Celestron Celestar 8 Instruction Manual
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Celestron Celestar 8 Instruction Manual

Celestron celestar 8: instruction manual
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CELESTAR
INSTRUCTION MANUAL
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  • Page 1 CELESTAR INSTRUCTION MANUAL...

  • Page 2: Table Of Contents

    ... 18 NSTALLING THE NCODER DVANCED STRO ASTER ETUP RANSPORTING ELESTAR TORING ELESTAR ELESTAR TELESCOPE BASICS ... 23 ... 23 MAGE RIENTATION ... 24 OCUSING ... 24 LIGNING THE INDER ... 25 IRST Daytime Observing ... 25 Nighttime Observing ... 25 ...
  • Page 3 EDIUM SIZE TO SMALL GALAXIES /10 (L MAGING AT F UNAR OR SMALL PLANETARY NEBULAE /20 (P MAGING AT F LANETARY OR LUNAR TELESCOPE MAINTENANCE ... 64 ARE AND LEANING OF THE PTICS ... 64 OLLIMATION OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES ... 66 THE MESSIER CATALOG ...
  • Page 4 Celestar Manual TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS... 78 FURTHER READING ... 79...

  • Page 5: How To Use Thi Manual

    Celestar Manual INTRODUCTION Welcome to the Celestron world of amateur astronomy! For more than a quarter of a century, Celestron has provided amateur astronomers with the tools needed to explore the universe. The Celestar line of telescopes continue in this proud tradition combining large aperture optics with ease of use and portability.

  • Page 6: A Word Of Caution

    A WORD OF CAUTION Your Celestar telescope is designed to give you hours of fun and rewarding observations. There are, however, a few things to consider before using your telescope that will ensure your safety and protect your equipment. WARNING ! NEVER LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE SUN WITH THE NAKED EYE OR WITH A TELESCOPE.

  • Page 7: The Schmidt-Cassegrain Optical System

    THE SCHMIDT-CASSEGRAIN OPTICAL SYSTEM A telescope is nothing more than 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 while others, known as reflectors, use mirrors. The Schmidt-Cassegrain optical (or Schmidt-Cass for short) system uses a combination of mirrors and lenses and is referred to as a compound or catadioptric telescope.

  • Page 8: Assembling Your Celestar

    Save the boxes since you may want to ship your telescope via a common carrier at some time in the future. To assemble the Celestar 8, you will need a 3/16” and a 5/16” Allen wrench and a Phillips screw driver.
  • Page 9 Celestar Manual Figure 2-1 -- Celestar 8 Figure 2-2 -- Celestar8 Deluxe Assembling your Celestar...

  • Page 10: Setting Up The Tripod

    (For Celestar Deluxe 8 And Celestar Deluxe 8 Computerized Only) For maximum rigidity, the Celestron field tripod has a leg support bracket. This bracket fits snugly against the tripod legs, increasing stability while reducing vibration and flexure. However, the tripod is shipped with each arm of the leg support bracket in between the legs so the tripod legs can collapse.

  • Page 11: Adjusting The Tripod Height

    (For Celestar Deluxe 8 And Celestar Deluxe 8 Computerized Only) Your Celestar Deluxe 8 telescope has a clock drive built into the base to track the stars as they move across the sky from east to west. However, for this drive to be useful, the telescope’s axis of rotation should be made parallel to the Earth’s axis.

  • Page 12: Setting Up The Wedgpod

    ATTACHING THE CELESTAR TO THE WEDGE / WEDGPOD For astronomical viewing, you should mount the telescope on the wedge/wedgpod. This will allow you to polar align the telescope, use the setting circles and the clock drive. To mount the telescope on the wedge: Celestar Manual...

  • Page 13: Installing The Finder

    There is no need to loosen these until you are ready to remove the telescope from the wedge/wedgpod. The Celestar 8 comes with a 6x30 finderscope which has an 7° field-of-view. The Celestar Deluxe 8 comes with a 9x50 finder, which has a 5.8° field of view. The specifications for a finderscope, 6x30 or...

