Orion SKYQUEST XT10 CLASSIC - Manual (Page 15)

est deep-sky objects, first catalogued about 200 years ago by
the French astronomer Charles Messier.
Determine in which constellation the object lies. Now, find the
constellation in the sky. If you do not recognize the constella-
tion on sight, consult a planisphere. The planisphere gives an
all-sky view and shows which constellations are visible on a
given night at a given time.
Now look at your star chart and find the brightest star in the
constellation that is near the object that you are trying to find.
Using the EZ Finder II, point the telescope at this star and
center it on the red dot. Next, look again at the star chart and
find another suitably bright star near the bright star currently
centered in the finder. Keep in mind that the field of view of
the EZ Finder II is 10°, so you should choose a star that is no
more than 10° from the first star, if possible. Move the tele-
scope slightly, until the telescope is centered on the new star.
Continue using stars as guideposts in this way until you are
the approximate position of the object you are trying to find
(Figure 20). Look in the telescope’s eyepiece, and the object
should be somewhere within the field of view. If it’s not, sweep
the telescope carefully around the immediate vicinity until the
object is found.
If you have trouble finding the object, start the starhop again
from the brightest star near the object you wish to view. This
time, be sure the stars indicated on the star chart are in fact
the stars you are centering in the EZ Finder II and telescope
eyepiece. Remember the telescope and the EZ Finder II will
give you inverted images, keep this in mind when you are star-
hopping from star to star.
note about astrophotography
SkyQuest Dobsonians are designed for visual, not photo-
graphic use. The Dobsonian mount is not an equatorial-type
mount, so it cannot be motor driven for long exposure astro-
photography. SkyQuests have also been optically optimized
for visual use, since photographic optimization degrades visu-
al performance.
With that in mind, however, it is possible to do some simple
astrophotography with a SkyQuest. With the use of afocal pho-
tography techniques (where the camera is simply placed to
the eyepiece to take a picture) and digital cameras, it is pos-
sible to take pictures of bright objects. Certain photographic
aids, such as the Orion SteadyPix, can help in taking photos
by the afocal method.
6. care and Maintenance
If you give your telescope reasonable care, it will last a lifetime.
Store it in a clean, dry, dust free place, safe from rapid chang-
es in temperature and humidity. Do not store the telescope
outdoors, although storage in a garage or shed is OK. Small
components like eyepieces and other accessories should be
kept in a protective box or storage case. Keep the caps on the
front of the scope and on the focuser when it is not in use. For
maximum protection during storage, we recommend placing
the telescope in a case to prevent any dust and moisture from
accumulating on exposed surfaces.
The telescope requires very little mechanical maintenance.
The optical tube is made of steel and has a smooth painted
finish that is fairly scratch-resistant. If a scratch does appear
on the tube, it will not harm the telescope. If you wish, you may
apply some auto touch-up paint to the scratch. Smudges on
the tube can be wiped off with a soft cloth and a household
cleaner.
cleaning lenses
Any quality optical lens cleaning tissue and optical lens clean-
ing fluid specifically designed for multi-coated optics can be
used to clean the exposed lenses of your eyepieces. Never use
regular glass cleaner or cleaning fluid designed for eyeglasses
Before cleaning with fluid and tissue, blow any loose particles
off the lens with a blower bulb or compressed air. Then apply
some cleaning fluid to a tissue, never directly on the optics.
Wipe the lens gently in a circular motion, then remove any
excess fluid with a fresh lens tissue. Oily fingerprints and
smudges may be removed using this method. Use caution;
rubbing too hard may scratch the lens. On larger lenses, clean
only a small area at a time, using a fresh lens tissue on each
area. Never reuse tissues.
cleaning Mirrors
You should not have to clean the telescope’s mirrors very often;
normally once every year or so. Covering the telescope with
the dust cover when it is not in use will help prevent dust from
accumulating on the mirrors. Improper cleaning can scratch
mirror coatings, so the fewer times you have to clean the mir-
15
Figure 20. Starhopping is a good way to locate hard-to-find
objects. Refer to a star chart to map a route to the object that uses
bright stars as guideposts. Center the first star you’ve chosen
in the EZ Finder II and telescope eyepiece
(1). Now move the
scope carefully in the direction of the next bright star (2), until it is
centered. Repeat (3&4). The last hop (5) should place the desired
object in the eyepiece.