Table Of Contents - Orion 9931 Instruction Manual

C
ongratulations on purchasing an Orion Deep Space Explorer reflector telescope! It is a precision
instrument designed exclusively for astronomical observation. With its sharp Newtonian optical system
and its easy-to-use Dobsonian mount, you'll enjoy countless views of fascinating celestial objects.
Saturn's rings will inspire your imagination; Jupiter's moons and great cloud bands will amaze you. You'll
see hundreds of mountains, craters, and other surface details as you explore the surface of our nearest
celestial neighbor, the Moon.
Your Deep Space Explorer is also particularly well suited for observing deep-space objects beyond our
solar system. From dark sky locations, you can observe glowing nebulas such as the Great Orion
Nebula, incredibly distant galaxies such as the Andromeda Galaxy, star clusters like the dazzling
Hercules Cluster, and planetary nebulas like the famous Ring Nebula.
If you have never used a telescope before, we would like to welcome you to amateur astronomy. Take
some time to familiarize yourself with the night sky. Learn to recognize the patterns of stars in the major
constellations; a star wheel, or planisphere, available from nature stores or astronomical suppliers, will
greatly help. With a little practice, a little patience, and a reasonably dark sky away from city lights, you'll
find your telescope to be a never-ending source of wonder, exploration, and relaxation.

table of Contents

1. Important Points About Your Telescope ...............................................................................
2. Terminology .........................................................................................................................
3. Assembly .............................................................................................................................
4. Using Your Telescope ...........................................................................................................
5. Collimation of the Optics (Aligning the Mirrors) ...................................................................
6. Observing Tips and Techniques ..........................................................................................
7. Astronomical Viewing ...........................................................................................................
8. Enhancement, Care, and Maintenance ................................................................................ 11
9. Specifications ........................................................................................................................ 13
1. important Points about Your telescope
To get the most out of your new telescope, take the time to
read this instruction manual thoroughly. The following sugges-
tions, in particular, should be heeded.
1. Never look directly at the Sun without a proper, profession-
ally made solar filter. Doing so could cause permanent eye
damage or even blindness. Never use a dark-glass screw-
in eyepiece filter; it may crack under intense heat.
2. Like all reflector telescopes, performance is best after the
telescope has cooled to the outdoor temperature for at
least an hour (longer in colder climates). If possible, store
the telescope in a cold place, such as a garage, to mini-
mize the cooling time. It's best to observe with low powers
until the telescope has equilibrated.
3. Observe from a dark location, away from street and porch
lights. Your eyes take 10 to 30 minutes to adapt to the
darkness. Use a red-filtered flashlight to preserve your
dark-adapted night vision; a white light can greatly and
instantly reduce your low-light sensitivity.
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4. Keep your telescope's mirrors in good optical alignment
(collimation). The technique for collimation is easily
learned (see section 5). Although adjustment is required
only occasionally, performance is noticeably improved.
5. Never lubricate the bearing surfaces of your Dobsonian
telescope. Doing so reduces the bearing friction and
causes the telescope to move too freely. The inherent fric-
tion of the bearing surfaces is an important part of the
telescope design.
Warning:
Never look directly at the Sun
through your telescope or its finder scope-
even for an instant-without a professionally
made solar filter that completely covers the front
of the instrument, or permanent eye damage
could result. Young children should use this
telescope only with adult supervision.
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