Observe The Moon; Tracking Objects - Meade LX70 Series Instruction Manual

en the R.A. and Dec. locks.
Once centered, an object can be focused by
turning one of the knobs of the focusing mecha-
nism. Notice that when observing astronomical
objects, the field of view begins to slowly drift
across the eyepiece field. This motion is caused
by the rotation of the Earth on its axis. Objects
appear to move through the field more rapidly at
higher powers. See TRACKING OBJECTS for
detailed information on how you can counteract
the drift in the field of view.

Observe the Moon

Point your telescope at the Moon (note that the
Moon is not visible every night). The Moon con-
tains many interesting features, including cra-
ters, mountain ranges, and fault lines. The best
time to view the Moon is during its crescent or
half phase. Sunlight strikes the Moon at an an-
gle during these periods and adds a depth to the
view (see Fig 46). No shadows are seen during
a full Moon, making the overly bright surface to
appear flat and rather uninteresting. Consider
the use of a neutral density Moon filter when
observing the Moon. See OPTIONAL ACCES-
SORIES. Not only does it cut down the Moon's
bright glare, but it also enhances contrast, pro-
viding a more dramatic image.

Tracking Objects

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 si-
dereal rate. You can track objects at this rate
by using the RA and DEC slow motion control
cables(Fig. 1, #19 and #20) on each axis. To
properly track night sky objects, it is best to per-
form a procedure called a polar alignment.
In the northern hemisphere the polar align-
ment requires pointing the mounts RA axis at
the north star Polaris as accurately as possible.
In the southern hemisphere the polar alignment
requires pointing at the southern celestial pole.
For using the telescope visually, high preci-
sion is not needed for the polar alignment. Only
when using the telescope for astrophotography
will higher precision for the polar alignment be
necessary.
To point at Polaris, start by aiming the north leg
of the tripod north. Adjust the latitude(Fig. 1, #6)
and azimuth(Fig. 1, #5) mount adjustments so
that you can see Polaris through the polar axis
view port(Fig. 1, #22).
An optional polar axis scope is available if a
higher precision alignment is desired. See OP-
TIONAL ACCESSORIES. Polaris will be po-
sitioned at an altitude equal to your observing
sites latitude. If you know your local latitude
simply adjust the front and back latitude adjust-
ment bolts until the indicator points to your local
latitude on the scale(Fig. 1, #8). To find your lo-
cal latitude you can consult a road map , look it
up on the Internet, or see Appendix C: LATI-
TUDE CHART.
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