Alignment; Easy Two-Star Alignment - Meade Autostar 494 Instruction Manual

ALIGNMENT

As the Earth rotates beneath the night sky, the stars appear
to move from East to West. The speed at which the stars
move is called the sidereal rate.
If the telescope is aligned, the motor drive is designed to
move the telescope at the sidereal rate so that it automati-
cally tracks the stars. Tracking keeps an object centered in
the telescope's eyepiece and makes it easier to locate
other objects.
Autostar offers three methods of alignment: Easy Two-Star,
One-Star Alt/AZ, and Two-Star Alt/AZ. In Easy Two-Star
alignment, Autostar automatically picks two alignment stars
to align upon from its database. This method is recom-
mended for first-time observers. One-Star Alt/AZ Alignment
and Two-Star Alt/AZ Alignment allow the observer to
choose the alignment stars from Autostar's database during
the alignment procedure.
The term "Alt/Az" is frequently used to refer to the Altitude
or vertical and Azimuth or horizontal movements of your
telescope. Other terms to describe a telescope's movement
may be used with telescopes that have different types of
mounts.

EASY TWO-STAR ALIGNMENT

The fastest and easiest way to start observing with
Autostar's GO TO capabilities is to perform an Easy Two-
Star Alignment.
Autostar automatically picks two stars from its database for
the Easy Two-Star Alignment procedure. During the Easy
Alignment procedure, Autostar slews the telescope to the
first alignment star. The user is asked to verify that the tel-
escope is pointed at the chosen star and then prompted to
center the star in the eyepiece. The process is repeated
with a second star to complete the alignment.
NOTE: Before aligning the telescope, first verify
that "INITIALIZING AUTOSTAR," page 8, has
been performed. See "MOVING THROUGH
AUTOSTAR'S MENUS," page 8, for a description
of how Autostar's keys operate.
Easy Two-Star Alignment Procedure:
1. Sun Warning: Press the key prompted by Autostar to
acknowledge that the warning was read and under-
stood.
2. Getting Started: Press ENTER to continue, or the
Speed/? key to access the Autostar Help tutorial. Press
MODE to leave the tutorial at any time.
3. Enter Date: If you have not already done so, enter the
current date, then press ENTER.
4. Enter Time: If you have not already done so, enter the
current time. Select "AM," "PM," or 24-hour clock
(blank). Then press ENTER.
5. Daylight Savings: If you have not already done so,
select "Yes" or "No," then press ENTER.
-14-