Polaris 60 AZ - AR 3/10/06 11:48 AM Page 1
POLARIS INSTRUCTION MANUAL
60mm | 2.4" Altazimuth Refracting Telescope
60AZ-AR
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telescope. The size of the objective lens
determines how much detail you will be
able to see in your telescope. The focal
length information will help later on to
calculate magnification.
INTRODUCTION
Your telescope is an excellent beginner’s
instrument, and is designed to observe
objects in the sky and also on land. It can be
your personal window on the universe or
allows you to intimately study the behavior of
nesting birds on a distant hillside.
1
Setting up your telescope involves these
simple steps:
• Assemble your tripod
The telescope is shipped with the following
parts:
• Optical tube
• Aluminum tripod with an accessory tray
• Two 1.25" eyepieces: MA25mm (28X),
MH9mm (78X)
• 2X - 1.25" Barlow lens
• Diagonal mirror
• Red Dot viewfinder with bracket
• Telescope mount
• Hardware used in the assembly:
3 bolts (2" long) with wing nuts and
washers
• Attach the accessory tray
• Attach the optical tube to the mount
• Attach the red dot viewfinder
• Attach the diagonal mirror and
eyepiece
• Align the red dot viewfinder
Study the the picture on the next page
and become acquainted with the parts
of your telescope. Then proceed to
“Assemble your Tripod.”
3 screws (1/2" long) with nuts
The tube has a focal length of 700mm, and
its objective lens has a diameter of 60mm.
The lens diameter is one of the most
important pieces of information about the
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Figure 1: Polaris 60AZ-AR Altazimuth Refracting Telescope
FIGURE 1
Inset A
Inset A:
Inset B:
Inset C:
Accessory Tray Mounting Bolt Hole
Tripod Leg
Viewfinder Assembly
2
1. Eyepiece
2. Red dot veiwfinder (see Inset C)
3. Red dot viewfinder alignment screws (see Inset C)
4. Optical tube assembly
5. Vertical lock knobs
6. Horizontal lock knob
7. Tripod legs
8. Leg brace supports
9. Leg brace
Inset B
10. Mount base attachment
11. Tripod attachment bolts and wing nuts
12. Accessory tray mounting bolt hole (see Inset A)
13. Diagonal mirror
14. Objective lens cell
15. Focuser drawtube and thumbscrews
16. Altitude rod slow motion fine adjustment control
17. Altitude rod
Inset C
18. Altazimuth mount
19. Adjustable sliding center leg extension
(see Inset B)
20. Tripod leg lock thumbscrew (see Inset B)
21. Dew shield/lens shade
22. Front lens cap
23. Focusing knob
24. Red dot viewfinder bracket (see Inset C)
25. Red dot viewfinder bracket mounting
thumbscrews (see Inset C)
26. Accessory tray
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Fig. 2
4. Finger tighten the bolt and hex
nut. See Fig. 3.
5. Repeat with the two other leg
braces.
6. Thread the accessory tray (26) over
the center mounting bolt to a firm feel.
ASSEMBLE YOUR TRIPOD
mount
The tripod is the basic support for your
telescope. Its height may be adjusted so that
you can view comfortably.
Note: Number in brackets, e.g., (3), refer to
Fig. 1.
1. Make sure that as you attach the legs (7)
to the mount that the leg braces (9) are
facing inward.
2. Line up the holes at the top of one of the
legs with the holes in the mount (10). See
Fig. 2.
3. Thread one of the 2-inch bolts through
the holes.
4. Thread a wingnut over the bolt and hand-
tighten to a firm feel.
5. Attach the remaining two legs to the
mount in the same manner.
6. Spread the legs out evenly apart.
7. Set the height of your tripod:
a. Rotate and loosen the leg lock
thumbscrew (20) to unlock the leg lock.
b. Slide the inner portion of the leg (19) in
or out to the desired length. Repeat for
the other two legs.
