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Celestron Advanced Series C8-N User Manual

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TELESCOPE BASICS .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 29

Image Orientation ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 29
Focusing.............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 30
Aligning the Finderscope .................................................................................................................................................................................... 30
Calculating Magnification................................................................................................................................................................................... 30
Determining Field of View ................................................................................................................................................................................. 31
General Observing Hints..................................................................................................................................................................................... 31

ASTRONOMY BASICS........................................................................................................................................................................................ 32

The Celestial Coordinate System ........................................................................................................................................................................ 32
Motion of the Stars.............................................................................................................................................................................................. 33
Finding the North Celestial Pole ......................................................................................................................................................................... 35
Declination Drift Method of Polar Alignment..................................................................................................................................................... 36

CELESTIAL OBSERVING.................................................................................................................................................................................. 37

Observing the Moon............................................................................................................................................................................................ 37
Lunar Observing Hints........................................................................................................................................................................................ 37
Observing the Planets.......................................................................................................................................................................................... 37
Observing the Sun............................................................................................................................................................................................... 37
Solar Observing Hints......................................................................................................................................................................................... 38
Observing Deep Sky Objects .............................................................................................................................................................................. 38
Seeing Conditions ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 38
Transparency....................................................................................................................................................................................................... 38
Sky Illumination.................................................................................................................................................................................................. 38
Seeing ................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 38

ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY .................................................................................................................................................................................... 40

Piggyback ........................................................................................................................................................................................................... 40
Short Exposure Prime Focus Photography.......................................................................................................................................................... 41
Terrestrial Photography....................................................................................................................................................................................... 42
Metering.............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 42
Reducing Vibration............................................................................................................................................................................................. 42
Auto Guiding ...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 43

TELESCOPE MAINTENANCE .......................................................................................................................................................................... 44

Care and Cleaning of the Optics.......................................................................................................................................................................... 44
Collimation ......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 44

OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES.............................................................................................................................................................................. 48

APPENDIX A – TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS......................................................................................................................................... 51

APPENDIX B – GLOSSARY OF TERMS......................................................................................................................................................... 52

APPENDIX C – LONGITUDES AND LATITUDES.......................................................................................................................................... 55

APPENDIX D – RS-232 CONNECTION............................................................................................................................................................. 60

APPENDIX E – TIME ZONE MAP..................................................................................................................................................................... 62

SKY MAPS............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 64