  • Page 14: Attaching The Finder Bracket

    Two Phillips Pan Head Screws (10-24x5/8") Mounting the finder is a two-step process and is the same for the Celestar 8 and the Celestar Deluxe 8. First you mount the bracket to the telescope, then mount the finder in the bracket.

  • Page 15: Attaching The Finder To The Bracket

    ATTACHING THE FINDER TO THE BRACKET With the bracket firmly attached to the telescope, you are ready to attach the finder to the bracket. Thread the three nylon thumbscrews into the finder bracket. Tighten the screws until the heads are flush with the inner diameter of the bracket ring.

  • Page 16: Installing The Visual Accessories

    INSTALLING THE VISUAL ACCESSORIES Installing the ocular and other visual accessories is the same for both the Celestar 8 and Celestar Deluxe 8. The Visual Back The visual back allows you to attach most visual accessories to the telescope. If you use a 1-1/4" star diagonal or if you want to insert the eyepiece into the telescope without a diagonal, then attach the visual back to the rear cell on the back of the telescope (see Figure 2-8).

  • Page 17: The Eyepieces

    “Calculating Magnification.” Barrel diameter is the diameter of the barrel that slides into the star diagonal. Standard barrel diameters are .96”, 1.25”, and 2”. The Celestar 8 and Celestar Deluxe 8 come standard for use with 1.25” barrel eyepieces.

  • Page 18: Moving The Telescope In R.a. And Dec

    The Celestar 8 Computerized and the Celestar Deluxe 8 Computerized are identical to the Celestar 8 and the Celestar Deluxe 8 with the exception that they comes with the Advanced Astro Master attached. Figure 2-11 The Advanced Astro Master is fully installed and tested at the factory.
  • Page 19 Washer Spacer For the Celestar 8, place the slotted end of the R.A. bracket over the hollow cylindrical spacer and insert the 8-32x1” screw through the spacer and thread it into the threaded hole on the fork. Tighten the screw to hold the bracket in place (refer to Figure 2-13).
  • Page 20 The installation of the R.A. encoder of the Advanced Astro Master is now complete. Keep in mind that the R.A. encoder must be removed when returning the telescope to the storage position. Now connect the blue connector on the cable to the five pins on the R.A. encoder, plug the phone jack type connector to the Advanced Astro Master module, and the telescope is ready for hours of observing fun.

  • Page 21: Advanced Astro Master Setup

    Once the Advanced Astro Master (AAM) is attached to the telescope, there are a few steps that need to be taken to make sure the AAM is set up for the Celestar 8. Although the AAM should already be set up for the Celestar 8, it is good practice to check and to familiarize yourself with the navigation process of the AAM.

  • Page 22: Transporting Your Celestar /Celestar Deluxe 8

    However, if you are planning a trip to a remote site, you should remove the telescope from the wedgpod or tripod/wedge, and return it to its box. The tripod/wedgpod legs can be transported with its legs folded back together.

  • Page 23: Telescope Basics

    Celestar Manual TELESCOPE BASICS Once your telescope is fully assembled, you are ready for your first look. This section deals with some of the basics of telescope operation. IMAGE ORIENTATION The image orientation changes depending on how the eyepiece is inserted into the telescope. When using the star diagonal, the image is right-side-up, but reversed from left-to-right (i.e., reverted).

  • Page 24: Focusing

    For example, the Celestar 8 finder is a 6x30. This means it is 6 power and has a 30mm objective lens. Incidentally, power is always compared to the unaided human eye. So a 6 power finder magnifies images six times more than the human eye.

  • Page 25: Your First Look

    If you are observing with the Celestar 8, shim the Wedgpod legs until the mount is leveled. If you are using the Celestar Deluxe 8, extend or retract each of the three tripod legs until it is at your preferred height and the mount is leveled.

