Observing The Sun; Solar Observing Hints; Observing Deep Sky Objects; Using The Setting Circles - Celestron Celestar 8 Instruction Manual

Celestron celestar 8: instruction manual

Hide thumbs

Table Of Contents

Table of Contents

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 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. Be sure to cover the lens of the finder or

completely remove the finderscope when observing the Sun. This will ensure that the finderscope itself is

not damaged and that no one looks through it inadvertently.

Solar Observing Hints

•

The best time to observe the Sun is in the early morning or late afternoon when the air is cooler.

•

To locate the Sun without a finder, watch the shadow of the telescope tube until it forms a circular

shadow.

•

To ensure accurate tracking, be sure to select solar tracking rate.

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.

Unlike the Sun, Moon, and five major planets, most deep sky objects are not visible to the naked eye.

Finding them requires using your setting circles or star hopping to them. The Celestron Sky Maps

(#93722) can help you locate the brightest deep-sky objects.

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 color 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.

Using the Setting Circles

Once the telescope is polar aligned (read the "Polar Alignment" section in this manual) and the R.A. setting

circle is aligned, you can use the setting circles to find any object with known coordinates.

Select an object to observe. Use a seasonal star chart or planisphere to make sure the object you chose

is above the horizon. As you become more familiar with the night sky, this will no longer be

necessary.

Look up the object's coordinates in an atlas or reference book.

Celestar Manual