3
2” Screw
ATTACH THE OPTICAL TUBE TO THE MOUNT
The optical tube gathers distant light which
is focused in the eyepiece.
1. Remove the two lock knobs (5) from the
optical tube mount.
2. Slide the altitude rod (17) into the hole in
the altitude adjustment control . Tighten
to a firm feel. See Fig. 4.
tripod
leg
washer
wingnut
c. Rotate and tighten the leg lock
thumbscrew to relock the leg lock.
d. Repeat for the other two legs.
ATTACH THE ACCESSORY TRAY
Fig. 3
The tray helps stabilize the tripod and is also
a convenient holder of eyepieces and other
Meade accessories, such as the Barlow lens.
1. Line up the holes at the end of one of the
leg brace supports (8) with the holes in
one of the leg braces (9).
2. Thread one of the one-half inch bolts
through the holes.
3. Thread a hex nut over the end of the bolt.
finger tighten the
hex nut
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3.Place the optical tube (4) between
the forks of the mount, oriented as
shown in Fig. 4.
1. Note the two thumbscrews (25) threaded
onto two bolts on the optical tube.
Remove the thumbscrews from the tube.
2. Line up the two holes on the red dot
viewfinder bracket over the two bolts.
Slide the bracket over the bolts. See Fig.
1, inset C.
ALIGN THE RED DOT VIEWFINDER
Perform the first part of this procedure
during the daytime and the last step at night.
1. Point the telescope at an easy-to-find
land object such as the top of a telephone
pole or a distant mountain or tower. Look
through the eyepiece in the diagonal
mirror and turn the focuser knob (23)
until the image is sharply focused. Center
the object precisely in the eyepiece’s field
of view.
2. Look through the red dot viewfinder. Turn
one or more of the viewfinder’s alignment
screws (3) until the red dot precisely over
the same object as you centered in the
eyepiece.
4
4.Thread a lock knob (5) through each
of the holes in the forks of the mount
and tighten to a firm feel.
3. Replace the thumbscrews onto the bolts
and tighten to a firm feel.
ATTACH THE RED DOT VIEWFINDER
An eyepiece (1) has a narrow field of view.
The red dot veiwfinder (2) has a red dot to
make it easier to line up more precisely with
a target.
ATTACH THE DIAGONAL MIRROR AND
EYEPIECE
The diagonal mirror reflects the light from
the optical tube to a more comfortable
viewing position.
Fig. 4
place tube between
forks
1. Slide the diagonal mirror (13) into the
focuser drawtube(15).
2. Tighten the drawtube thumbscrew to hold
the diagonal mirror securely.
3. Slide the MA 25mm eyepiece (1) into
diagonal mirror.
4. Tighten the diagonal mirror thumbscrew
to hold the eyepiece securely.
lock
knob
lock
knob
slide rod
through
hole
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SUN WARNING
You will enjoy your telescope even
more as you learn more about it. But
don’t be scared off by difficult terms
or complicated procedures. Don’t
panic! Just relax and enjoy your
scope.
3. Check this alignment at night on a
celestial object, such as the Moon or a
bright star, and use the red dot
NEVER USE YOUR TELESCOPE TO LOOK AT
THE SUN!
5
LOOKING AT OR NEAR THE SUN WILL
CAUSE INSTANT AND IRREVERSIBLE
DAMAGE TO YOUR EYE. EYE DAMAGE IS
OFTEN PAINLESS, SO THERE IS NO
WARNING TO THE OBSERVER THAT
DAMAGE HAS OCCURRED UNTIL IT IS TOO
LATE. DO NOT POINT THE TELESCOPE OR
ITS VIEWFINDER AT OR NEAR THE SUN.
DO NOT LOOK THROUGH THE TELESCOPE
OR ITS VIEWFINDER AS IT IS MOVING.
CHILDREN SHOULD ALWAYS HAVE ADULT
SUPERVISION WHILE OBSERVING.
viewfinder’s alignment screws to make
any necessary refinements.
