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page 21
Which One’s the Alignment Star?
If Starfinder has chosen an alignment star that you are unfamiliar with, how can you
be sure if the star in your eyepiece is really the alignment star?
The rule of thumb is that an alignment star is usually the brightest star in that area of
the sky. When you view an alignment star in an eyepiece, it will standout dramatically
from the rest of the stars in that portion of the sky.
If you have an obstruction, such as a tree or a building blocking your view of the align-
ment star, or if you have any doubts at all about the star that has been chosen, no
problem. Just press the Scroll Down key and Starfinder will find another star to align
upon.
Go To Saturn
After performing the Train the Drive and the One-Star alignment procedures, the motor
drive begins operating and the telescope is aligned for a night of viewing. Objects in
the eyepiece should maintain their position even though the Earth is rotating beneath
the stars.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Once aligned, only use the Starfinder menus or Arrow
keys to move the telescope. Do not loosen the telescope locks, or move the
base manually, or alignment will be lost.
This exercise demonstrates how to select an object for viewing from Starfinder’s data-
base, i.e., Saturn. Note that Saturn is not visible all year long and it may be necessary
for you to choose another object from Starfinder's database. However, the procedure
is identical to the one used for observing Saturn.
1. After the telescope is aligned, “Select Item: Object” displays. Press ENTER. If
“Select Item: Object” is not currently displayed, press MODE repeatedly until it
displays, then press ENTER.
2. “Object: Solar System” displays. Press ENTER.
3. “Solar System: Mercury” displays. Use the Scroll Down key until “Solar System:
Saturn” displays.
4. Press ENTER. “Calculating” displays. Then “Saturn” and a set of coordinates
displays. Saturn’s (and other planets’) coordinates change throughout the year.
5. Press GO TO. “Saturn: Slewing...” displays and the telescope slews until it finds
Saturn. You may need to use the Arrow keys to center Saturn precisely in the
eyepiece. Starfinder then automatically slews (moves) the telescope so that it
tracks Saturn (or whatever other object you may have chosen). Saturn remains
centered in the eyepiece.
Using the Guided Tour
This example demonstrates using “Tonight’s Best” Guided Tour.
1. After observing Saturn, press MODE twice so that “Select Item: Object” displays
again. If “Select Item: Object” is not currently displayed, press MODE repeatedly
until it displays.
2. Press the Scroll Down key twice. “Select Item: Guided Tour” displays.
3. Press ENTER. “Guided Tour: Tonight’s Best” displays. Press ENTER to select this
tour.
NOTE: If you wish to try out other Guided Tours, press the Scroll Down key
to scroll through other tour choices. When the tour you wish to select
displays, press ENTER.