it for observing This section covers visual observing hints for both solar system and deep sky objects as well as general observing conditions which will affect your ability to observe Observing the Moon Often it is tempting to look at the Moon when it is full At this time the face we see is fully illuminated and its light can be overpowering In addition little or no contrast can be seen during this phase m to One of the best times to observe the Moon is during its partial phases i i around the time of first or third quarter Long shadows reveal a great amount of detail on the lunar surface At low power you will be able to see most of the lu
25. aee ev p dr ed SS 32 OBSERVING THE PLANETS i i 22526 4 tert RE Siena i d Ert deep e ER Es Ra te boy 32 OBSERVING THE SUN 5 2 iia aia EDS Rd taedet 33 OBSERVING DEEP SKY OBJECTS 5 4 iie ridet eerte e tbe speciei be eot eet etude ink Ense 33 SEEING CONDITIONS Sii Sa ERR RE Deest GY RG tele tee AER DG ects 33 Tr nsparencys ess co vetere tiu get ties eg aia viia ve cete mote c ee 33 MISIT MUI Em 33 NU p CE 34 TELESCOPE MAINTENANCE ee eev tereti opas bee eot e epe deae rh Gt Uo ee e epu abe dee ra DR e e Uo eene eaae tae tore erae pue Ue eU io 35 CARE AND CLEANING OF THE OPTICS esses eene nenne mene tene tentent reete rn nera enn eene nenne 35 OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES 5 ueteri eoe ito da cep theo etes Nae REN Saee YR epa eb aee a EARN eee S Pa S era SUN eee obe eee RA PER UNO 36 APPENDIX A TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS cs s0s000ss0nssonssosssnsennssnnssnsssnnssnnssnnssnssonssonssnssnnnennn 39 APPENDIX B GLOSSARY OF TERMS rssssssossnessonssonssnssonssonssnnssnnennnennnsnnnsnnnsnnssnnssnnssnssonssonssnnsnnnennn 40 APPENDIX C MAPS OF TIME ZONES csssssosssossonssonssnnsonssonssnnssnnsnnnennssnnnsnsnsnnssnnssnnssnssonssonssnnssnnenen 43 SKY MARS FT E CR AA RR SH 45 iii B rEIESIRDI DU TEE Introduction Congratulations on your purchase of the Celestron NexStar The NexStar ushers in a whole new generation of computer automated technology Simple and friendly to use the NexStar is up and running a
26. base by saving its right ascension and declination in the sky This way the same object can be found each time the telescope is aligned Once a desired object is centered in the eyepiece simply scroll to the Save Sky 0bj command and press ENTER The display will ask you to enter a number between 1 9 to identify the object Press ENTER again to save this object to the database The NexStar can also be used as a spotting scope on terrestrial objects Fixed land objects can be stored by saving their altitude and azimuth relative to the location of the telescope at the time of observing Since these objects are relative to the location of the telescope they are only valid for that exact location To save land objects once again center the desired object in the eyepiece Scroll down to the Save Land 0bj command and press ENTER The display will ask you to enter a number between 1 9 to identify the object Press ENTER again to save this object to the database To go to any of the user defined sky objects stored in the database scroll down to GoTo Sky 0bj and enter the number of the object you wish to select and press ENTER NexStar will automatically retrieve the coordinates and slew to the object GoTo Land Object To go to any of the user defined land objects stored in the database scroll down to GoTo Land 0bj and enter the number of the object you wish to select and press ENTER NexStar will automatically retrieve the coordinates and slew t
27. cription of all Celestron accessories can be found in the Celestron Accessory Catalog 93685 38 Appendix A Technical Specifications Oplical Specilication Maksutov Cassegrain Catadioptric 4 inches 102mm Focal Length 52 inches 1325mm F ratio of the Optical System Primary Mirror Diameter Coatings Secondary Mirror Spot Size Secondary Obstruction Corrector Plate Material Coatings Highest Useful Magnification 102mm Multi layer coating process 1 25 34 4 by diameter 11 by area BK 7 Optical Glass A R Coatings both sides 240x 6mm eyepiece Lowest Useful Magnification 7mm exit pupil 15x 80mm eyepiece Resolution Rayleigh Criterion Dawes Limit Photographic Resolution 1 36 arc seconds 1 14 arc seconds 140 lines mm Light Gathering Power 212x unaided eye Near Focus standard eyepiece or camera Field of View Standard Eyepiece 35mm Camera 1 0 1 51 x 1 04 Linear Field of View at 1000 yds 52 5 feet Magnification Standard Eyepiece Camera 55x 27x Optical Tube Length 13 5 inches Weight of Telescope 11 Lbs Electronic Specifications Input Voltage Maximum Minimum 12 V DC Nominal 18 V DC Max 8 V DC Min Batteries Required 8 AA Alkaline Power Supply Requirements 12 VDC 750 mA Tip positive Mechanical Specifications Motor Type DC Servo motors with encoders both axes Resolution 26 arc sec Slew speeds Nine slew speeds 4 sec 2
28. der Once finished slewing the display will ask you to use the arrow buttons to align the selected star with the red dot in the center of the Star Pointer s field of view If for some reason the chosen star is not visible perhaps behind a tree or building you can press UNDO to select and slew to a different star Once centered in the finder press ENTER The display will then instruct you to center the star in the field of view of the eyepiece When the star is centered press ALIGN to accept this star as your first alignment star There is no need to adjust the slewing rate of the motors after each alignment step The NexStar automatically selects the best slewing rate for aligning objects in both the Star Pointer and the eyepiece After the first alignment star has been entered the NexStar will automatically slew to a second alignment star and have you repeat this procedure for that star When the telescope has been aligned to both stars the display will read Alignment Successful and you are now ready to find your first object If the wrong star was centered and aligned to the NexStar display will read Bad Alignment Should this occur the display will automatically ask you to re center the last alignment star and press ALIGN If you believe that the wrong star may have been centered remember the alignment star will always be the brightest star nearest the field of view of the finder then re center the star and press ALIGN If you wish to try aligni
29. e Earth the angle of the axis must be egual to the observer s latitude 40 F Focal length J Jovian Planets K Kuiper Belt L Light Year ly M Magnitude Meridian Messier N Nebula North Celestial Pole Nova O Open Cluster P Parallax Parfocal Parsec Point Source R Reflector The distance between a lens or mirror and the point at which the image of an object at infinity is brought to focus The focal length divided by the aperture of the mirror or lens is termed the focal ratio Any of the four gas giant planets that are at a greater distance form the sun than the terrestrial planets A region beyond the orbit of Neptune extending to about 1000 AU which is a source of many short period comets A light year is the distance light traverses in a vacuum in one year at the speed of 299 792 km sec With 31 557 600 seconds in a year the light year eguals a distance of 9 46 X 1 trillion km 5 87 X 1 trillion mi Magnitude is a measure of the brightness of a celestial body The brightest stars are assigned magnitude 1 and those increasingly fainter from 2 down to magnitude 5 The faintest star that can be seen without a telescope is about magnitude 6 Each magnitude step corresponds to a ratio of 2 5 in brightness Thus a star of magnitude 1 is 2 5 times brighter than a star of magnitude 2 and 100 times brighter than a magnitude 5 star The brightest star Sirius has an apparent magnitud
30. e North Pole To accomplish fork arm which should be pointed to Polaris this when asked for your locations latitude input the number 89 89 for observing in the southern hemisphere When asked for longitude input the longitude for your current location A list of longitudes and latitudes can be obtained in most Atlases or on the Celestron web site You will probably want to save this location in the database if you will be observing often from an equatorial wedge 29 3 Once complete the NexStar will automatically slew to the first alignment star If the star that is chosen is in the north it may be below the horizon If so abort the slew by pressing any of the arrow direction buttons before the telescope tube comes into contact with the base Press the UNDO button to select an alignment star that is above the horizon Use the hand control to center the alignment star with the Star Pointer and press ENTER then center the star in the eyepiece and press ALIGN Repeat this step with the second alignment star For complete AutoAlign procedures see NexStar GT section of this manual 4 Now that the NexStar is polar aligned switch the tracking mode to EQ North This will turn off the altitude motor and allow the Azimuth motor to track like a right ascension tracking motor To switch to EO North tracking press the MENU button and press ENTER at the Tracking Mode sub menu Use the scroll buttons to select EO North and press ENTER Photogra