You will begin to grow and learn more about
astronomy the more you observe. Go to the
library and read some books about the stars
and planets. Read about astronomers of old.
Many of them had telescope no bigger than
the one you are using right now. Galileo, who
is one of the first astronomers to use a
telescope, discovered four of the moons of
Jupiter with a telescope about the same size
as yours (and his didn’t even focus very
well!).
TO MOVE THE TELESCOPE
Your telescope is altazimuth mounted.
Altazimuth is just a complicated way of
saying that your telescope moves up and
down and from side to side. Other
telescopes may be mounted in different
ways.
1. Slightly loosen one of the star-shaped
altitude control knobs (5). Loosening
this knob allows you to move the
telescope up and down.
THE MOST IMPORTANT RULE
We have one very important rule that you
should always follow when using your
telescope:
2. Slightly loosen the horizontal lock knob
(6). Loosening this lock allows the
telescope to be moved from side to side.
3. Once an object is found, re-tighten the
control knobs. You can then use the
slow motion control (16) to make
smooth and precise movements as you
can follow (or “track”) an object as it
moves in the eyepiece.
THE MEADE 4M COMMUNITY
Have Fun!
Have a good time when you’re observing.
You may not know everything that there is to
know about a telescope or what all the
sights in the universe are, but that’s OK.
Just point and observe at first.
You haven’t just bought a telescope, you have embarked
on an astronomy adventure that never ends. Share the
journey with others by accepting your free membership
in the 4M community of astronomers.
today.
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rotate to unlock or lock; when locking, only
tighten to a “firm feel,” do not overtighten).
OBSERVING
Observe the Moon: When you feel
comfortable with the viewfinder, the
eyepieces, the locks and the adjustment
controls, you will be ready to try out the
telescope at night. The Moon is the best
object to observe the first time you go out at
night. Pick a night when the Moon is a
crescent. No shadows are seen during a full
Moon, making it appear flat and
Observe during the daytime: Try out
your telescope during the daytime at
first. It is easier to learn how it
operates and how to observe when it
is light.
6
Use the red dot viewfinder: If you have not
done so, align the viewfinder (2) with the
telescope’s eyepiece (1) as described earlier.
Look through the red dot viewfinder until you
can see the object. It will be easier to locate
an object using the viewfinder rather than
locating with the eyepiece. Line up the object
using the viewfinder's red dot.
Pick out an easy object to observe: A
distant mountain, a large tree, a lighthouse
or skyscraper make excellent targets. Point
the optical tube so it lines up with your
object.
uninteresting.
Look for different features on the Moon. The
most obvious features are craters. In fact
you can see craters within craters. Some
craters have bright lines about them. These
are called rays and are the result of material
thrown out of the crater when it was struck
by a colliding object. The dark areas on the
Moon are called maria and are composed of
lava from the period when the Moon still had
volcanic activity. You can also see mountain
ranges and fault lines on the Moon.
Look through the eyepiece: Once you have
the object lined up in the red dot viewfinder,
look through the optical tube’s eyepiece. If
you have aligned your red dot viewfinder, you
will you see the object in your eyepiece.
Unlock the lock knobs: To move the
telescope, you will need to unlock the
horizontal (6) and vertical (5) lock knobs (just
TOO MUCH POWER?
Focus: Look through the eyepiece and
practice focusing on the object you have
chosen.
Can you ever have too much power? If the type of
power you’re referring to is eyepiece magnification,
yes you can! The most common mistake of the
beginning observer is to “overpower” a telescope by
using high magnifications which the telescope’s
aperture and atmospheric conditions cannot
reasonably support. Keep in mind that a smaller,
but bright and well-resolved image is far superior
to one that is larger, but dim and poorly resolved.
Powers above 400x should be employed only under
the steadiest atmospheric conditions.
