Celestron 22097, 22087 User manual

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INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................................ 4

Warning .......................................................................................................................................................................... 4

ASSEMBLY ...................................................................................................................................................................... 6

Assembling the NexStar.................................................................................................................................................. 6

Attaching the Hand Control Holder............................................................................................................................ 7

Attaching the Fork Arm to the Tripod ........................................................................................................................ 7

Attaching the Telescope to the Fork Arm ................................................................................................................... 7

The Star Diagonal....................................................................................................................................................... 7

The Eyepiece............................................................................................................................................................... 8

Focusing...................................................................................................................................................................... 8

The Star Pointer Finderscope......................................................................................................................................8

Star Pointer Installation............................................................................................................................................... 9

Star Pointer Operation................................................................................................................................................. 9

Attaching the Hand Control...................................................................................................................................... 10

Powering the NexStar ............................................................................................................................................... 10

HAND CONTROL ......................................................................................................................................................... 11

The Hand Control ..................................................................................................................................................... 11

Hand Control Operation................................................................................................................................................ 12

Alignment Procedure ................................................................................................................................................ 13

Sky Align.................................................................................................................................................................. 13

Auto Two-Star Align ................................................................................................................................................ 15

Two Star Alignment.................................................................................................................................................. 15

One-Star Align.......................................................................................................................................................... 16

Solar System Align................................................................................................................................................... 16

NexStar Re-Alignment.............................................................................................................................................. 17

Object Catalog .............................................................................................................................................................. 17

Selecting an Object................................................................................................................................................... 17

Slewing to an Object................................................................................................................................................. 18

Finding Planets ......................................................................................................................................................... 18

Tour Mode ................................................................................................................................................................ 18

Constellation Tour .................................................................................................................................................... 18

Direction Buttons.......................................................................................................................................................... 19

Rate Button............................................................................................................................................................... 19

Set Up Procedures......................................................................................................................................................... 19

Tracking Mode.......................................................................................................................................................... 19

Tracking Rate............................................................................................................................................................ 20

View Time-Site......................................................................................................................................................... 20

User Defined Objects................................................................................................................................................ 20

Get R.A./DEC........................................................................................................................................................... 20

Goto R.A./DEC......................................................................................................................................................... 20

Identify...................................................................................................................................................................... 21

Scope Setup Features....................................................................................................................................................21

Anti-backlash............................................................................................................................................................21

Slew Limits............................................................................................................................................................... 21

Filter Limits .............................................................................................................................................................. 21

Direction Buttons...................................................................................................................................................... 21

Goto Approach.......................................................................................................................................................... 22

Cordwrap .................................................................................................................................................................. 22

Utility Features ............................................................................................................................................................. 22

GPS On/Off............................................................................................................................................................... 22

Light Control............................................................................................................................................................. 22

Factory Setting.......................................................................................................................................................... 22

Version...................................................................................................................................................................... 22

Get Axis Position...................................................................................................................................................... 22

Goto Axis Position.................................................................................................................................................... 22

Hibernate................................................................................................................................................................... 22

Sun Menu.................................................................................................................................................................. 23

Scrolling Menu ......................................................................................................................................................... 23

Calibrate Goto........................................................................................................................................................... 23

Set Mount Position.................................................................................................................................................... 23

TELESCOPE BASICS................................................................................................................................................... 25

Focusing.................................................................................................................................................................... 25

Image Orientation .....................................................................................................................................................25

Calculating Magnification......................................................................................................................................... 26

Determining Field of View ....................................................................................................................................... 26

General Observing Hints........................................................................................................................................... 26

CELESTIAL OBSERVING........................................................................................................................................... 27

Observing the Moon ................................................................................................................................................. 27

Lunar Observing Hints.............................................................................................................................................. 27

Observing the Planets................................................................................................................................................ 27

Planetary Observing Hints ........................................................................................................................................ 27

Observing the Sun..................................................................................................................................................... 27

Solar Observing Hints............................................................................................................................................... 28

Observing Deep Sky Objects.................................................................................................................................... 28

Seeing Conditions.....................................................................................................................................................28

Transparency............................................................................................................................................................. 28

Sky Illumination........................................................................................................................................................ 28

Seeing ....................................................................................................................................................................... 29

TELESCOPE MAINTENANCE................................................................................................................................... 30

Care and Cleaning of the Optics ................................................................................................................................... 30

Collimation................................................................................................................................................................... 30

OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES....................................................................................................................................... 32

APPENDIX A - TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS................................................................................................. 34

APPENDIX B – GLOSSARY OF TERMS................................................................................................................... 35

APPENDIX C – RS-232 CONNECTION ..................................................................................................................... 38

APPENDIX D – TIME ZONE MAPS........................................................................................................................... 39

SKY MAPS...................................................................................................................................................................... 41

Congratulations on your purchase of the Celestron NexStar telescope! The NexStar ushers in a whole new generation of computer automated technology. Simple and friendly to use, the NexStar is up and running after locating just three bright celestial objects. It’s the perfect combination of power and portability. If you are new to astronomy, you may wish to start off by using the NexStar's built-in Sky Tour feature, which commands the NexStar to find the most interesting objects in the sky and automatically slews to each one. Or if you are more experienced , you will appreciate the comprehensive database of over 4,000 objects, including customized lists of all the best deep-sky objects, planets, bright double stars. No matter at what level you are starting out, the NexStar will unfold for you and your friends all the wonders of the Universe.

