Aligning The Finderscope - Celestron ASTROMASTER 21061-CT-DS Quick Setup Manual

Aligning the
Finderscope
The fi nder is one of the most important parts of your telescope. It helps
you locate objects and center them in the eyepiece. The fi rst time you
assemble your telescope, you need to align the fi nder to the telescope's
main optics. It's best to do this during the day*.
*SOLAR WARNING! Never attempt to view the Sun through
any telescope without a proper solar fi lter!
3 3
LOOK THROUGH FINDERSCOPE
Once the object is centered in your 20mm eyepiece, look through the
fi nderscope and locate the red dot.
You First Night Out
the Moon
The best and easiest target for you to try to view fi rst is the Moon. Try
observing the Moon at different points in its phase cycle. The best time
to view the Moon is from two days after a New Moon up to a few days
before a Full Moon. During this period, you will be able to see the most
detail in the craters and lunar mountain ranges.
20mm Eyepiece
3 3
Focus Knobs
Look through the telescope's 20mm eyepiece. Gently turn the focus
knobs to adjust the sharpness of the image.
1 1
CHOOSE A TARGET
Take the telescope outside during the day and fi nd an easily recognizable
object, such as a streetlight, car license plate or sign. The object should
be as far away as possible, but at least a quarter mile away.
4 4
ADJUST THE FINDERSCOPE
Without moving the telescope, use the two adjustment knobs
to move the fi nder around until the red dot appears over the same object
you are observing in the telescope's 20mm eyepiece.
1 1
With the Moon visible in the sky, set up your telescope with the 20mm
eyepiece installed. Move the telescope so that it is roughly pointing
toward the Moon.
4 4
20mm
CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE NOW
OBSERVED YOUR FIRST CELESTIAL OBJECT!
To get a closer view of the Moon, loosen the set screws on the focuser
and remove the 20mm eyepiece. Replace it with your 10mm eyepiece
and tighten the set screws to secure it in place. The 10mm eyepiece
will give you signifi cantly more magnifi cation, making the Moon appear
.
much larger
NOTE: You may need to adjust the focus knobs when you change
eyepieces, so make sure you are getting the sharpest image
possible.
2 2
20mm eyepiece
Focus Knobs
CENTER THE TARGET IN THE EYEPIECE
Look through the telescope using your lower powered eyepiece. Move
the telescope until the object you chose lies in the center of the view.
If the image is blurry, gently turn the focus knobs on either side of
the telescope until it comes into sharp focus. NOTE: The image
in your telescope may appear inverted. This is perfectly normal in an
astronomical telescope.
5 5
YOUR FINDERSCOPE IS NOW ALIGNED!
It should not require realignment unless it is bumped or dropped.
2 2
Look through the fi nderscope and locate the crosshair reticle. Continue
moving the telescope until the crosshair appears over the Moon.
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You can view many other celestial objects, such as planets, star clusters
and nebulae using this same technique if you know where to fi nd them in the
night sky.
Celestron's free SkyPortal app for iOS and Android can help you locate
and identify a wide array of celestial objects quickly and easily.