Try out the coarse and fine adjustment
controls: Practice using the fine
adjustment control (16) to move the
telescope. These can come in very handy,
especially when you wish to move the
telescope in very small (fine control) steps.
Use a neutral density filter (often called a
“moon filter”) when observing the Moon.
Neutral density filters are available from
Meade as an optional accessory and
enhance contrast to improve your
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observation of lunar features. Spend several
nights observing the Moon. Some nights, the
Moon is so bright that it makes other objects
in the sky difficult to see. These are nights
that are excellent for lunar observation.
Venus, Earth and Mars comprise the inner
planets. Venus and Mars can be easily seen
in your telescope.
are its moons. The four largest
moons are called the Galilean moons,
after the astronomer Galileo, who
observed them for the first time. If
you’ve never watched the Galilean
moons in your telescope before, you’re
7
Venus is seen before dawn or after sunset,
because it is close to the Sun. You can
observe Venus going through crescent
phases. But you cannot see any surface
detail on Venus because it has a very thick
atmosphere of gas.
Observe the Solar System: After observing
the Moon, you are ready to step up to the
next level of observation, the planets. There
are four planets that you can easily observe
in your telescope: Venus, Mars, Jupiter and
Saturn.
missing a real treat! Each night, the moons
appear in different positions around the
Jovian sky. This is sometimes called the
Galilean dance. On any given night, you
might be able to see the shadow of a moon
on the face of Jupiter, see one moon eclipse
another or even see a moon emerge from
behind Jupiter’s giant disk. Drawing the
positions of the moons each night is an
excellent exercise for novice astronomers.
When Mars is close to the Earth, you can see
some details on Mars, and sometimes even
Mars’ polar caps. But quite often, Mars is
further away and just appears as a red dot
with some dark lines crisscrossing it.
Nine planets (maybe more!) travel in a fairly
circular pattern around our Sun. Any system
of planets orbiting one or more stars is
called a solar system. Our Sun, by the way,
is a single, yellow dwarf star. It is average as
far as stars go and is a middle aged star.
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto
comprise the outer planets. These planets,
except for Pluto, are made mostly of gases
and are sometimes called gas giants. If they
had grown much bigger, they may have
become stars. Pluto is made mostly of ice.
Beyond the planets are clouds of comets, icy
planetoids and other debris left over from
the birth of our sun. Recently astronomers
have found large objects in this area and
they may increase the number of planets in
our solar system.
Jupiter is quite interesting to observe. You
can see bands across the face of Jupiter. The
more time you spend observing these bands,
the more details you will be able to see.
One of the most fascinating sights of Jupiter
The four planets closest to the Sun are rocky
and are called the inner planets. Mercury,
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Fig. 5
Any small telescope can see the four
Galilean moons of Jupiter (Fig. 5),
Saturn is not the only planet that has rings,
but it is the only set of rings that can be
seen with a small telescope. Jupiter’s rings
cannot be seen from Earth at all—the
Voyager spacecraft discovered the ring after
it passed Jupiter and looked back at it. It
turns out, only with the sunlight shining
through them, can the rings be seen. Uranus
and Neptune also have faint rings.
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plus a few others, but how many
moons does Jupiter actually have?
No one knows for sure! Nor are we
sure how many Saturn has either. At last
count, Jupiter had over 60 moons, and held a
small lead over Saturn. Most of these moons
are very small and can only be seen with
very large telescopes.
Optional color filters help bring out detail
and contrast of the planets. Meade offers a
line of inexpensive color filters.
Probably the most memorable sight you will
see in your telescope is Saturn. Although you
may not see many features on the surface of
Saturn, its ring structure will steal your
breath away. You will probably be able to see
a black opening in the rings, known as the
Cassini band.
The color of stars sometimes can tell you
about the age of a star and the temperature
that they burn at.
What’s Next? Beyond the Solar System:
Once you have observed our own system of
planets, it’s time to really travel far from
home and look at stars and other objects.
