Table of Contents
Advertisement
Never project an image of the Sun through the telescope. Tremendous heat build-up may result inside
the optical tube. This can damage the telescope and/or any accessories attached to the telescope.
.
For .safe .solar .viewing, .use .a .Sky-Watcher .USA .solar .filter .(see .Optional .Accessories .section .of .manual) .
that .reduces .the .intensity .of .the .Sun's .light, .making .it .safe .to .view. .With .a .filter .you .can .see .sunspots .as .
they .move .across .the .solar .disk .and .faculae, .which .are .bright .patches .seen .near .the .Sun's .edge. .
.
Solar Observing Hints
.
• . The .best .time .to .observe .the .Sun .is .in .the .early .morning .or .late .afternoon .when .the .air .is .cooler.
.
• . To .center .the .Sun .without .looking .into .the .eyepiece, .watch .the .shadow .of .the .telescope .tube .until .it .
forms .a .circular .shadow.
.
• . To .ensure .accurate .tracking, .be .sure .to .select .solar .tracking .rate.
Observing Deep Sky Objects
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. .
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.
Seeing Conditions
Viewing . c onditions . a ffect . w hat . y ou . c an . s ee . t hrough . y our . t elescope . d uring . a n . o bserving . s ession. . C onditions .
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. .Thick .cumulus .clouds .are .completely .opaque .while .cirrus .can .be .thin, .allowing .the .light .from .
the .brightest .stars .through. .Hazy .skies .absorb .more .light .than .clear .skies .making .fainter .objects .harder .
to . see . and . reducing . contrast . on . brighter . objects. . Aerosols . ejected . into . the . upper . atmosphere . from .
volcanic .eruptions .also .affect .transparency. .Ideal .conditions .are .when .the .night .sky .is .inky .black.
Sky Illumination
General .sky .brightening .caused .by .the .Moon, .aurorae, .natural .airglow, .and .light .pollution .greatly .affect .
transparency. .While .not .a .problem .for .the .brighter .stars .and .planets, .bright .skies .reduce .the .contrast .
of . extended . nebulae . making . them . difficult, . if . not . impossible, . to . see. . To . maximize . your . observing, .
limit .deep .sky .viewing .to .moonless .nights .far .from .the .light .polluted .skies .found .around .major .urban .
areas. .LPR .filters .enhance .deep .sky .viewing .from .light .polluted .areas .by .blocking .unwanted .light .while .
transmitting .light .from .certain .deep .sky .objects. .You .can, .on .the .other .hand, .observe .planets .and .stars .
from .light .polluted .areas .or .when .the .Moon .is .out.
Advertisement
Table of Contents
