Celestron StarSense Explorer 12" f/4.9 Dobsonian Telescope - Manual (Page 17)

ENGLISH I 17
CARE AND MAINTENANCE
Store the telescope indoors in a dry place. A garage is
ideal; it will keep the optics near the ambient outdoor
temperature so the optics won’t take as long to acclimate.
Keep the dust cover on the front of the telescope and the
cover cap on the focuser when the telescope is not in
use. Otherwise, dust and particles can accumulate on the
optics.
If the telescope is wet from dew, dry the exterior of the
telescope tube and base with a towel prior to storage.
While a small amount of water on the exterior of the tube
and base won’t harm the telescope, storing it wet long-
term could cause corrosion or water damage. The wooden
base has sealed melamine surfaces. Still, water can seep
into cracks if left wet during storage.
It is normal for some dust and particles to accumulate on
the primary mirror over time. They will not have any effect
on optical performance. However, if the primary mirror
gets excessively dirty, you should clean it.
To clean the primary mirror:
1. Remove the primary mirror cell from the telescope
tube by removing the screws on the tube just above
the mirror cell (Figure 23). You’ll need the Phillips
head screwdriver to do this.
2. Carefully pull the mirror cell off of the tube.
3. The mirror surface is now exposed for cleaning.
We recommend leaving the primary mirror in its cell
during cleaning.
4. Use a blower bulb and optics cleaning brush to
remove larger particles and dust. In some instances,
this will be all the cleaning necessary.
Figure 23 : To remove the primary mirror from the telescope tube for
cleaning, fi rst remove the screws located just above the mirror cell.
5. To remove marks and oils, use lens cleaning fl uid
and lens cleaning tissue to clean the mirror surface.
Apply the fl uid to the tissue and gently wipe the
mirror surface. Use radial strokes (i.e. from the
center of the mirror to the edge). Use a new tissue
for every wipe. Avoid rubbing; this typically just
spreads oils around instead of removing them.
6. Once the mirror is clean, reinstall the mirror cell into
the telescope tube and replace the screws.
The secondary mirror will not get dirty often, as its optical
surface is pointed downward. However, if it does require
cleaning, it can be cleaned in the same manner as the
primary mirror. You do not need to remove the secondary
mirror from the telescope to clean it. Point the telescope
horizontally during cleaning to prevent anything from
falling onto the primary mirror.
You may clean the exposed optical surfaces of your
eyepieces in the same manner described above.