31. e Sun and moon Stars A compiled list of the brightest stars from the SAO catalog List For quick access all of the best and most popular objects in the NexStar database have been broken down into lists based on their type and or common name Alignment Stars Common name listing of the brightest stars in the sky Named Objects Alphabetical listing of over 50 of the most popular deep sky objects Double Stars Numeric alphabetical listing of the most visually stunning double triple and guadruple stars in the sky Variable Stars Select list of the brightest variable stars with the shortest period of changing magnitude Asterisms A unigue list of some of the most recognizable star patterns in the sky 5 Info Displays coordinates and useful information about objects selected from the NexStar database 6 Tour Activates the tour mode which seeks out all the best objects for a given month and automatically slews the NexStar to those objects 7 Enter Pressing Enter allows you to selects any of the NexStar functions and accept entered parameters 8 Undo Undo will take you out of the current menu and display the previous level of the menu path Press Undo repeatedly to get back to a main menu or use it to erase data entered by mistake 9 Menu Displays the many setup and utilities functions such as tracking rate and user defined objects and many others 10 Scroll Keys Used to scroll up and down within any of the menu lists Usin
32. e of 1 6 the full moon is 12 7 and the Sun s brightness expressed on a magnitude scale is 26 78 The zero point of the apparent magnitude scale is arbitrary A reference line in the sky that starts at the North celestial pole and ends at the South celestial pole and passes through the zenith If you are facing South the meridian starts from your Southern horizon and passes directly overhead to the North celestial pole A French astronomer in the late 1700 s who was primarily looking for comets Comets are hazy diffuse objects and so Messier cataloged objects that were not comets to help his search This catalog became the Messier Catalog M1 through M110 Interstellar cloud of gas and dust Also refers to any celestial object that has a cloudy appearance The point in the Northern hemisphere around which all the stars appear to rotate This is caused by the fact that the Earth is rotating on an axis that passes through the North and South celestial poles The star Polaris lies less than a degree from this point and is therefore referred to as the Pole Star Although Latin for new it denotes a star that suddenly becomes explosively bright at the end of its life cycle One of the groupings of stars that are concentrated along the plane of the Milky Way Most have an asymmetrical appearance and are loosely assembled They contain from a dozen to many hundreds of stars Parallax is the difference in the apparent position of an object again
33. ed to the fork The hand control attaches to the fork arm by resting on two posts located on the bottom of the hand control cradle and a clip inside the fork arm To remove the hand control from the fork arm cradle gently lift the hand control upwards and pull out To return the hand control into the fork arm lower the hand control into the cradle so that the two holes in the bottom of the hand control go over the posts on the bottom of the cradle and the opening in the back of the hand control slides over the clip inside the fork arm Once the telescope is powered up the hand control can be used to move the optical tube in altitude up and down and azimuth side to side Press UNDO for GT model only This will bypass the normal alignment procedures and will still allow you to control the telescope 9 Use the Up arrow directional button to move the telescope tube until it is roughly parallel to the ground This will make it more convenient to attach the necessary accessories as well as remove the front lens cover and install batteries when they are needed You are now ready to attach the included visual accessories onto the telescope optical tube The Eyepiece The eyepiece or ocular is the optical element that magnifies the image focused by the telescope The NexStar 4 has an internal diagonal mirror that diverts light to the eyepiece barrel on top of the telescope s rear cell The eyepiece fits into the barrel built in to
34. elect your NexStar from a list of different models If for some reason the incorrect model was selected the Model Select utility feature allows you to re select the proper NexStar model from the displayed list Once the correct NexStar model has been selected the power needs to be restarted before beginning the alignment procedure NOTE If your hand control has been pre set at the factory it will say NexStar Ready Custom when first turned on Do not use the Model Select feature to change the model type doing so may alter the telescope s pointing accuracy 22 TRACKING MODE ALT AZ EQ NORTH EO SOUTH OFF TRACKING RATE SIDEREAL SOLAR LUNAR KING GET ALT AZ GET RA DEC GOTO ALT AZ GOTO RA DEC USER OBJECTS GOTO SKY OBJECT GOTO LAND OBJECT SAVE SKY OBJECT SAVE LAND OBJECT CORD WRAP POWER CORD BATTERY AZM BACKLASH ALT BACKLASH MODEL SELECT Custom NexStar 60 NexStar 70 NexStar 80 NexStar 114 NexStar 4 NexStar Ready ALIGNMENT AUTO ALIGN NORTH amp LEVEL ENTER DATE ENTER TIME SELECT METHOD CHOOSE CITY UNITED STATES Choose State Choose City INTERNATIONAL Choose Country Choose City USER DEFINED CHOOSE CITY SELECT LOCATION ENTER LONG LAT NexStar Menu Tree The following figure is a menu tree showing the sub menus associated with the primary command functions 23 NAMED STARS NAMED OBJECTS DOUBLE STARS VARIABLE STARS ASTERISMS TOUR PLANETS e IE ESYROyW Tel
35. ent by how long it takes for a star to move in the eyepiece when the hand control arrow buttons are pressed especially when changing directions The NexStar s anti backlash features allows the user to compensate for backlash by inputting a value which guickly rewinds the motors just enough to eliminate the play between gears The amount of compensation needed depends on the slewing rate selected the slower the slewing rate the longer it will take for the star to appear to move in the eyepiece Therefore the anti backlash compensation will have to be set higher You will need to experiment with different values a value between 20 and 50 is usually best for most visual observing whereas a higher value may be necessary for photographic guiding To set the anti backlash value scroll down to the Azm Backlash or Alt Backlash and press ENTER Enter a value Observing from 0 100 for both azimuth and altitude and press ENTER after each one to save these values NexStar will remember Tip these values and use them each time it is turned on until they are changed For the best possible pointing accuracy always center the alignment stars using the up arrow button and the right arrow button Approaching the star from this direction when looking through the eyepiece will eliminate much of the backlash between the gears and assure the most accurate alignment possible Model Select When the NexStar is first powered on the hand control display allows you to s
36. ent only needs to be approximate however a close alignment will make the auto alignment more accurate Once the telescope is in the north and level position press ENTER 4 The hand control display will then ask for the following information Date Enter the month day and year of your observing session The display will read mm dd yy Time Enter the current local time for your area and select PM or AM e Choose between Standard time or Daylight Savings time Use the Up and Down scroll buttons 10 to toggle between options e Select the time zone that you are observing from Again use the Up and Down buttons 10 to scroll through the choices To enter a numeric time zone select Zone and enter the number for the appropriate time zone For time zone information refer to the Time Zone map in the appendix of this manual Finally you must enter the location of your observing site The NexStar will display a list of cities to choose from Choose the city from the database that is closest to your current observing site The city you choose can be saved in the hand controls memory so that it only has to be entered once from any given location Alternatively if you know the exact longitude and latitude of your observing site it can be entered directly into the hand control and remembered for future use as well To choose a location city 1l When Select Method is displayed on the hand control screen use the Up and Down scroll keys to select Cho