  • Page 26: Calculating Magnification

    Celestron Telescope (let us use the Celestar telescope which has a focal length of 2032mm) by the focal length of the eyepieces (25mm for the Celestar 8 and 26mm for the Celestar Deluxe). Dividing 2032 by 25 yields a magnification of 81 power. A 26mm Plössl yields a magnification of 78 power with the Celestar telescope.

  • Page 27: Determining Field Of View

    52.5. Continuing with our example, multiply the angular field .64° by 52.5. This produces a linear field width of 33.6 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).

  • Page 28: General Photography Hints

    Your Celestar telescope can be used for both terrestrial and astronomical photography. Your Celestar telescope has a fixed aperture and, as a result, a fixed f/ratio. To properly expose your subjects photographically you need to set your shutter speed accordingly. Most 35mm single lens reflex (SLR) cameras offer through-the-lens metering which lets you know if your picture is under or overexposed.

  • Page 29: Astronomy Basics

    Celestar Manual ASTRONOMY BASICS Up to this point, this manual covered the assembly and basic operation of your Celestron telescope. However, to use your telescope effectively, you need to know a little about the night sky. This section deals with observational astronomy in general and includes information on the night sky and polar alignment.

  • Page 30: 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.

  • Page 31: Polar Alignment

    In order for the telescope to track the stars, you must meet two criteria. First, you need a drive motor that moves at the same rate as the stars. The Celestron telescope comes standard with a built-in drive motor designed specifically for this purpose. The second thing you need is to set the telescope's axis of rotation so that it tracks in the right direction.

  • Page 32: Finding The Pole

    For example, in the northern hemisphere all stars move around the north celestial pole. When the telescope's polar axis is pointed at the celestial pole, it is parallel to the Earth's rotational axis.

  • Page 33: Latitude Scale Polar Alignment Method

    If you are observing from Los Angeles, which has a latitude of 34°, then the celestial pole would be 34° above the northern horizon. All a latitude scale does then is to point the polar axis of the telescope at the right elevation above the northern (or southern) horizon.

  • Page 34: Declination Drift Method Of Polar Alignment

    If not, use the fine adjustment controls to center Polaris in the telescope field. This is how the telescope is to be set up for polar alignment. The tube should be parallel to the forks and the mount should point to Polaris.

  • Page 35: Aligning The Ra Setting Circle

    If you don't, they can be learned by using the Celestron Sky Maps (#93722) or consulting a current astronomy magazine. To align the R.A. setting circle: Locate a bright star near the celestial equator.
  • Page 36 Start the clock drive so that the mount tracks the star. Look up the coordinates of the star. You can consult a star catalog or use the list at the end of this manual. Rotate the R.A. circle until the proper coordinates line up with the R.A. indicator. The R.A. setting circle should rotate freely.

  • Page 37: Using The Celestar Drive

    USING THE CELESTAR DRIVE The Celestar 8 comes with a built-in single motor spur gear clock drive to track objects as they move across the sky. The Celestar 8 is DC powered and operated by an internal 9-volt battery that is included with the telescope.

  • Page 38: Outlets

    DEC axis from the hand controller. The last outlet, labeled “12VDC,” is for an external power source. Celestron offers two optional adapters for external power, one for AC (#18772) and one for DC (#18767). When plugging into an external power source, ALWAYS plug the connector into the drive base first, then the power-source outlet.

  • Page 39: Northern/Southern Hemisphere Operation

    NORTHERN/SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE OPERATION When using your Celestar 8 in the southern hemisphere, there is a need to reverse the direction of the R. A. motor. In previous telescopes this was accomplished by installing a reversed motor. Now, the direction the drive motor moves the telescope is within the control of the user.

  • Page 40: Using The Celestar Deluxe Drive

    The 9-volt batteries are connected in parallel and provide about 8 hours of tracking time. The optimal way of powering the telescope is via the cigarette lighter adapter or the optional AC wall transformer. To power up the telescope: Plug the 6 conductor telephone type cable into the jack on the base board labeled DEC.

