Meade Instruments Infinity 70AZ - Manual (Page 13)

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 observ-
ing. 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 objects
are easiest to see under dark skies.
But it is still possible to observe even in a
city.
Surf the Web and visit your local library:
The internet contains a huge amount of
astronomical information, both for children
and adults. Check out astronomy books from
your library. Look for star charts—these are
available on a monthly basis in Astronomy
and Sky and Telescope magazines.
HAVE A GOOD TIME,
ASTRONOMY IS FUN!
SPECIFICATIONS
Infinity 60 model:
Objective lens diameter 60mm(2.4”)
Optical tube focal length 800mm
Focal ratio f/13.3
Mounting type Alt-azimuth
Viewfinder Red-dot
Infinity 70 model:
Objective lens diameter 70mm(2.8”)
Optical tube focal length 700mm
Focal ratio f/10
Mounting type Alt-azimuth
Viewfinder Red-dot
What do the specifications mean?
Optical tube focal length is the distance light
travels in the telescope before being brought
to focus in you eyepiece. Depending on the
telescope model, the focal length is either
800mm or 700mm long. Look at the specifi-
cation table to find out your telescopes focal
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 Ave., San Francisco, CA 94112
• The Planetary Society
65 North Catalina Ave, Pasadena, CA 91106
• International Dark-Sky Association, Inc.
3225 N. First Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85719-2103
length.
Objective lens diameter is how big the
front lens is on your scope. Telescopes
are always described by how large
their objective lens is. Depending on your
telescope model, the lens diameter is either
60mm or 70mm.
Other telescopes are 90mm, 8 inches, 16
inches, or even 3 feet in diameter. The Hub-
ble Telescope’s objective lens has a diame-
ter of 2.4 meters (that’s 7.8 feet across!).
The focal ratio helps determine how fast the
photographic speed of a telescope is. The
lower the focal ratio number, the faster the
11
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.