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INSTRUCTION MANUAL
®
Orion
™
AstroView 100 EQ
#9862 100mm Equatorial Refracting Telescope
Customer Support (800) 676-1343
E-mail: support@telescope.com
Corporate Offices (831) 763-7000
P.O. Box 1815, Santa Cruz, CA 95061
Providing Exceptional Consumer Optical Products Since 1975
IN 191 Rev. A 07/02
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Finder scope Tube mounting rings Finder scope bracket Objective lens Eyepiece Star diagonal Tube ring Focus knob attachment knobs Declination slow-motion control cable Counterweight shaft Right Ascension (R.A.) Counterweight slow-motion control cable Counterweight lock knob Polar axis finder scope “Toe saver” Latitude scale Tripod leg Latitude adjustment T-bolts Accessory tray bracket Accessory tray Leg lock knob Figure 1. The AstroView 100 EQ Reflector. 2
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Welcome to the exciting world of amateur astronomy! Your new AstroView 100 EQ Reflector is designed for high-resolution viewing of astronomical objects. With its precision optics and equatorial mount, you’ll be able to locate and enjoy hundreds of fascinating celestial denizens, including the planets, Moon, and a variety of deep-sky galaxies, nebulas, and star clusters. These instructions will help you set up, properly use, and care for your telescope. Please read them thor- oughly before gettin
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Finder scope bracket Nylon thumbscrews Finder scope Tensioner Focusing lock ring Figure 2b. Pull back on the tensioner and slide the finder scope into its bracket until the O-ring is seated in the bracket ring Figure 2a. The 6x30 finder scope Focus lock thumbscrew 4. Next, tighten the wingnuts at the top of the tripod legs, so the legs are securely fastened to the equatorial mount. Use the wrench and your fingers to do this. 5. Orient the equatorial mount as it appears in Figure 1, at a latitud
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Figure 4a. Figure 4b. Proper operation of the equatorial mount requires that the telescope tube be balanced on the R.A. axis. (a) With the R.A. lock lever released, slide the counterweight along the counterweight shaft until it just counterbalances the tube. (b) When you let go with both hands, the tube should not drift up or down. The telescope should be balanced in the Dec. axis already if you have properly centered the 1/4"-20 mounting block on the optical tube relative to the tube rings. Se
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Aligning the Finder Scope The AstroView 100 EQ comes with a 6x30 achromatic finder scope (Figure 2a). The number 6 means six-times magnifica- tion and the 30 indicates a 30mm diameter front lens. The finder scope makes it easier to locate the subject you want to observe in the telescope, because the finder scope has a much wider field of view. View through finder scope The AstroView 100 EQ’s finder scope uses a spring-loaded bracket that makes alignment of the finderscope very easy. As you turn
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Right Ascension axis Right Ascension lock lever Declination setting circle Declination lock lever Front opening in R.A. axis Latitude scale Right Ascension setting circle lock thumbscrew Latitude adjustment T-bolts Azimuth fine adjustment knobs Polar axis finder scope Right Ascension setting circle Figure 6. The equaltorial mount of the AstroView 100 EQ. time. That apparent motion is caused by the Earth’s rotation (from west to east). An equatorial mount (Figure 6) is designed to compensate for
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R.A. setting circle lock thumbscrew Pointer R.A. setting circle Date circle Meridian offset scale Ring with engraved time meridian indicator mark Polar scope Azimuth housing Polar scope fine alignment adjustment thumbscrew (3) Tripod Polar axis knobs attachment finder scope knob Figure 8. For polar alignment, position the tripod so that the “N” Figure 9. The polar axis finder scope installed in the right label at the base of the mount faces north. The two azimuth fine ascension (R.A.) axis of
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6. Look through the polar finder at a distant object (during the time meridian, while lines to the right of the “0” indicate west day) and center it in the crosshairs.You may need to adjust of the closest standard time meridian. the latitude adjustment T-bolts and the tripod position to do Continuing with the prior example of observing in Las Vegas, this. you would rotate the date circle so that the first line to the left 7. Rotate the mount 180° about the R.A. axis. Again, it may of the “0” on
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without any manual adjustment of the R.A. slow-motion con- only needed for polar alignment using the polar axis finder trol. A motor drive system is necessary for astrophotography. scope. Understanding the Setting Circles Finding Objects With the Setting Circles The setting circles on an equatorial mount enable you to Now that both setting circles are calibrated, look up in a star locate celestial objects by their “celestial coordinates”. Every atlas the coordinates of an object you wish to view
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a. b. c. d. Figure 10 This illustration shows the telescope pointed in the four cardinal directions (a) North, (b) South, (c) East, (d) West. Note that the tripod and mount have not been moved; only the telescope tube has moved on the R.A. and Dec. axes To point the telescope to the east or west, or in other direc- amount of distortion causing atmosphere you are looking tions, you rotate the telescope on its R.A. and Dec. axes. through. Depending on the altitude of the object you want to observe
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Use of 2" Eyepieces A feature of the AstroView 100 EQ is its ability to use either 1.25" or 2" barrel-diameter eyepieces. At low magnifications, 1.9 2" eyepieces can give a wider field of view than standard 1.25" eyepieces. This is especially desirable for observing deep-sky 4.9 objects, as many of them appear quite large, but faint. If you 2.4 want to use 2" eyepieces, you will need to use a 2" star diago- 2.4 3.4 1.7 nal for refractors, or a 2" extension tube, so that the telescope 2.5 1.9 wil
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What to Expect ing) is necessary for a good view. You may see a tiny, bright “star” close by; that’s Saturn’s brightest moon, Titan. So what will you see with your telescope? You should be able to see bands on Jupiter, the rings of Saturn, craters on the VENUS At its brightest, Venus is the most luminous object in moon, the waxing and waning of Venus, and possibly hun- the sky, excluding the Sun and the Moon. It is so bright that dreds of deep sky objects. Do not expect to see as much color some
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years by professional and amateur astronomers alike. Keep in mind, as with any new task, that starhopping may seem chal- lenging at first, but will become easier over time and with practice. To starhop, only a minimal amount of additional equipment is necessary. A star chart or atlas that shows stars to at least mag- nitude 5 is required. Select one that shows the positions of many deep-sky objects, so you will have lots of options to choose from. If you do not know the positions of the constell
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Pair of collimating screws Reflective ring 1.25" adapter Viewing hole Figure 13. The collimating tool in the AstroView 100 focuser. Figure 14. The lens cell of the AstroView 100. There are three pairs of collimating screws; each pair of screws work together to adjust the tilt of the lens. 8. Collimation The AstroView 100 EQ telescope has objective lens cell of screws; each pair works together to tilt the lens. Using your which incorporates a collimation adjustment; this helps to 2.5mm hex key a
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lenses of your eyepieces or finderscope. Never use regular 10. Specifications glass cleaner or cleaning fluid designed for eyeglasses Optical tube: Seamless aluminum Before cleaning with fluid and tissue, blow any loose particles off the lens with a blower bulb or compressed air. Then apply Objective lens: Achromatic, air-spaced some cleaning fluid to a tissue, never directly on the optics. Objective lens coating: Fully multi-coated Wipe the lens gently in a circular motion, then remove any Obj