You can observe thousands of stars with
your telescope. At first, you may think stars
are just pinpoints of light and aren’t very
interesting. But look again. There is much
information that is revealed in stars.
Other stars to look for are multiple stars.
Very often, you can find double (or binary)
stars, stars that are very close together.
These stars orbit each other. What do you
notice about these stars? Are they different
colors? Does one seem brighter than the
other?
Almost all the stars you can see in the sky
are part of our galaxy. A galaxy is a large
grouping of stars, containing millions or
even billions of stars. Some galaxies form a
The first thing you will notice is that not all
stars are the same colors. See if you can find
blue, orange, yellow, white and red stars.
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spiral (like our galaxy, the Milky Way) and
other galaxies look more like a large football
and are called elliptical galaxies. There are
many galaxies that are irregularly shaped
and are thought to have been pulled apart
because they passed too close to—or even
through—a larger galaxy.
bright comet appears in the sky, presenting
an unforgettable sight.
more you learn about astronomy, the
more fun, and the more rewarding
your telescope will become.
9
The more you learn about objects in the sky,
the more you will learn to appreciate the
sights you see in your telescope. Start a
notebook and write down the observations
you make each night. Note the time and the
date.
SOME OBSERVING TIPS
Eyepieces: Always begin your observations
using the 25mm low-power eyepiece. The
25mm eyepiece delivers a bright, wide field
of view and is the best to use for most
viewing conditions. Use the high-power 9mm
eyepiece to view details when observing the
Moon and planets. If the image become
fuzzy, switch back down to a lower power.
Changing eyepieces changes the power or
magnification of your telescope.
You may be able to see the Andromeda
galaxy and several others in your telescope.
They will appear as small, fuzzy clouds. Only
very large telescope will reveal spiral or
elliptical details.
Use a compass to make a circle, or trace
around the lid of a jar. Draw what you see in
your eyepiece inside the circle. The best
exercise for drawing is to observe the moons
of Jupiter every night or so. Try to make
Jupiter and the moons approximately the
same size as they look in your eyepiece. You
will see that the moons are in a different
position every night. As you get better at
drawing, try more challenging sights, like a
crater system on the moon or even a nebula.
You will also be able to see some nebulas
with your scope. Nebula means cloud. Most
nebulas are clouds of gas. The two easiest to
see in the Northern Hemisphere are the
Orion nebula during the winter and the
Triffid nebula during the summer. These are
large clouds of gas in which new stars are
being born. Some nebulas are the remains
of stars exploding. These explosions are
called supernovas.
SURF THE WEB
•
•
•
•
•
•
The Meade 4M Community:
Sky & Telescope:
Astronomy:
Go your library or check out the internet for
more information about astronomy. Learn
about the basics: light years, orbits, star
colors, how stars and planets are formed,
red shift, the big bang, what are the different
kinds of nebula, what are comets, asteroids
and meteors and what is a black hole. The
Astronomy Picture of the Day:
Photographic Atlas of the Moon:
Hubble Space Telescope Public Pictures:
When you become an advanced observer you
can look for other types of objects such as
asteroids, planetary nebula and globular
clusters. And if you’re lucky, every so often a
Polaris 60 AZ - AR 3/10/06 11:48 AM Page 12
Fig. 6
By the way, you might have noticed
something strange when you looked
through your eyepiece. Although the
caused by the rotation of the Earth and
makes an object move through the tele-
scope’s field of view. To keep astronomical
objects centered in the field, simply move
the telescope on one or both of its axes—
vertically and/or horizontally as needed—try
using the telescopes coarse and fine
adjustment controls. At higher powers,
astronomical objects will seem to move
through the field of view of the eyepiece
more rapidly.
eyepiece
barlow
10
image is right-side up, it is reversed.