  • Page 41: Tracking Rate Selection

    Insert a high power eyepiece with illuminated cross hairs into your telescope. Orient the guiding eyepiece cross hairs so that one is parallel to the declination while the other is parallel to the R.A. axis. Center the guide star on the illuminated cross hairs, focus the telescope, and study the periodic movement.
  • Page 42 “on” for one second and “off” for a half second. Point the telescope at the object you want to photograph and you are ready to begin. Note: If you press the PEC button while it is in playback mode, you will lose the previously recorded information.

  • Page 43: The Hand Controller

    (*These are the directions if the telescope is polar aligned) A slew speed of approximately 8x sidereal rate is available for both axes. To slew the telescope, press the button that corresponds to the direction you want to move the telescope. While holding the button down, press the opposite directional button.

  • Page 44: Replacing The Battery

    Dec Motor Once the batteries have been drained, they should be replaced. Replacing the alkaline batteries requires removal of the drive base cover. To do this: Remove the four Phillips head screws that hold the drive base cover to the drive base. Remove the cover plate by first lifting it up and then sliding it out (see Figure 6-4 and Figure 6-5).

  • Page 45: Northern/Southern Hemisphere Operation

    Remove the terminals from the batteries. Install the new batteries by attaching them to the terminals and clip them into the battery holders. Replace the drive base cover and secure with the four 4-40 screws. To obtain the longest possible run time, use alkaline batteries. Alkaline batteries will power the drive for up to 8 hours of continuous use.

  • Page 46: Celestial Observing

    CELESTIAL OBSERVING With your telescope set up, you are ready to use it for observing. This section covers visual observing for both solar system and deep sky objects. In the night sky, the Moon is a prime target for your first look because it is extremely bright and easy to find.

  • Page 47: Observing The Sun

    For safe solar viewing, use a Celestron solar filter (#94162). This filter reduces the intensity of the Sun's light, making it safe to view. With this filter you can see sunspots as they move across the solar disk and faculae, which are bright patches seen near the Sun's edge.

  • Page 48: Star Hopping

    At the end of this manual there is a list of deep-sky objects well within reach of your Celestar telescope. Another way to find deep sky objects is by star-hopping. Star hopping is done by using bright stars to "guide"...
  • Page 49 Move about 1/2° toward Beta ( ) Lyra, but remaining on a line that connects the two stars. Look through the telescope and the Ring Nebula should be in the telescope. Its angular size is quite small and, therefore, not visible in the finder.

  • Page 50: 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.
  • Page 51 Extended objects, like the Moon, appear to shimmer while point sources (i.e., stars) appear double. Type 1 seeing is caused by currents within or very close to the telescope tube. These currents could be caused by a telescope that has not reached thermal equilibrium with the outdoor surroundings, heat waves from people standing near the telescope, or heated dew caps.
  • Page 52 Celestar Manual Celestial Photography...

  • Page 53: Celestial Photography

    To attach your camera you need the Celestron T-Adapter (#93633-A) and a T-Ring for your specific camera (i.e., Minolta, Nikon, Pentax, etc.). The T-Ring replaces the 35mm SLR camera's normal lens. Prime focus photography allows you to capture the majority of the lunar disk or solar disk.

  • Page 54: Piggyback Photography

    This technique is also used for photographing the Sun with the proper Celestron solar filter. The easiest way to enter the realm of deep-sky, long exposure astrophotography is via the piggyback method.
  • Page 55 Monitor your guide star for the duration of the exposure making all corrections using the standard hand controller (optional on Celestar 8). If not using the optional DEC motor (standard with the Celestar 8 Deluxe), then corrections to the declination axis must be made carefully turning the DEC slow motion by hand as needed.

  • Page 56: Eyepiece Projection

    Advance the film and you're ready for your next shot. Keep in mind that the card should be held a few inches in front of the telescope, and not touching it.

