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astronomical objects will seem to move
through the field of view of the eyepiece
12
more rapidly.
Place the object to be viewed at the edge
of the field and, without touching the
telescope, watch it drift through the field to
the other side before repositioning the
telescope so that the object to be viewed is
again placed at the edge of the field, ready to
be further observed.
Vibrations: Avoid touching the eyepiece
while observing through the telescope.
Vibrations resulting from such contact will
cause the image to move. Avoid observing
sites where vibrations cause image
movement (for example, near railroad
tracks). Viewing from the upper floors of a
building may also cause image movement.
Let your eyes "dark-adapt": Allow five or
ten minutes for your eyes to become "dark
adapted" before observing. Use a red-
filtered flashlight to protect your night vision
when reading star maps, or inspecting the
telescope. Do not use use a regular flash-
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.
light or turn on other lights when observing
with a group of other astronomers. You can
make your own red filtered flashlight by
taping red cellophane over a flashlight lens.
Viewing through windows: Avoid setting up
the telescope inside a room and observing
through an opened or closed window pane.
Images may appear blurred or distorted due
to temperature differences between inside
and outside air. Also, it is a good idea to
allow your telescope to reach the ambient
(surrounding) outside temperature before
starting an observing session.
When to observe: Planets and other
objects viewed low on the horizon often lack
sharpness—the same object, when observed
higher in the sky, will appear sharper and
have greater contrast. Try reducing power
(change your eyepiece) if your image is fuzzy
or shimmers. Keep in mind that a bright,
clear, but smaller image is more interesting
than a larger, dimmer, fuzzy one. Using
too high a power eyepiece is one of the
most common mistakes made by
new astronomers.
Dress Warm: Even on summer nights, the
air can feel cool or cold as the night wears
on. It is important to dress warm or to have
a sweater, jacket, gloves, etc., nearby.
Know your observing site: If possible, know
the location where you will be observing. Pay
attention to holes in the ground and other
obstacles. Is it a location where wild
animals, such as skunks, snakes, etc.,
may appear? Are there viewing obstructions
such as tall trees, street lights, headlights
and so forth? The best locations are dark
locations, the darker the better. Deep space
ASTRONOMY RESOURCES
•
The Meade 4M Community
27 Hubble, Irvine, CA 92618
•
Astronomical League
Executive Secretary
5675 Real del Norte, Las Cruces, NM 88012
•
The Astronomical Society of the Pacific
390 Ashton Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94112
•
The Planetary Society
65 North Catalina Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91106
•
International Dark-Sky Association, Inc.
3225 N. First Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85719-2103
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