Bushnell Telescope Hints Instruction Manual

Telescope Hints and Conditions

1. Your telescope is a very sensitive instrument. For best
results and fewer vibrations set your telescope up on a
level location on the ground rather than your concrete
driveway or your wooden deck. This will provide a more
stable foundation for viewing, especially if you’ve drawn
a crowd with your new telescope.

2. If possible view from a location that has relatively few
lights. This will allow you to see much fainter objects.
You’d be surprised how much more you’ll see from your
local lake or park when compared to a backyard in the
city.

3. Using your telescope out a window is NEVER
recommended.

4. View objects that are high in the sky if possible. Waiting
until the object rises well above the horizon will provide
a brighter and crisper image. Objects on the horizon are
viewed through several layers of Earth’s atmosphere.
Have you ever wondered why the moon appears orange
as it sets on the horizon? It’s because you are looking
through a considerable more amount of atmosphere than
you would directly overhead. (Note: If objects high in
the sky are distorted or wavy, you are probably viewing
on a very humid night.) During nights of unstable
atmosphere, viewing through a telescope can be
frustrating if not impossible. Astronomers refer to crisp,
clear nights as nights of "good seeing."

5. Check your local educational institutions and public
library to locate an astronomy club in your area. Being
around other people who enjoy viewing the night sky is

an excellent way to become more proficient at using
your telescope.

THE BEGINNER should put in an hour or so of practice on
land objects. Even though the image is upside down, you
will gain valuable experience in setting up the telescope,
focusing the eyepiece and other basic operations, all of
which must be learned by actual practice. Then, in the
night sky, the best starting sky is at dusk. This also of
course is the only time you can see Mercury or Venus as
evening stars.

WEATHER: If the weather is cold set up your telescope a
few minutes before you plan to use it so the telescope can
adapt to the cold air.

EYES MUST BE DARK-ADAPTED. It takes at least ten
minutes to dark-adapt your eyes and night vision continues
to improve for up to thirty minutes. If the weather outdoors
is a bit chilly, you can get your night eyes more
comfortably by staying indoors with your eyes closed or in
a dark room. Meanwhile, you have already setup the
telescope and it too is undergoing a slight change in
adapting to the weather. If you want to look at maps or
notes outdoors, use a lamp or flashlight covered with red or
brown paper or a red filter.

EYE POSITION: Your eye must not touch the eyepiece
but at the same time it must be centered on the emergent
light beam. This is impossible to do when your eyes are
not dark-adapted. After you get your night eyes, you will
note that the sky as seen in the telescope is not really black
but a rather bright, luminous gray. Given this target, your