37. escope Basics A telescope is an instrument that collects and focuses light The nature of the optical design determines how the light is focused Some telescopes known as refractors use lenses Other telescopes known as reflectors use mirrors The Maksutov Cassegrain optical system uses a combination of mirrors and lenses and is referred to as a compound or catadioptric telescope This unique design offers large diameter optics while maintaining very short tube lengths making them extremely portable The Maksutov Cassegrain system consists of a corrector plate a spherical primary mirror and a secondary mirror spot Once light rays enter the optical system they travel the length of the optical tube three times INCOMING MAKSUTOV LIGHT CORRECTOR PRIMARY MIRROR FOCAL PLANE 7 SECONDARY SPOT INCOMING LIGHT Figure 6 1 A cutaway view of the light path of the Maksutov Cassegrain optical design The optics of the NexStar have enhanced multi layer coatings on the primary and secondary mirrors for increased reflectivity and a multi coated corrector for the finest anti reflection characteristics Inside the optical tube a black tube extends out from the center hole in the primary mirror This is the primary baffle tube and it prevents stray light from passing through to the eyepiece or camera Image Orientation The image orientation changes depending on how the eyepiece is inserted into the telescope The NexStar uses three
38. for viewing with an eyepiece and in the down position for taking photographs see Astronomy Basics section of the manual The Star Pointer Finderscope The Star Pointer is the guickest and easiest way to point your telescope exactly at a desired object in the sky It s like having a laser pointer that you can shine directly onto the night sky The Star Pointer is a zero magnification pointing tool that uses a coated glass window to superimpose the image of a small red dot onto the night sky While keeping both eyes open when looking through the Star Pointer simply move your telescope until the red dot seen through the Star Pointer merges with the object as seen with your unaided eye The red dot is produced by a light emitting diode LED it is not a laser beam and will not damage the glass window or your eye The Star Pointer comes eguipped with a variable brightness control two axes alignment control and a guick release dovetail mounting bracket Before the Star Pointer is ready to be used it must be attached to the telescope tube and properly aligned ON OFF Variable Brightness Control Glass Window Azimuth Control Knob Mounting Track Altitude Control Knob N Dovetail Mounting Bracket Figure 3 3 The Star Pointer Finderscope with Mounting Bracket Star Pointer Installation 1 First remove the two 8 32 x 14 screws located on the top portion of the telescope s rear cell 2 Locate the square dove
39. fter locating just two alignment stars It s the perfect combination of power and portability If you are new to astronomy you may wish to start off by using the NexStar s built in Sky Tour feature which commands the NexStar to find the most interesting objects in the sky and automatically slews to each one Or if you are an experienced amateur you will appreciate the comprehensive database of over 4 000 objects including customized lists of all the best deep sky objects bright double stars and variable stars No matter at what level you are starting out the NexStar will unfold for you and your friends all the wonders of the Universe Some of the many standard features of the NexStar include e Incredible 4 second slew speed Fully enclosed motors and optical encoders for position location Integrated hand controller built into the side of the fork arm e Storage for programmable user defined objects and Many other high performance features The NexStar s deluxe features combine with Celestron s legendary optics to give amateur astronomers one of the most sophisticated and easy to use telescopes available on the market today Take time to read through this manual before embarking on your journey through the Universe It may take a few observing sessions to become familiar with your NexStar so you should keep this manual handy until you have fully mastered your telescope s operation The NexStar hand control has built in instructio
40. g these keys will scroll through those sub menus 11 Rate Instantly changes the rate of speed of the motors when the direction buttons are pressed 12 RS 232 Jack Allows you to interface with a computer and control the NexStar remotely Hand Control Operation This section describes the basic hand control procedures needed to operate the NexStar These procedures are grouped into three categories Alignment Setup and Utilities The alignment section deals with the initial telescope alignment as well as finding objects in the sky the setup section discusses changing parameters such as tracking mode and tracking rate finally the last section reviews all of the utilities functions such as cordwrap and backlash compensation The first time that the NexStar is used it will request information to help identify the model of telescope Once initialized powered on the hand control will display the message Select Model Use the Up and Down menu keys 10 to scroll through the different NexStar models Press ENTER when your NexStar model is displayed on the hand control This information will be retained for future use and will not be displayed again Note your hand control may have been pre set at the factory to operate with your NexStar model If so there will be an addendum packaged with the hand control If your hand control has been pre set the display will read NexStar Ready Custom and you can simply press ENTER and continue to follow the Au
41. ht blue 96 neutral density 2590T 96 neutral density 1390T and polarizing These and other filters are also sold in sets Night Vision Flashlight 93588 Celestron s premium model for astronomy using two red LED s to preserve night vision better than red filters or other devices Brightness is adjustable Operates on a single 9 volt battery included Red Astro Lite 93590 An economical sgueeze type flashlight fitted with a red cap to help preserve your night vision Remove the red cap for normal flashlight operation Very compact size and handy key chain Light Pollution Reduction LPR Filter These filters are designed to enhance your views of deep sky astronomical objects when viewed from urban areas LPR Filters selectively reduce the transmission of certain wavelengths of light specifically those produced by artificial lights This includes mercury and high and low pressure sodium vapor lights In addition they also block unwanted natural light sky glow caused by neutral oxygen emission in our atmosphere Celestron offers a model for 1 1 4 eyepieces 94126A Hand Control Upgrade 93961 Plugs into your NexStar HC to give you instant access to over 4 000 celestial objects Combined with your telescope s built in slew motors your NexStar will have the ability to automatically find all the Messier objects dozens of double stars and all the planets at a touch of a button Hand control comes with built in
42. inimum detectable angle an optical system can detect Because of diffraction there is a limit to the minimum angle resolution The larger the aperture the better the resolution The angular distance of a celestial object measured in hours minutes and seconds along the Celestial Equator eastward from the Vernal Equinox This is the angular speed at which the Earth is rotating Telescope tracking motors drive the telescope at this rate The rate is 15 arc seconds per second or 15 degrees per hour The boundary line between the light and dark portion of the moon or a planet The totality of astronomical things events relations and energies capable of being described objectively A star whose brightness varies over time due to either inherent properties of the star or something eclipsing or obscuring the brightness of the star The period of the moon s cycle between full and new when its illuminated portion is decreasing The period of the moon s cycle between new and full when its illuminated portion is increasing The point on the Celestial Sphere directly above the observer The zodiac is the portion of the Celestial Sphere that lies within 8 degrees on either side of the Ecliptic The apparent paths of the Sun the Moon and the planets with the exception of some portions of the path of Pluto lie within this band Twelve divisions or signs each 30 degrees in width comprise the zodiac These signs coincided with the zodiacal conste
43. ion on the night sky and polar alignment The Celestial Coordinate System To help find objects in the sky astronomers use a celestial coordinate system that is similar to our geographical coordinate system here on Earth The celestial coordinate system has poles lines of longitude and latitude and an equator For the most part these remain fixed against the background stars The celestial equator runs 360 degrees around the Earth and separates the northern celestial hemisphere from the southern Like the Earth s equator it bears a reading of zero degrees On Earth this would be latitude However in the sky this is referred to as declination or DEC for short Lines of declination are named for their angular distance above and below the celestial equator The lines are broken down into degrees minutes of arc and seconds of arc Declination readings south of the equator carry a minus sign in front of the coordinate and those north of the celestial eguator are either blank i e no designation or preceded by a plus sign The celestial equivalent of longitude is called Right Ascension or R A for short Like the Earth s lines of longitude they run from pole to pole and are evenly spaced 15 degrees apart Although the longitude lines are separated by an angular distance they are also a measure of time Each line of longitude is one hour apart from the next Since the Earth rotates once every 24 hours there are 24 lines total As a result
