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Event Menu
The Event menu provides access to dates and times of astronomical events. The Event data-
base includes:
Sunrise and Sunset calculates the time that the Sun rises or sets on the current date. Find
r
ise and set times for other dates by entering a new date into the “Setup: Date” menu. See
DATE, page 26.
Moonrise and Moonset calculates the time that the Moon rises or sets on the current date.
Find r
ise and set times for other dates by entering a new date into the “Setup: Date” menu. See
DATE, page 26.
Moon Phases displays the date and time of the next Full, New, 1st Quarter, and 3rd Quarter
Moon.
Meteor Showers provides information
on upcoming meteor showers, such as the Perseids, the
Leonids,
etc. Also lists the dates of the showers and when they reach maximum.
NOTE: Meteor showers cover large areas of the sky and are usually best observed
with the naked eye.
Solar Eclipse lists upcoming Solar Eclipses, including the date and type (total, annular, or par-
tial) of eclipse
, and the location and time of the first and last contacts of the Moon's shadow.
Use the Scroll Up and Down keys to display the available data. Remember, never use a tele-
scope to look at the Sun! See “WARNING!” to the left.
Lunar Eclipse lists upcoming Lunar Eclipses, including the date and type (total, partial,
penumbral) of eclipse. Use the Scroll Up and Down keys to display the available data.
Autumn and Vernal Equinox calculates the time and date of the fall or spring equinox of the
current year.
Winter and Summer Solstice calcu-
lates the time and date of the winter or
summer solstice of the current year.
Glossary Menu
The Glossary menu provides an alpha-
betical listing of definitions and descrip-
tions for common astronomical terms
and Autostar functions. Access directly
through the Glossary menu or through
hypertext words embedded in Autostar.
A
hypertext word is any word in [brack-
ets
], usually f
ound when using the
Autostar Help function or when reading a
scrolling message such as a description
of a planet or star
. Press ENTER when-
ever a hypertext word is on screen and
Autostar goes to the glossary entry for
that word.
T
o access directly from the Glossar
y
menu, use the Scroll keys to scroll
through the alphabet. Press ENTER on
the desired letter. Scroll to the desired
entr
y and then press ENTER to read the
description.
Utilities Menu
The Utilities menu provides access to
several extra features within Autostar,
including a countdown timer and an
alarm. The Utilities functions include:
TIPS
FOR BEGINNERS
• Try to pick an observing site away from street
and house lights and car headlights.While this
is not always possible, the darker the site, the
better.
• Give your eyes about ten minutes to adjust to
the darkness before observing. Give your eyes
a rest from observing every ten or fifteen min-
utes to relieve eyestrain.
• Try not to use a standard flashlight. A lot of
observers use red LED flashlights or tape red
cellophane o
v
er their flashlights to use f
or
setup and map reading so the
y don’t ha
v
e to
contin
ually readjust their e
y
es to the dar
kness
.
Be careful not to shine br
ight lights if there are
other obser
v
ers in the area.
Do not shine a
flashlight into the telescope while someone is
obser
ving!
•
Dress warmly. It gets chilly when you’re sitting
f
or prolonged periods.
• Practice setting up your equipment during the
day or in a lighted area to become familiar with
it before going to a dark site.
•
Use y
our 25mm e
yepiece to view terrestrial
objects and wider areas of space
, such as
open star clusters
.
Use y
our 9mm eyepiece
when y
ou wish to vie
w something up close
,
such as cr
aters on the Moon or the r
ings of
Satur
n.
•
Know your observing site. If you’re going to try
out an unfamiliar site, check it out in the daylight
for possible obstructions and pitfalls.