That means reading words can be a
problem. But it has no affect on
astronomical objects. If you wish to have a
fully corrected image, check out Meade’s
optional Erecting Prism in the Optional
Accessory section.
diagonal
mirror
Barlow lens: You can also change
Place the object to be viewed at the edge of
the field and, without touching the telescope,
watch it drift through the field to the other
side before repositioning the telescope so
that the object to be viewed is again placed
at the edge of the field, ready to be further
observed.
thumbscrews to secure the Barlow lens and
the eyepiece in place. The Barlow lens
included with your telescope doubles the
power of your telescope. See Fig. 6.
magnification by using a Barlow lens.
Remove the eyepiece from the diagonal
mirror and slide in the Barlow. Tighten the
STAR CHARTS
Meade offers a complete line of eyepieces
for your telescope. Most astronomers have
four or five low-power and high power
eyepieces to view different objects and to
cope with different viewing conditions.
Star charts and planispheres are useful for a variety of
reasons. In particular, they are a great aid in planning a
night of celestial viewing.
Vibrations: Avoid touching the eyepiece
while observing through the telescope.
Vibrations resulting from such contact will
cause the image to move. Avoid observing
sites where vibrations cause image
movement (for example, near railroad
tracks). Viewing from the upper floors of a
building may also cause image movement.
A wide variety of star charts are available in books, in
magazines, on the internet and on CD Roms. Meade
TM
offers AutoStar Suite software. Contact your local
Meade dealer or Meade’s Customer Service department
for more information.
Objects move in the eyepiece: If you are
observing an astronomical object (the Moon,
a planet, star, etc.) you will notice that the
object will begin to move slowly through the
telescopic field of view. This movement is
Astronomy and Sky and Telescope magazines print star
charts each month for up-to-the-minute maps of the
heavens.
Polaris 60 AZ - AR 3/10/06 11:48 AM Page 13
than a larger, dimmer, fuzzy one. Using too
high a power eyepiece is one of the most
common mistakes made by new
astronomers.
Let your eyes “dark-adapt:” Allow five or
ten minutes for your eyes to become “dark
adapted” before observing. Use a red-
filtered flashlight to protect your night vision
when reading star maps, or inspecting the
telescope. Do not use use a regular flash-
light or turn on other lights when observing
with a group of other astronomers. You can
make your own red filtered flashlight by
taping red cellophane over a flashlight lens.
11
HAVE A GOOD TIME,
ASTRONOMY IS FUN!
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.
SPECIFICATIONS
Optical tube focal length . . 700mm
Objective lens diameter. . . 60mm (2.4")
Focal ratio. . . . . . . . . . . . . . f/11.7
Know your observing site: If possible, know
the location where you will be observing. 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.
Viewing through windows: Avoid setting up
the telescope inside a room and observing
Mounting type. . . . . . . . . . . Altazimuth
through an opened or closed window pane.
Images may appear blurred or distorted due
to temperature differences between inside
and outside air. Also, it is a good idea to
allow your telescope to reach the ambient
(surrounding) outside temperature before
starting an observing session.
ASTRONOMY RESOURCES
•
•
The Meade 4M Community
6001 Oak Canyon, Irvine, CA 92618
Astronomical League
When to observe: Planets and other objects
viewed low on the horizon often lack sharp-
ness—the same object, when observed
higher in the sky, will appear sharper and
have greater contrast. Try reducing power
(change your eyepiece) if your image is fuzzy
or shimmers. Keep in mind that a bright,
clear, but smaller image is more interesting
Executive Secretary
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.
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
•
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Polaris 60 AZ - AR 3/10/06 11:48 AM Page 14
The focal ratio helps determine how fast the
photographic speed of a telescope is. The
lower the focal ratio number, the faster the
exposure. f/5 is faster than f/10. The faster
the ratio, the faster exposure time is needed
when a camera is hooked up to the
telescope. Your telescope has slower focal
ratio at f/11.7. Sometimes, astronomers use
focal reducers to make slow exposure
telescopes have faster focal ratios.
length of the telescope by the focal length of
the eyepiece.