44. like the Moon or a planet so that the image is visible even when out of focus Critical Figure 6 3 focusing is best accomplished when the focusing knob is turned in such a manner that the The emblem on the end of mirror moves against the pull of gravity In doing so any mirror shift is minimized For the focus knob shows the astronomical observing both visually and photographically this is done by turning the focus correct rotational direction knob counterclockwise for focusing the NexStar Calculating Magnification You can change the power of your telescope just by changing the eyepiece ocular To determine the magnification of your telescope simply divide the focal length of the telescope by the focal length of the eyepiece used In eguation format the formula looks like this Focal Length of Telescope mm Magnification Focal Length of Eyepiece mm Let s say for example you are using the 25mm eyepiece To determine the magnification you simply divide the focal length of your telescope the NexStar has a focal length of 1300mm by the focal length of the eyepiece 25mm Dividing 1300 by 25 yields a magnification of 52 power Although the power is variable each instrument under average skies has a limit to the highest useful magnification The general rule is that 60 power can be used for every inch of aperture For example the NexStar is 4 in diameter Multiplying 4 by 60 gives a maximum useful magnification of 240 power
45. ll concentrate into a single disk and 16 per cent into a system of surrounding rings A telescope mounting using two independent rotation axis allowing movement of the instrument in Altitude and Azimuth In astronomy the altitude of a celestial object is its Angular Distance above or below the celestial horizon the diameter of a telescope s primary lens or mirror the larger the aperture the greater the telescope s light gathering power A measure of the relative brightness of a star or other celestial object as perceived by an observer on Earth A unit of angular size egual to 1 60 of a degree A unit of angular size egual to 1 3 600 of a degree or 1 60 of an arcminute A small unofficial grouping of stars in the night sky A small rocky body that orbits a star The pseudoscientific belief that the positions of stars and planets exert an influence on human affairs astrology has nothing in common with astronomy The distance between the Earth and the Sun It is egual to 149 597 900 km usually rounded off to 150 000 000 km The emission of light when charged particles from the solar wind slams into and excites atoms and molecules in a planet s upper atmosphere The angular distance of an object eastwards along the horizon measured from due north between the astronomical meridian the vertical line passing through the center of the sky and the north and south points on the horizon and the vertical line containing the celestial body
46. llations about 2 000 years ago Because of the Precession of the Earth s axis the Vernal Equinox has moved westward by about 30 degrees since that time the signs have moved with it and thus no longer coincide with the constellations 42 Appendix C Maps of Time Zones Hawaii Alaska Pacific Western Central Eastem U S Time Zones p vere INDIAS AR y eld em PHILIPPINES 4 one woe MALAYSIA N DON SIA Universal 23 Time Time Zones January February Sky Triangulum e Perseus Aries C rater eS TM Hydra I Canis wp 45 March April Sky 46 May June Sky d di Draco D Y Delphinus a Alberio 2 ae M dd SS V d por w uu a er Ne Archi iS OP T y Serpens Ophiuchus CADAU Libra 47 July August Sky 1 Auriga Perseus Polaris Navi Andromeda Cassiopeia i Bootes Arciurys Corona A Borealis Serpens eN caput 5 Ophiuchus E fi S 48 September October Sky 49 November December Sky 5 ya Draco 50 CELESTRON ONE YEAR WARRANTY Celestron International CI warrants this telescope to be free from defects in materials and workmanship for one year CI will repair or replace such product or part thereof which upon inspection by CI is found to be defective in materials or workmanship
47. nar disk at one time Change to higher power magnification to focus in on a smaller area Choose the lunar tracking rate from the NexStar s MENU tracking rate options to keep the moon centered in the eyepiece even at high magnifications Lunar Observing Hints e To increase contrast and bring out detail on the lunar surface use filters A yellow filter works well at improving contrast while a neutral density or polarizing filter will reduce overall surface brightness and glare Observing the Planets Other fascinating targets include the five naked eye planets You can see Venus go through its lunar like phases Mars can reveal a host of surface detail and one if not both of its polar caps You will be able to see the cloud belts of Jupiter and the great Red Spot if it is visible at the time you are observing In addition you will also be able to see the moons of Jupiter as they orbit the giant planet Saturn with its beautiful rings is easily visible at moderate power Planetary Observing Hints e Remember that atmospheric conditions are usually the limiting factor on how much planetary detail will be visible So avoid observing the planets when they are low on the horizon or when they are directly over a source of radiating heat such as a rooftop or chimney See the Seeing Conditions section later in this section e To increase contrast and bring out detail on the planetary surface try using Celestron eyepiece filters 32
48. nditions left to excellent conditions right Most often seeing conditions produce images that lie some where between these two extremes 34 rc term SIRAT Telescope Maintenance While your NexStar telescope requires little maintenance there are a few things to remember that will ensure your telescope performs at its best Care and Cleaning of the Optics Occasionally dust and or moisture may build up on the corrector plate of your telescope Special care should be taken when cleaning any instrument so as not to damage the optics If dust has built up on the corrector plate remove it with a brush made of camel s hair or a can of pressurized air Spray at an angle to the lens for approximately two to four seconds Then use an optical cleaning solution and white tissue paper to remove any remaining debris Apply the solution to the tissue and then apply the tissue paper to the lens Low pressure strokes should go from the center of the corrector to the outer portion Do NOT rub in circles You can use a commercially made lens cleaner or mix your own A good cleaning solution is isopropyl alcohol mixed with distilled water The solution should be 60 isopropyl alcohol and 40 distilled water Or liquid dish soap diluted with water a couple of drops per one guart of water can be used Occasionally you may experience dew build up on the corrector plate of your telescope during an observing session If you want to continue
49. nets and altitude above the horizon will not be displayed unless the telescope is first properly aligned Tour Mode The NexStar includes a tour feature which automatically allows the user to choose from a list of interesting objects based on the month in which you are observing The Tour mode is activated by pressing the TOUR key 6 on the hand control Once activated simply use the scroll keys to select the current month and press ENTER The NexStar will display from a list of the best objects to observe based on the month entered To see information and data about the displayed object press the INFO key e To slew to the object displayed press ENTER Observing Tip 9 To see the next tour object press the Up key When going through any of the object catalogs in the database you can easily find out which objects are above the horizon and visible simply by pressing the INFO button when the desired object is displayed This will display the objects altitude above the horizon based on the date and time entered Pressing the UP button once will display any scrolling text associated with that object The scrolling text can be viewed even if a star alignment has not been performed Direction Buttons The NexStar has four direction buttons in the center of the hand control which control the telescope motion in altitude up and down and azimuth left and right The telescope can be controlled at nine different speed rates Rate Button
