Celestron CPC Series User Manual
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TELESCOPE BASICS ................................................................................................................................................. 27
Image Orientation ................................................................................................................................................... 27
Focusing.................................................................................................................................................................. 27
Calculating Magnification ...................................................................................................................................... 28
Determining Field of View ...................................................................................................................................... 28
General Observing Hints......................................................................................................................................... 28
ASTRONOMY BASICS ............................................................................................................................................... 30
The Celestial Coordinate System............................................................................................................................. 30
Motion of the Stars .................................................................................................................................................. 31
Polar Alignment (with optional Wedge) .................................................................................................................. 32
Wedge Align ....................................................................................................................................................... 32
Finding the North Celestial Pole............................................................................................................................. 32
Declination Drift Method of Polar Alignment..................................................................................................... 33
CELESTIAL OBSERVING ......................................................................................................................................... 35
Observing the Moon ................................................................................................................................................ 35
Lunar Observing Hints ........................................................................................................................................ 35
Observing the Planets ............................................................................................................................................. 35
Planetary Observing Hints................................................................................................................................... 35
Observing the Sun ................................................................................................................................................... 36
Solar Observing Hints ......................................................................................................................................... 36
Observing Deep Sky Objects ................................................................................................................................... 36
Seeing Conditions.................................................................................................................................................... 36
Transparency........................................................................................................................................................... 36
Sky Illumination ...................................................................................................................................................... 36
Seeing ...................................................................................................................................................................... 37
CELESTIAL PHOTOGRAPHY ................................................................................................................................. 38
Short Exposure Prime Focus Photography ............................................................................................................. 38
Eyepiece Projection................................................................................................................................................. 39
Long Exposure Prime Focus Photography.............................................................................................................. 40
Periodic Error Correction (PEC) ........................................................................................................................... 41
Using Periodic Error Correction.......................................................................................................................... 41
Terrestrial Photography.......................................................................................................................................... 42
Metering .............................................................................................................................................................. 42
Reducing Vibration ............................................................................................................................................. 42
F/6.3 with Reducer/Corrector .............................................................................................................................. 42
Auto Guiding....................................................................................................................................................... 43
TELESCOPE MAINTENANCE ................................................................................................................................. 44
Care and Cleaning of the Optics ............................................................................................................................. 44
Collimation.............................................................................................................................................................. 44
OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES..................................................................................................................................... 46
APPENDIX A - TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS .................................................................................................. 48
APPENDIX B - GLOSSARY OF TERMS.................................................................................................................. 49
APPENDIX C – LONGITUDES AND LATITUDES................................................................................................. 52
APPENDIX D – RS-232 CONNECTION.................................................................................................................... 57
APPENDIX E – TIME ZONE MAP............................................................................................................................ 58
SKY MAPS .................................................................................................................................................................... 60
OBSERVATIONAL DATA SHEET ........................................................................................................................... 66