Astrophotography - Orion ASTROVIEW 6 EQ Manual

Figure 17.
Starhopping is a good way to locate hard-to-find objects.
Refer to a star chart to map a route to the object that uses bright stars
as guideposts. Center the first star you've chosen in the finder scope
and telescope eyepiece (1). Now move the scope carefully in the
direction of the next bright star (2), until it is centered. Repeat (3 and
4). The last hop (5) should place the desired object in the eyepiece.
Determine in which constellation the object lies. Now, find the
constellation in the sky. If you do not recognize the constella-
tions on sight, consult a planisphere. The planisphere gives
an all-sky view and shows which constellations are visible on
a given night at a given time.
Now, look at your star chart and find the brightest star in the
constellation that is near the object you are trying to find.
Using the finder scope, point the telescope at this star and
center it in the crosshairs. Next, look again at the star chart
and find another suitably bright star near the bright star cur-
rently centered in the finder. Keep in mind that the field of view
of the finder scope is 7°, so you should choose another star
that is no more than 7° from the first star, if possible. Move the
telescope slightly, until it is centered on the new star.
Continue using the stars as guideposts until you are at the
approximate position of the object you are trying to find
(Figure 17). Look in the telescope's eyepiece, and the object
should be somewhere in the field of view. If it's not, sweep
the telescope carefully around the immediate vicinity until the
object is found.
If you have trouble finding the object, start the starhop again
from the brightest star near the object you wish to view. This
time, be sure the stars indicated on the star chart are in fact
the stars you are centering in the eyepiece.
16
E. the sun
You can change your nighttime scope into a daytime Sun
viewer by installing an optional full-aperture solar-filter over
the front opening of a AstroView 6 EQ. The primary attraction
is sunspots, which change in shape, appearance, and loca-
tion daily. Sun spots are directly related to magnetic activity in
the sun and follow an 11 year cycle. Many observers like to
make drawings of sunspots to monitor how the sun is chang-
ing from day to day.
Important Note: Do NOT look at the Sun with any optical
instrument without a professionally made solar filter, or
permanent eye damage could result. Also remember to
cover or remove the finder scope before attempting to
view the sun.

7. astrophotography

Several different types of astrophotography can be success-
fully attempted with the AstroView 6 EQ.
Moon Photography
This is perhaps the simplest form of astrophotography, as no
motor drive is required. All that is needed is a T-Ring for your
specific camera model. Attach the T-ring to your camera body,
and then thread the T-Ring on to the focuser drawtube.
Now you are ready to shoot. Point the telescope toward the
Moon, and center it within the camera's viewfinder. Focus
the image with the telescope's focuser. Try several exposure
times, all less than 1 second, depending on the phase of
the moon and the ISO (film speed) of the film being used.
A remote shutter release is recommended, as touching the
camera's shutter release can vibrate the camera enough to
ruin the exposure.
Planetary Photography
Once basic Moon photography has been mastered, it's time to
get images of the planets. This type of astrophotography also
works to get highly magnified shots of the Moon. In addition
to the T-ring, you will need a Universal 1.25" Camera Adapter.
The EQ-3 Motor Drive System (single or dual axis) is also
required. This is because a longer exposure is necessary,
which would cause the image to blur if no motor drive was
used for tracking. The equatorial mount must be accurately
polar aligned, too.
As before, connect the T-ring to your camera. Before connect-
ing the Universal camera adapter to the T-Ring, an eyepiece
must be inserted and locked into the body of the Universal
camera adapter. Start by using a medium-low power eyepiece
(about 25mm); you can increase the magnification later with a
high-power eyepiece. Then connect the entire camera adapt-
er, with eyepiece inside, to the T-Ring. Insert the whole sys-
tem into the telescope's focuser drawtube and secure firmly
with the thumbscrews.
Aim the telescope at the planet (or Moon) you wish to shoot.
The image will be highly magnified, so you may need to use
the finder scope to center it within the camera's viewfinder.