50. ng on a different star press UNDO and the NexStar will select two new alignment stars and automatically slew to the first star 17 In order to accurately center the alignment star in the eyepiece it may be necessary to decrease the slew rate of the motors for fine centering This is done by pressing the RATE key 11 on the hand controller then selecting the number that corresponds to the speed you desire 9 fastest 1 slowest Third Star Alignment The NexStar has a third star alignment feature which allows you to replace either of the two original alignment stars with a new star This can be useful in several situations If you are observing over a period of a few hours you may notice that your original two alignment stars have drifted towards the west considerably Remember that the stars are moving at a rate of 15 every hour Aligning on a new star that is in the eastern part of the sky will improve your pointing accuracy especially on objects in that part of the sky O When trying to locate a very faint or small object that may be difficult to find in the eyepiece you can improve your pointing accuracy by aligning to a third star that is nearest to the object you are trying to find To replace an existing alignment star with a new alignment star Locate and center the desired star in the eyepiece Select the centered star from the list of alignment stars in the hand control When the name of the centered star is displa
51. ns to guide you through all the alignment procedures needed to have the telescope up and running in minutes Use this manual in conjunction with the on screen instructions provided by the hand control The manual gives detailed information regarding each step as well as needed reference material and helpful hints guaranteed to make your observing experience as simple and pleasurable as possible Your NexStar telescope is designed to give you years of fun and rewarding observations However there are a few things to consider before using your telescope that will ensure your safety and protect your equipment Warning Q Never look directly at the sun with the naked eye or with a telescope unless you have the proper solar filter Permanent and irreversible eye damage may result O Never use your telescope to project an image of the sun onto any surface Internal heat build up can damage the telescope and any accessories attached to it Q Never use an eyepiece solar filter or a Herschel wedge Internal heat build up inside the telescope can cause these devices to crack or break allowing unfiltered sunlight to pass through to the eye Q Never leave the telescope unsupervised either when children are present or adults who may not be familiar with the correct operating procedures of your telescope e TELESI RHYD Eyepiece StarPointer Quick Setup y Flip Mi DR Focuser Knob Attach the included accessories eyepiece and Star Pointer findersc
52. o the object To replace the contents of any of the user defined objects simply save a new object using one of the existing identification numbers NexStar will replace the previous user defined object with the current one Get RA DEC Displays the right ascension and declination for the current position of the telescope Get Alt Az Displays the relative altitude and azimuth for the current position of the telescope Goto R A Dec Allows you to input a specific R A and declination and slew to it 21 Goto Alt Az Allows you to enter a specific altitude and azimuth position and slew to it Helpful To store a set of coordinates R A Dec permanently into the NexStar database save it as a User Defined Object as described above Utility Features Scrolling through the MENU options will also provide access to several advanced utility functions within the NexStar such as cord wrap and anti backlash Cord Wrap Cord wrap safeguards against the telescope slewing more than 360 in azimuth and wrapping the power cord around the base of the telescope The cord wrap menu has two settings batteries and power cord By default the cord wrap feature is set to batteries when the telescope is powered on If using the NexStar with a AC adapter change the setting to power cord this will activate the cord wrap feature Anti backlash All mechanical gears have a certain amount of backlash or play between the gears This play is evid
53. ope and remove the front lens cover Turn on the Star Pointer by rotating the dial on the side For instructions on aligning the Star Remove the NexStar from its packaging and place Pointer see the Assembly section of the manual the base on a sturdy level surface Remove the accessories from their individual boxes Battery Compartment Cover A Rotate the tube so it is level with the ground Lift the battery compartment cover to install batteries Power the NexStar using the switch next to the 12v Once powered on the display will read NexStar Ready outlet at the base of the fork arm Press ENTER to AutoAlign the NexStar The hand control display will ask you to move the telescope tube so that it is level with the ground and facing the north horizon Use the UP and Down arrow buttons to position the telescope North and level See Astronomy Basics for help on finding North The first time the NexStar is powered on you may be prompted to select your telescope model If so see the section on hand control operation for instruction NexStar Direction Buttons Up and Down Scroll Buttons Input the necessary date and time information as instructed by the hand control Press ENTER after each entry The NexStar will also ask for time zone and location information Use the UP and Down scroll buttons to select from the various options pressing ENTER after each selection See Hand Control section for detailed alignment proced
54. or seen in long exposure photographs Instead they appear black and white And because of their low surface brightness they should be observed from a dark sky location Light pollution around large urban areas washes out most nebulae making them difficult if not impossible to observe Light Pollution Reduction filters help reduce the background sky brightness thus increasing contrast Seeing Conditions Viewing conditions affect what you can see through your telescope during an observing session Conditions include transparency sky illumination and seeing Understanding viewing conditions and the effect they have on observing will help you get the most out of your telescope Transparency Transparency is the clarity of the atmosphere which is affected by clouds moisture and other airborne particles Thick cumulus clouds are completely opague while cirrus can be thin allowing the light from the brightest stars through Hazy skies absorb more light than clear skies making fainter objects harder to see and reducing contrast on brighter objects Aerosols ejected into the upper atmosphere from volcanic eruptions also affect transparency Ideal conditions are when the night sky is inky black Sky lllumination General sky brightening caused by the Moon aurorae natural airglow and light pollution greatly affect transparency While not a problem for the brighter stars and planets bright skies reduce the contrast of extended nebulae making them
55. or slow down the initial speed of the azimuth motors when the arrow buttons are pressed For example if it takes a star too long to move in the eyepiece when the hand control arrow buttons are pressed then press the Right arrow button to speed up the initial motor speed The buttons can be pressed repeatedly to increase the initial motor speed even more 13 3 Use the UP and Down arrow keys to speed up or slow down the initial speed of the altitude motors when the arrow buttons are pressed 4 Press the STAR key on the hand control again to activate the direction buttons again GuideStar Software The NexStar HC has an RS 232 port on the back of the hand control allowing it to be controlled using the GuideStar telescope control software Linking the NexStar to a computer requires the use of a RS 232 cable Connect the phone jack connector to the RS 232 port in the hand control and the 9 pin connector to the back of your computer Once connected install the GuideStar CD ROM onto your computer and follow the on screen instruction The GuideStar software gives you all the Go To features of the NexStar GT hand control including a 4 000 object database AutoAlign based on date and location and helpful information for hundreds of objects For information on using many of the GuideStar features refer to the AutoAlign instructions in the NexStar GT section of the manual The GuideStar software also has help buttons to explain many of the commonly used
56. ose City if it is not already displayed and press ENTER 24 The hand control will allow you to choose from either U S or international locations For a listing of U S locations by state and then by city press ENTER while United States is displayed For international locations use the Up or Down scroll key to select International and press ENTER 3 To display a list of local cities first select your state from the alphabetical listing or a list of countries if International locations was selected and press ENTER 4 Choose the closest city to your location from the displayed list and press ENTER The display will then ask if you would like to save this city for future use If you press Yes the next time you AutoAlign the telescope you can select User Defined instead of the Choose City When User Defined is selected the hand control will allow you to choose from either the location cities that were saved or any individual longitude latitude that was saved Use the UP and DOWN arrow keys to scroll through the stored cities when the desired city is displayed press ENTER For saved locations longitudes latitudes enter the number 1 9 of the location coordinates that were saved Based on this information the NexStar will automatically select a bright star that is above the horizon and slew towards it At this point the telescope is only roughly aligned so the alignment star should only be close to the field of view of the Star Pointer fin