  • Page 57: Long Exposure Prime Focus Photography

    Wait for the vibration caused by releasing the shutter to diminish. Also, wait for a moment of good seeing. Remove the black card from in front of the telescope for the duration of the exposure (see accompanying table). Replace the black card over the front of the telescope.
  • Page 58 To accomplish this you need a guiding ocular with an illuminated reticle to monitor your guide star. For this purpose, Celestron offers the Micro Guide Eyepiece (#94171) or the 7.5mm Plössl Illuminated Reticle Ocular (#94174). Here is a brief summary of the technique.
  • Page 59 As you perfect your technique, try specialized films, that is films that are designed or specially treated for celestial photography. Here are some popular choices: Ektar 125 (color print) Fujichrome 100D (color slide) Tech Pan, gas hypered (black and white print) T-Max 400 (black and white print) There is no exposure determination table to help you get started.

  • Page 60: Ccd Imaging

    25 times shorter than those needed with a f/10 system! Used with Celestron's PixCel CCD System, objects will be easily found due to the ultra-wide 2/3• by 1/2• field of view provided. With the optional Fastar lens assembly you can easily convert your Fastar compatible telescope to f/1.95 prime focus use in a matter of seconds.

  • Page 61: Description Of F-Numbers

    (focal length divided by diameter). When the secondary is removed and the CCD is placed at the Fastar position, the system becomes f/1.95, this is unique to Celestron telescopes (see figures below). Fig 8-2 -- Light path at f/10 focus The key factors for good CCD imaging are;...

  • Page 62: Imaging At F/6.3 (Medium Size To Small Galaxies)

    improved upon dramatically if several 30-60 second exposures are added together using the Track and Accumulate™ feature. Figure 8-4 M27 – The Dumbbell Nebula 4 exposures of 30 seconds each! When imaging some objects like planetary nebula (for example M57, the Ring Nebula) and small galaxies (M104, the Sombrero Galaxy), larger image scale is needed to resolve finer detail.
  • Page 63 Figure 8-6 - Accessory Configurations for Fastar Compatible Telescopes Optical Tube Assembly Secondary Mirror Secondary Mirror Retaining Ring Fastar Lens Assembly Tricolor Spacer Ring T-1 ¼" Adapter IR Cutoff Filter (for use with Color Filter Wheel) PixCel CCD Camera Rear Cell Counterweight Radial Guider Microguide Eyepiece For more information about the above accessories refer to the Optional Accessories section at the end of...

  • Page 64: Telescope Maintenance

    COLLIMATION The optical performance of your Celestron telescope is directly related to its collimation, the alignment of its optical system. Your Celestar was collimated at the factory after it was completely assembled. However, if the telescope is dropped or jarred severely during transport, it may have to be collimated. The only optical element that may need to be adjusted, or is possible, is the tilt of the secondary mirror.
  • Page 65 This (stellar) image will appear as a bright point of light with a diffraction ring around it. When the point of light is perfectly centered within the diffraction ring, your telescope is in collimation. Keep in mind that to use high power, the seeing conditions must be very good.

  • Page 66: Optional Accessories

    The following is a partial list of optional accessories that can be used with your Celestar telescope. Accessory Name - Part Number - Description AC Adapter - 110V - 60Hz (#18772) - The AC Adapter allows you to run your Celestar 8 and Celestar 8 Computerized off AC rather than the standard DC battery.
  • Page 67 Declination Motor (#93549) - The electric DEC Motor allows you to make corrections to the DEC axis of your Celestar 8 telescope without touching the instrument. All corrections are made from the optional hand control box (#28983) which eliminates the possibility of bumping or shaking the telescope while making manual corrections.
  • Page 68 Eyepieces - Like telescopes, eyepieces come in a variety of designs. And, with the advent of different eyepieces, Celestron also has a variety of designs each with its own advantages and disadvantages. For the 1-1 /4" barrel diameter there are four different eyepiece designs available.
  • Page 69 This is a necessity for anyone doing CCD imaging or astrophotography. Hand Controller (#28983) - This plugs into the drivebase of the Celestar 8 and is essential for long exposure astrophotography. This item is needed to use the Celestar in the Southern Hemisphere.
  • Page 70 Piggyback photography allows you to record constellations and large scale nebulae that don't fit in the field of your telescope. The piggyback mount allows you to attach a camera to the top of the telescope. This way, the camera can photograph with its normal or wide angle lens while you guide through the telescope.
  • Page 71 Sky Maps (#93722) - When learning the night sky, the Celestron Sky Maps offer the ideal solution. The maps include all the constellations and brighter deep-sky objects. The maps are printed on a heavy stock paper that is moisture-resistant.
  • Page 72 Tripod and Wedge - For the serious astrophotographer and CCD imager, Celestron offers a wedge and tripod that allows you to accurately polar align your Celestar and adds rigidity for successful long exposures.

