Observe The Moon; Astronomical Observing; To Track An Object Automatically; Moving Through Autostar's Menus - Meade DS-2000 Series AutoStar-LNT-SmartFinder Instruction Manual

Speeds 7 or 8: Best used for rough centering of an object in the eyepiece.
Speed 9: Moves the telescope quickly from one point in the sky to another.

Observe the Moon

Point your telescope at the Moon (note that the Moon is not visible every night) and practice
using the Arrow keys and the slew speeds to view different features. The Moon contains many
interesting features, including craters, mountain ranges, and fault lines. The best time to view
the Moon is during its crescent or half phase. Sunlight strikes the Moon at an angle during these
periods and adds a depth to the view. No shadows are seen during a full Moon, causing the
overly bright surface to appear flat and rather uninteresting.
Consider the use of a neutral density Moon filter when observing the Moon. Not only does it cut
down the Moon's bright glare, but it also enhances contrast, providing a more dramatic image.

Astronomical Observing

Used as an astronomical instrument, your telescope has many optical and electromechanical
capabilities. It is in astronomical applications where the high level of optical performance is
readily visible.

To Track an Object Automatically

Fig. 16: The Moon is an
excellent object for As the Earth rotates beneath the night sky, the stars appear to move from East to West. The
beginners to observe.
speed at which the stars move is called the sidereal rate. You can setup your telescope to move
at the sidereal rate so that it automatically "tracks" the stars and other objects in the night sky.
In other words, if the telescope is not tracking an astronomical object, the object will drift out of
the eyepiece field of view. The tracking function automatically keeps an object more or less cen-
tered in the telescope's eyepiece.
To track objects, you must first initialize Autostar and then select "Targets: Astronomical" from
the Autostar Setup menu. You must also learn how the Autostar keypad operates in order to
move through the Autostar menus.

Moving Through Autostar's Menus

Autostar's menus are organized for quick and easy navigation.
■
■
■
■
Press ENTER to go deeper into
Autostar's menu levels.
Press MODE to move back toward the
top menu level.
Press the Scroll keys to move through
the options available for each level.
Press the Arrow keys to enter charac-
ters and digits.
The Arrow keys are also used to move
the telescope.
Looking at or near the Sun will cause irreversible damage to your eye. Do not point this telescope at or near the
Sun. Do not look through the telescope as it is moving.
DS-2000 TIPS
Which One's the
Alignment Star?
If Autostar has chosen an alignment star with
which you are unfamiliar, how can you be
sure if the star in your eyepiece is really the
alignment star?
The rule of thumb is that an alignment star is
usually the brightest star in that area of the
sky. When you view an alignment star in an
eyepiece, it stands out dramatically from the
rest of the stars in that portion of the sky.
If you have an obstruction, such as a tree or
a building blocking your view of the alignment
star, or if you have any doubts at all about the
star that has been chosen, no problem. Just
press the Scroll Down key and Autostar will
find another star to align upon.
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