What do the specifications mean?
12 Optical tube focal length is simply a
measurement of the length of the
optical tube. In other words, this is
Focal Length of the Telescope
the distance light travels in the telescope
before being brought to focus in you
eyepiece. Your tube is 700mm long.
÷
Focal Length of the Eyepiece
=
Magnification
Objective lens diameter is how big the lens
is on your scope. Telescopes are always
described by how large their objective lens
is. Your telescope is 60mm or 2.4 inches.
Other telescopes are 90mm, 8 inches, 16
inches, or even 3 feet in diameter. The
Hubble Telescope’s objective lens has a
diameter of 2.4 meters (that’s 7.8 feet
across!).
Altaz mounting simply means your telescope
moves up and down (altitude or “alt”), and
side to side, (azimuth or “az”). Other
mounting configurations are available for
other telescopes, such as equatorial
mounting.
Look at the specifications. You will see that
the focal length of your scope is 700mm.
Let’s say that you have obtained a 13mm
eyepiece. You can tell that what the focal
length of your eyepiece is as it is always
printed on the side of an eyepiece. Divide:
700 ÷ 13, which equals 53.8. Round this off
to the nearest whole number and your new
eyepiece magnifies objects 54 times.
If you use your Barlow lens with one of your
eyepieces, it doubles the magnification of
your eyepiece. Other types of Barlows can
triple or further increase the power of an
eyepiece. To find out how much your
magnification is when you use a Barlow,
multiply your eyepiece’s magnification by
two.
USE THE SPECIFICATIONS TO CALCULATE
THE MAGNIFICATION OF YOUR EYEPIECE
The power of a telescope is how much it
magnifies objects. Your 25mm eyepiece
magnifies an object 28 times. Your 9mm
eyepiece magnifies objects 78 times.
But if you obtain other eyepieces, you can
calculate how much magnification they have
with your telescope. Just divide the focal
Polaris 60 AZ - AR 3/10/06 11:48 AM Page 15
Eyepiece’s magnification x 2
telescope’s correcting lens will not cause
loss of image quality.
lens (1.25 0.0.) doubles the
magnification of any eyepiece
=
13
Magnification with a 2X Barlow lens
• When absolutely necessary, dust on the
front lens should be removed with very
gentle strokes of a camel hair brush or
blown off with an ear syringe (available at
most pharmacies).
Additional Eyepieces (1.25" barrel
diameter): For higher or lower
Your 25mm low-power eyepiece magnifies
an object 28 times. Multiply 28 by 2 and you
get 56 times magnification with your Barlow.
magnifications with the telescopes that
accommodate 1.25" eyepieces, Meade Series
4000 Super Plössl eyepieces, available in a
wide variety of sizes, provide a high level of
image resolution and color correction at an
economical price. Contact your Meade
Dealer or see the Meade catalog for more
information. Visit us on the web at
It’s worth repeating: Keep in mind that a
bright, clear, but smaller image is more
interesting than a larger, dimmer, fuzzy one.
Using too high a power eyepiece is one of
the most common mistakes made by new
astronomers. So don’t think that higher
magnification is necessarily better—quite
often the best view is with lower
• Fingerprints and organic materials on the
front lens may be removed with a solution
of 3 parts distilled water to 1 part
isopropyl alcohol. You may also add 1 drop
of biodegradable dishwashing soap per
pint of solution. Use soft, white facial
tissues and make short, gentle strokes.
Change tissues often.
magnification value!
JOIN AN ASTRONOMY CLUB, ATTEND A STAR PARTY
TAKING CARE OF YOUR TELESCOPE
One of the best ways to increase your knowledge of
astronomy is to join an astronomy club. Check your
local newspaper, school, library, or telescope dealer/
store to find out if there’s a club in your area.
CAUTION: Do not use scented or lotioned
tissues or damage could result to the optics.