57. phy with the NexStar 4 After looking at the night sky for a while you may want to try photographing it In addition to the specific accessories reguired for celestial photography there is the need for a camera but not just any camera The camera does not have to have many of the features offered on today s state of the art eguipment For example you don t need auto focus capability or mirror lock up Here are the mandatory features a camera needs for celestial photography First a B setting which allows for time exposures This excludes point and shoot cameras and limits the selection to SLR cameras the most common type of 35mm camera on the market today Second the B or manual setting should NOT run off the battery Many new electronic cameras use the battery to keep the shutter open during time exposures Once the batteries are drained usually after a few minutes the shutter closes whether you were finished with the exposure or not Look for a camera that has a manual shutter when operating in the time exposure mode Olympus Nikon Minolta Pentax Canon and others have made such camera bodies The camera must have interchangeable lenses so you can attach it to the telescope and so you can use a variety of lenses for piggyback photography If you can t find a new camera you can purchase a used camera body that is not 100 percent functional The light meter for example does not have to be operational since you will be determining
58. piece in the main telescope 10 3 With both eyes open look through the glass window at the alignment star 4 Ifthe Star Pointer is perfectly aligned you will see the red LED dot overlap the alignment star If the Star Pointer is not aligned take notice of where the red dot is relative to the bright star 5 Without moving the main telescope turn the Star Pointer s azimuth and altitude alignment controls until the red dot is directly over the alignment star If the LED dot is brighter than the alignment star it may make it difficult to see the star Turn the variable brightness control counterclockwise until the red dot is the same brightness as the alignment star This will make it easier to get an accurate alignment The Star Pointer is now ready to be used Remember to remove the plastic cover over the battery and always turn the power off after you have found an object This will extend the life of both the battery and the LED 11 CN LELESVATNT NexStar HC The NexStar 4 HC telescope is a precision scientific instrument that will allow you to enjoy viewing numerous objects in the night sky planets nebulae star clusters galaxies and more Equipped with high speed motors and hand control the NexStar HC allows you to remotely move your telescope to desired objects quickly and accurately At a touch of a button you can slew your telescope across the sky in a matter of seconds and continuously track objects as the
59. ripod Celestron also offers a steel tripod with an attached wedge tilt plate 93497 This allows the telescope s tracking motors to rotate the telescope around the celestial pole the same way as the stars Without the equatorial wedge you would notice the stars in the eyepiece would slowly rotate around the center of the field of view Although this gradual rotation would go unnoticed when viewing with an eyepiece it would be very noticeable on film Polar alignment is the process by which the telescope s axis of rotation called the polar axis is aligned made parallel with the Earth s axis of rotation Once aligned a telescope with a clock drive will track the stars as they move across the sky The result is that objects observed through the telescope appear stationary i e they will not drift out of the field of view If not using the clock drive all objects in the sky day or night will slowly drift out of the field This motion is caused by the Earth s rotation Remember whenever attaching the NexStar to the NexStar tripod or wedge always use the bolts that come with the accessory Never use bolts that thread more than 3 8 into the bottom of the NexStar base Threading bolts more than 3 8 into the base will damage the internal gears Whether you are using your NexStar in the Alt Az configuration or polar aligned it will be necessary to locate where north is and more specifically where the North Star is The polar axis is the axis
60. sible image Never look through window glass Glass found in household windows is optically imperfect and as a result may vary in thickness from one part of a window to the next This inconsistency can and will affect the ability to focus your telescope In most cases you will not be able to achieve a truly sharp image while in some cases you may actually see a double image Never look across or over objects that are producing heat waves This includes asphalt parking lots on hot summer days or building rooftops Hazy skies fog and mist can also make it difficult to focus when viewing terrestrially The amount of detail seen under these conditions is greatly reduced Also when photographing under these conditions the processed film may come out a little grainier than normal with lower contrast and underexposed If you wear corrective lenses specifically glasses you may want to remove them when observing with an eyepiece attached to the telescope When using a camera however you should always wear corrective lenses to ensure the sharpest possible focus If you have astigmatism corrective lenses must be worn at all times 26 ELESTADI Astronomy Basics Up to this point this manual covered the assembly and basic operation of your NexStar telescope However to understand your telescope more thoroughly you need to know a little about the night sky This section deals with observational astronomy in general and includes informat
61. st a background when viewed by an observer from two different locations These positions and the actual position of the object form a triangle from which the apex angle the parallax and the distance of the object can be determined if the length of the baseline between the observing positions is known and the angular direction of the object from each position at the ends of the baseline has been measured The traditional method in astronomy of determining the distance to a celestial object is to measure its parallax Refers to a group of eyepieces that all require the same distance from the focal plane of the telescope to be in focus This means when you focus one parfocal eyepiece all the other parfocal eyepieces in a particular line of eyepieces will be in focus The distance at which a star would show parallax of one second of arc It is equal to 3 26 light years 206 265 astronomical units or 30 8000 000 000 000 km Apart from the Sun no star lies within one parsec of us An object which cannot be resolved into an image because it to too far away or too small is considered a point source A planet is far away but it can be resolved as a disk Most stars cannot be resolved as disks they are too far away A telescope in which the light is collected by means of a mirror 41 Resolution Right Ascension RA S Sidereal Rate T Terminator U Universe V Variable Star W Waning Moon Waxing Moon Z Zenith Zodiac The m
62. stial pole When the telescope s polar axis is pointed at the celestial pole it is parallel to the Earth s rotational axis Many methods of polar alignment reguire that you know how to find the celestial pole by identifying stars in the area For those in the northern hemisphere finding the celestial pole is not too difficult Fortunately we have a naked eye star less than a degree away This star Polaris is the end star in the handle of the Little Dipper Since the Little Dipper technically called Ursa Minor is not one of the brightest constellations in the sky it may be difficult to locate from urban areas If this is the DE ME case use the two end stars in the bowl of the Big Dipper the pointer stars Draw an Summer imaginary line through them toward the Little Dipper They point to Polaris see Figure 7 5 The position of the Big Dipper changes during the year and throughout the course of the night see Figure 7 5 When the Big Dipper is low in the sky i e near the horizon it may be difficult to locate During these times look for Cassiopeia see Figure 7 6 Observers in the southern hemisphere are not as fortunate as those in the northern hemisphere The stars around the south celestial pole are not nearly as bright as those around the north The closest star that is relatively bright is Sigma Octantis This star is just within naked eye limit magnitude 5 5 and lies about 59 arc minutes from the pole Spring Polaris North