  • Page 73: The Messier Catalog

    THE MESSIER CATALOG The Messier Catalog, compiled by Charles Messier, was the first extensive listing of star clusters and nebulae. Messier’s primary observational purpose was to discover comets. He compiled this list so that others searching for comets would not be confused by these objects. His list still remains popular today because all of these objects are easily visible in amateur telescopes.
  • Page 74 NGC# Const. NGC 224 NGC 221 NGC 598 NGC 1039 NGC 2168 NGC 1960 NGC 2099 NGC 1912 NGC 7092 NGC 2287 NGC 1976 NGC 1982 NGC 2632 NGC 2437 NGC 2422 NGC 2548 NGC 4472 NGC 2323 5194-5 NGC 7654 NGC 5024 NGC 6715 NGC 6809...
  • Page 75 NGC# Const. NGC 6838 NGC 6981 NGC 6994 NGC 628 NGC 6864 NGC 650-1 NGC 1068 NGC 2068 NGC 1904 NGC 6093 NGC 3031 NGC 3034 NGC 5236 NGC 4374 NGC 4382 NGC 4406 NGC 4486 NGC 4501 NGC 4552 NGC 4569 NGC 4548 NGC 6341...
  • Page 76 Object Abbreviations: Sp. Gx. Spiral Galaxy El. Gx. Elliptical Galaxy Ir. Gx. Irregular Galaxy Op. Cl. Open Cluster Gl. Cl. Globular Cluster D. Neb. Diffuse Nebula P. Neb. Planetary Nebula NOTE: All coordinates for the objects in the Messier catalog are listed in epoch 2000.00. The Messier Catalog...

  • Page 77: List Of Bright Stars

    LIST OF BRIGHT STARS The following is a list of bright stars that can be used to align the R.A. setting circle. All coordinates are in epoch 2000.0. Star Name Sirius Canopus Arcturus Rigel Kent. Vega Capella Rigel Procyon Betelgeuse Achernar Hadar Altair...

  • Page 78: Technical Specifications

    ” (Celestar Deluxe 8 and Celestar Deluxe 8 Computerized) 4” 6 turns per degree 10 degrees 22 lb. (Celestar 8 and Celestar 8 Computerized) 27 lb. (Celestar Deluxe 8 and Celestar Deluxe 8 Computerized) 15 lb. 4 lb. 19 lb.

  • Page 79: Further Reading

    FURTHER READING The following is a list of astronomy books that will further enhance your understanding of the night sky. The books are broken down by classification for easy reference. Astronomy Texts Astronomy Now...Pasachoff & Kutner Cambridge Atlas Of Astronomy...Audolsze & Israel McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia Of Astronomy ...Parker Astronomy-The Evolving Universe ...Zeilik Atlases...

  • Page 80: Warranty

    CELESTRON LIMITED WARRANTY CELESTRON PRODUCTS Celestron International (CI) warrants that each Celestron telescope shall be free from defects in materials and workmanship for one year. CI repair or replace such product or part thereof which, on inspection by CI is found to be defective in materials or workmanship.
  • Page 81 CI International Distributor or Authorized CI Dealer in the specific country. Celestron International 2835 Columbia Street Torrance, CA 90503 Tel. (310) 328-9560 Fax. (310) 212-5835 Copyright 1995 Celestron International All rights reserved. (Products or instructions may change without notice or obligation.) Item# 11015-I 09-95...

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