DO NOT use a commercial photographic lens
cleaner.
Your telescope is a precision optical
instrument designed for a lifetime of
rewarding viewing. It will rarely, if ever,
require factory servicing or maintenance.
Follow these guidelines to keep your
telescope in the best condition:
Many groups also hold regularly scheduled Star Parties
at which you can check out and observe with many
different telescopes and other pieces of astronomical
equipment. Magazines such as Sky and Telescope and
Astronomy print schedules for many popular Star
Parties around the United States and Canada.
OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES
#928 45° Erecting Prism (1.25 O.D.):
Correctly orients the telescopic image
during terrestrial observing #126 Barlow
• Avoid cleaning the telescope’s lenses. A
little dust on the front surface of the
Polaris 60 AZ - AR 3/10/06 11:48 AM Page 16
Meade, freight-prepaid, with proof of
limited to a term of one year from the date
of original retail purchase.
MEADE CONSUMER SOLUTIONS
purchase. This warranty applies to the
original purchaser only and is non-
transferable. Meade products purchased
outside North America are not included in
this warranty, but are covered under
separate warranties issued by Meade
international distributors.
If you have a question concerning
your telescope, call Meade
Instruments Consumer Solutions
Department at (800) 626-3233.
14
This warranty gives you specific rights. You
may have other rights which vary from state
to state.
Consumer Solutions hours are 8:00AM to
5:00PM, Pacific Time, Monday through
Friday. Write or call the Meade Consumer
Solutions Department first, before returning
the telescope to the factory, giving full
particulars as to the nature of the problem,
as well as your name, address, and daytime
telephone number. The great majority of
servicing issues can be resolved by
telephone, avoiding return of the telescope
to the factory.
Meade reserves the right to change product
specifications or to discontinue products
without notice.
RGA Number Required: Prior to the return
of any product or part, a Return Goods
Authorization (RGA) number must be
obtained from Meade by writing, or by
calling (800) 626-3233. Each returned part or
product must include a written statement
detailing the nature of the claimed defect, as
well as the owner’s name, address, and
phone number.
This warranty supersedes all previous
Meade product warranties.
MEADE LIMITED WARRANTY
This warranty is not valid in cases where the
product has been abused or mishandled,
where unauthorized repairs have been
attempted or performed, or where
depreciation of the product is due to normal
wear-and-tear. Meade specifically disclaims
special, indirect, or consequential damages
or lost profit which may result from a breach
of this warranty. Any implied warranties
which cannot be disclaimed are hereby
Every Meade telescope, spotting scope, and
telescope accessory is warranted by Meade
Instruments Corporation (“Meade”) to be
free of defects in materials and
workmanship for a period of ONE YEAR from
the date of original purchase in the U.S.A.
Meade will repair or replace a product, or
part thereof, found by Meade to be defective,
provided the defective part is returned to
©2006 MEADE INSTRUMENTS CORPORATION
Polaris 60 AZ - AR 3/10/06 11:48 AM Page 17
OBSERVATION LOG
OBSERVER:
OBJECT NAME:
DATE & TIME OBSERVED:
CONSTELLATION:
EYEPIECE SIZE:
SEEING CONDITIONS:
NOTES:
EXCELLENT
GOOD
POOR
DRAWING OF IMAGE
Polaris 60 AZ - AR 3/10/06 11:48 AM Page 18
OBSERVATION LOG
OBSERVER:
OBJECT NAME:
DATE & TIME OBSERVED:
CONSTELLATION:
EYEPIECE SIZE:
SEEING CONDITIONS:
NOTES:
EXCELLENT
GOOD
POOR
DRAWING OF IMAGE
Polaris 60 AZ - AR 3/10/06 11:48 AM Page 19
Polaris 60 AZ - AR 3/10/06 11:48 AM Page 20
Meade Instruments Corporation
1-800
6001 Oak Canyon, Irvine, California
92618
|