63. t from an Authorized CI Dealer in the U S A or Canada Warranty outside the U S A and Canada is valid only to customers who purchased from a CI International Distributor or Authorized CI Dealer in the specific country and please contact them for any warranty service 2 CELESTRON Celestron International 2835 Columbia Street Torrance CA 90503 Tel 310 328 9560 Fax 310 212 5835 Web site at http www celestron com Copyright 2000 Celestron International All rights reserved Products or instructions may change without notice or obligation This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rule Operation is subject to the following two conditions 1 This device may not cause harmful interference and 2 This device must accept any interference received including interference that may cause undesired operations 11041 I Printed in China 10 00 10 00 ADDENDUM TO NEXSTAR 4 TELESCOPE MANUAL This document contains useful information about your NexStar 4 telescope that may not have been included in your instruction manual at the time of printing Listed below is information regarding the utility features described under the hand control section of the manual Please refer to this addendum when using your NexStar 4 hand control Demo and Approach Length These features are only used at the factory as diagnostic tools for guality control purposes and although they may appear on the hand control display
64. t the telescope never moves Tracking Rate In addition to being able to move the telescope with the hand control buttons the NexStar will continually track a celestial object as it moves across the night sky The tracking rate can be changed depending on what type of object is being observed 20 User Objects Save Sky Object Save Land Object GoTo Sky Object Sidereal This rate compensates for the rotation of the earth by moving the telescope at the same rate as the rotation of the earth but in the opposite direction When the telescope is polar aligned this can be accomplished by moving the telescope in Right Ascension only When mounted in Alt Az mode the telescope must make corrections in both R A and declination Lunar Used for tracking the moon when observing the lunar landscape Solar Used for tracking the Sun when solar observing using a proper solar filter King As light passes through our atmosphere atmospheric refraction affects the apparent motion of objects across the sky The King rate takes this into account and compensates for the refraction of the atmosphere The NexStar can store up to 20 different user defined objects in its memory The objects can be daytime land objects or an interesting celestial object that you discover that is not included in the regular database There are several ways to save an object to memory depending on what type of object it is The NexStar stores celestial objects to its data
65. tail bracket that has the proper curvature for the NexStar tube and align the holes with the two holes in the telescope body 3 Use the two 8 32 x 14 screws to tighten down the bracket to the rear cell 4 Once the bracket is mounted slide the mounting track at the bottom of the Star Pointer over the dovetail portion of the bracket It may be necessary to loosen the two screws on the side of the mounting track before sliding it over the dovetail The end of the Star Pointer with the glass window should be facing out towards the front of the telescope 5 Tighten the two screws on the side of the mounting track to secure the Star Pointer to the dovetail bracket Star Pointer Operation The star pointer is powered by a long life 3 volt lithium battery 4 CR2032 located underneath the front portion of the Star Pointer Like all finderscopes the Star Pointer must be properly aligned with the main telescope before it can be used This is a simple process using the azimuth and altitude control knobs located on the side and bottom of the Star Pointer The alignment procedure is best done at night since the LED dot will be difficult to see during the day 1 To turn on the Star Pointer rotate the variable brightness control see figure 3 3 clockwise until you here a click To increase the brightness level of the red dot continue rotating the control knob about 180 until it stops 2 Locate a bright star or planet and center it in a low power eye
66. the rear cell To install the eyepiece Loosen the thumbscrew on the eyepiece barrel so it does not obstruct the inner diameter of the barrel Slide the chrome portion of the eyepiece into the eyepiece barrel Tighten the thumbscrew to hold the eyepiece in place To remove the eyepiece loosen the thumbscrew on the star diagonal and slide the eyepiece out Eyepieces are commonly referred to by focal length and barrel diameter The focal length of each eyepiece is printed on the eyepiece barrel The longer the focal length i e the larger the number the lower the eyepiece power or magnification and the shorter the focal length i e the smaller the number the higher the magnification Generally you will use low to moderate power when viewing For more information on how to determine power see the section on Calculating Magnification Eyepiece StarPointer A Wes ro Diagonal Barrel Flip Mirror Control ip Mirror Contro Focuser Knob Figure 3 2 The Rear Cell with Visual Accessories Barrel diameter is the diameter of the barrel that slides into the telescope s eyepiece barrel The NexStar uses eyepieces with a standard 1 1 4 barrel diameter As mentioned the NexStar has an internal flip mirror that can divert light either through the eyepiece barrel at the top of the rear cell or directly through the photographic opening at the back of the rear cell Make sure that the flip mirror is in the up position
67. they can not be accessed by the user Light Control This feature allows some NexStar models to turn off both the red key pad light and LCD display for daytime use and to help preserve your night vision This feature is not activated on the NexStar 4 model Model Select The first time the NexStar is powered on the hand control display allows you to select your NexStar from a list of different models If for some reason the incorrect model was selected the Model Selecf utility feature allows you to reset the hand control to its factory default settings The Model Select feature has a Custom option that allows you to enter the exact encoder gear ratio for your individual NexStar model For best possible pointing accuracy this numeric gear ratio should be entered into the hand control should you ever need to re select the telescope model To enter the custom encoder gear ratio for your NexStar model follow the steps below 1 When the hand control is turned on the display will read NexStar Ready press the UNDO button to by pass the AutoAlign procedure 2 Press the MENU button and use the Up and Down scroll keys until Model Select is displayed on the screen and press ENTER 3 Use the Up and Down scroll keys to select Custom and press ENTER 4 The display will read Azm For the NexStar 4 model enter the number 1059334 and press ENTER Now enter the same number for altitude as you did for azimuth Alt 1059334 and press E
68. ticis ae ea eM 21 Goto RAI DCC scsi a ee i BRE BO Ai BRAC ip BRE cerea 21 COLO IP VER HE reine 22 UTILITY FEATURES in de tto e oet cre NG ii dati i 22 Cord Wr p i utt t eet Y ce FHS CY ec d WY CG WY 22 Antit b cklashza 3 leitete qtedidanameteteuen tenaci iP 22 Model Select NG FU o me 22 Hand Control Command ree re ax TY YF 23 TELESCOPE BASIGS ET 24 IMAGE ORIENTATION n foro teret nn ca WE I EE E ici un asien 24 FOCUSING Anaan aa ser vet es Ran A ertet ave iuo 25 CALCULATING MAGNIFICATION sunshine epe c Yen e YO GYF tata tada 25 DETERMINING FIBED OE VIEW io 8 02 28 cba eere a a EIE Us 25 GENERAL OBSERVING HINTS 2 2 2248 GI b lee e E ene ye eer E eds 26 ASTRONOMY BASICS EL sie ee eon ede A eR eco oe ee eue Fee os da Ue a RH ea eoe Ue nenne 27 THE CELESTIAL COORDINATE SYSTEM ccccccccccssssssssecececcesssssneeeeccesessnsneeesccecensssaseeeceecessessaeeseeecesseenaaees 27 MOTION OF THE STARS anna ln ihn ent voaocea cides desesbeweedincsesdensvorieacducssavencete 28 ii POLAR ALIGNMENT WITH OPTIONAL WEDGE sscccesesseeeessneeeeseceeeessneeccsaeeeessaeeeessauecessnaeeeesenaeeeneaaes 29 Photography with the NexStar 4 e etes ate timete e e i tp een 30 Finding the North Celestial Pole vicio nee e dieit a emt ei 31 CELESTIAL OBSERVING i eee secs eseev eeeo sete en een SWN 88 BONO NGO sosterse sists S6 ANO Pie orna epu nU eee oe tene eoa endo 32 OBSERVING THE MOON cian ii ed ee rode n LG ee
69. to Align procedures below Alignment Procedure In order for the NexStar to accurately point to objects in the sky it must first be aligned to two known positions stars in the sky With this information the telescope can create a model of the sky which it uses to locate any object with known coordinates Auto Align Auto Align is the easiest way to get the NexStar aligned and ready to observe Even if you do not know a single star in the sky the NexStar will align itself by guiding the user through the alignment procedure by asking for basic information about the date time and location The NexStar will then automatically choose two stars for alignment and roughly center the stars in the field of view of the Star Pointer Before the telescope is ready to be aligned it should be set up in an outside location 16 Trouble Shooting with all accessories eyepiece and Star Pointer attached and lens cover removed as described in the Assembly section of the manual 1 Once the NexStar is powered on Press ENTER to begin alignment Use the Up and Down scroll keys to select AutoAlign if it is not already displayed and press ENTER 3 The telescope will then ask you to use the arrow keys 3 to level the telescope tube and point the front of the telescope towards north North can be found by finding the direction of the North Star Polaris or by using a compass You do not need to point at the North Star only the north horizon Alignm
