Meade Telescope 60AZ AR User Manual

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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.  
8
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  
 
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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.  
 
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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  
 
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  
 

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