70. tween Each rate corresponds to one of the indicator LED lights 5 on the hand control From left to right the corresponding speeds are as follows For fine centering of objects in the eyepiece For scanning around for objects in the eyepiece For centering bright stars in the Star Pointer For slewing around the sky from object to object The hand control has a double button feature that allows you to instantly speed up the motors without having to choose a speed rate To use this feature simply press the arrow button that corresponds to the direction that you want to move the telescope While holding that button down press the opposite directional button This will increase the slew rate to approximately 1 5 per second egual to the third rate on the hand control This feature will only function if the telescope is currently set at a speed rate of 1or2 Utility Features The NexStar HC hand control comes with a Star function key that allows you to change certain parameters of the hand controls functions such as the directional logic of the arrow keys backlash compensation of the motor gears and azimuth tracking Direction Buttons When looking at a star through an eyepiece or star diagonal the direction that the star moves when the Up and Down arrow buttons are pressed will be reversed from when the same object is being centered in the Star Pointer Finderscope For example when a star is being centered in the telescope s eyepiece it ma
71. ures Star Pointer Finderscone Alignment Star Catalog Keys Object List Button TOUR Button Press the TOUR button on the hand control The hand control will display a list of objects that are visible for the date and location entered Press INFO to read information about the object displayed Press the DOWN scroll key to display the next object Press ENTER to slew to go to the displayed object The NexStar will automatically pick an alignment star and slew the telescope close to that star Once there the display will ask you to use the arrow buttons to aim the Star Pointer at the star If the star is not visible perhaps behind a tree press UNDO to select a new star Next center the star in the eyepiece and press ALIGN Repeat these steps for the second star alignment When complete display will read Alignment Successful lf Optical Tube 16 Focuser Knob Liquid Crystal Display Straight Through Photographic Adapter Hand Control 8 Flip Mirror Control ON OFF Switch Em Eyepiece 5 Battery Compartment Star Pointer Finderscope LELESVATN1 Assembly The NexStar 4 comes completely pre assembled and can be operational in a matter of minutes The NexStar is conveniently packaged in one reusable shipping carton that contains all of the following accessories 25mm SMA Eyepiece 114 e Star Pointer Finderscope and Mounting Bracket e The Sky for Celestron Astronomy Software Assembling the NexStar
72. whose position is to be measured Binary Double stars are pairs of stars that because of their mutual gravitational attraction orbit around a common Center of Mass If a group of three or more stars revolve around one another it is called a multiple system It is believed that approximately 50 percent of all stars belong to binary or multiple systems Systems with individual components that can be seen separately by a telescope are called visual binaries or visual multiples The nearest star to our solar system Alpha Centauri is actually our nearest example of a multiple star system it consists of three stars two very similar to our Sun and one dim small red star orbiting around one another The projection of the Earth s eguator on to the celestial sphere It divides the sky into two egual hemispheres The imaginary projection of Earth s rotational axis north or south pole onto the celestial sphere An imaginary sphere surrounding the Earth concentric with the Earth s center The act of putting a telescope s optics into perfect alignment The angular distance of a celestial body north or south of the celestial eguator It may be said to correspond to latitude on the surface of the Earth The projection of the Earth s orbit on to the celestial sphere It may also be defined as the apparent yearly path of the Sun against the stars A telescope mounting in which the instrument is set upon an axis which is parallel to the axis of th
73. y appear to move upward when the down arrow button is pressed and visa versa even though the telescope tube is actually moving downward This is why it is convenient to be able to change the arrow button direction when switching from using the Star Pointer to the eyepiece To reverse the direction of the Up and Down arrow buttons Press the STAR key on the hand control The activation light 1 on the hand control will light up to indicate that the button has been pressed When the button has been pressed the four direction buttons 2 will be non operational until the button is pressed again 2 Press the RATE button on the hand control 3 Press the STAR key on the hand control to activate the direction buttons Anti backlash All mechanical gears have a certain amount of backlash or play between the gears This play is evident by how long it takes for a star to move in the eyepiece when the hand control arrow buttons are pressed especially when changing directions The NexStar s anti backlash feature allows the user to compensate for backlash by having the hand control quickly rewind the motors just enough to eliminate the play between gears The amount of compensation needed depends on the slewing rate selected the slower the slewing rate the longer it will take for the star to appear to move in the eyepiece To change the backlash compensation Press the STAR key on the hand control Use the Right and Left arrow keys to speed up
74. y setting up a camera on a tripod and opening the shutter for a couple hours The processed film will reveal semicircles that revolve around the pole This description of stellar motions also applies to the southern hemisphere except all stars south of the celestial eguator move around the south celestial pole Stars seen near the north celestial pole Stars seen near the celestial eguator Stars seen looking in the opposite direction of the north celestial pole Figure 7 2 All stars appear to rotate around the celestial poles However the appearance of this motion varies depending on where you are looking in the sky Near the north celestial pole the stars scribe out recognizable circles centered on the pole 1 Stars near the celestial eguator also follow circular paths around the pole But the complete path is interrupted by the horizon These appear to rise in the east and set in the west 2 Looking toward the opposite pole stars curve or arc in the opposite direction scribing a circle around the opposite pole 3 28 Polar Alignment with optional Wedge Even though the NexStar can precisely track a celestial object while in the Alt Az position it is still necessary to align the polar axis of the telescope the fork arm to the Earth s axis on rotation in order to attempt long exposure astro photography To do an accurate polar alignment the NexStar requires an optional equatorial wedge 93658 between the telescope and a t
75. yed press the ALIGN key on the hand control The display will then ask you which alignment star you want to replace Use the UP and Down scroll keys to select the alignment star to be replaced It is usually best to replace the star closest to the new star This will space out your alignment stars across the sky Press ENTER to make the change Uc por es Object Catalog Selecting an Object Now that the telescope is properly aligned you can choose an object from any of the catalogs in the NexStar s extensive database The hand control has a key 4 designated for each of the catalogs in its database There are two ways to select objects from the database scrolling through the named object lists and entering object numbers 1 Pressing the LIST key on the hand control will access all objects in the database that have common names or types Each list is broken down into the following categories Named Stars Named Object Double Stars Variable Stars and Asterisms Selecting any one of these options will display an alpha numeric listing of the objects under that list Pressing the Up and Down keys 10 allows you to scroll through the catalog to the desired object 2 Pressing any of the catalog keys M CALD NGC or STAR will display a blinking cursor below the name of the catalog chosen Use the numeric key pad to enter the number of any object within these standardized catalogs For More example to find the Orion Nebula press the M key
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