Some of the many standard features of the NexStar include:

 Incredible 3°/second slew speed.  Fully enclosed motors and optical encoders for position location.  Computerized hand controller with 4,000 object database.  Storage for programmable user defined objects; and  Many other high performance features!

The NexStar’s deluxe features combined with Celestron’s legendary optical standards give amateur astronomers one of the most sophisticated and easy to use telescopes available on the market today.

Take time to read through this manual before embarking on your journey through the Universe. It may take a few observing sessions to become familiar with your NexStar, so you should keep this manual handy until you have fully mastered your telescope’s operation. The NexStar hand control has built-in instructions to guide you through all the alignment procedures needed to have the telescope up and running in minutes. Use this manual in conjunction with the on-screen instructions provided by the hand control. The manual gives detailed information regarding each step as well as needed reference material and helpful hints guaranteed to make your observing experience as simple and pleasurable as possible.

Your NexStar telescope is designed to give you years of fun and rewarding observations. However, there are a few things to consider before using your telescope that will ensure your safety and protect your equipment.

Warning

 Never look directly at the sun with the naked eye or with a telescope (unless you have the proper

 Never use your telescope to project an image of the sun onto any surface. Internal heat build-up can

 Never use an eyepiece solar filter or a Herschel wedge. Internal heat build-up inside the telescope can

 Never leave the telescope unsupervised, either when children are present or adults who may not be

solar filter). Permanent and irreversible eye damage may result.

damage the telescope and any accessories attached to it.

cause these devices to crack or break, allowing unfiltered sunlight to pass through to the eye.

familiar with the correct operating procedures of your telescope

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The NexStar SLT Telescope

(NexStar 127MAK Shown)

1 Corrector Lens 7 Tripod Leg Extension Clamp 2 Fork Arm 8 Hand Control 3 Battery Compartment 9 Star Diagonal 4 Tripod Coupling Screw 10 Eyepiece

5 Tripod 11 Star Pointer Finderscope 6 Accessory Tray 12 Telescope Tube

The NexStar comes partially assembled and can be operational in a matter of minutes. The NexStar is

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conveniently packaged in one reusable shipping carton that contains the following accessories:

 25mm and 9mm Eyepieces – 1¼"  1¼" Star Diagonal  Star Pointer Finderscope and Mounting Bracket  Deluxe Accessory Tray  The Sky™ X Astronomy Software  NSOL Telescope Control Software  NexStar Hand Control w/ Object Database

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Your NexStar comes in three major sections: the optical tube, the fork arm and the tripod. These sections can be attached in seconds using the quick release coupling screw located under the tripod mounting platform and the dovetail mounting clamp located on the inside of the fork arm. To begin, remove all of the accessories from their individual boxes. Remember to save all of the containers so that they can be used to transport the telescope. Before attaching the visual accessories, the telescope tube should be mounted to its tripod. First, install the accessory tray onto the tripod legs:

1. Remove the tripod from the box and spread the legs apart until the center leg brace is fully extended.

Flange Post

2. Locate the accessory tray, and place it on top of the tripod center support brace in between the tripod legs

Clips

(see figure 2-1).

3. Rotate the accessory tray so that the central hole in the tray slides over the flange post in the center of the support bracket.

4. Finally, rotate the tray so that the locking tabs slide

Locking Tabs

Figure 2-1

under the locking clips on support bracket. You will here the tray snap into place.

It is a good idea to level the tripod and adjust the height of the tripod legs before attaching the fork arm and tube. Minor adjustments can be made later. To adjust the height of the tripod legs:

1. Loosen the tripod leg locking bolt located on the side of each leg.

2. Slide the inner portion of each leg down 6" to 8" inches.

Level

3. Adjust the tripod height until the bubble level on the tripod leg is centered.

4. Tighten the tripod locking bolts to hold each leg in place.

Figure 2-2

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Dovetail

Mounting Bar

The NexStar comes with a snap-on hand control holder that conveniently attaches to any of the tripod legs. To attach the hand control holder simply position the holder with the square plastic tab facing up and push against the tripod leg until it snaps in to place.

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With the tripod properly assembled, the telescope tube and fork arm can easily be attached using the quick release coupling screw located underneath the tripod mounting platform:

1. Place the fork arm base inside the tripod mounting platform.

2. Thread the coupling screw into the hole at the bottom of the fork arm base and hand tighten.

Coupling Screw

Fork Arm Base

Tripod Mounting Platform

Figure 2-4

Figure 2-3

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Your telescope optical tube has a built on dovetail mounting bar used to attach the tube to the fork arm. To attach the telescope tube:

1. Loosen the tube clamp tightening knob.

2. Slide the dovetail mounting bar of the telescope tube into the fork arm clamp. Make sure that the logo on the side of the tube is right side up when the tube is aligned with the fork arm.

3. Tighten the tube clamp knob by hand to secure the tube to the fork arm.

Your NexStar is fully assembled and is ready to attach the accessories.

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The star diagonal diverts the light at a right angle from the light path of the telescope. For astronomical observing, this allows you to observe in positions that are more comfortable than if you were to look straight through. To attach the star diagonal:

1. Turn the thumbscrew on the eyepiece adapter at the end of the focuser barrel until it no longer extends into (i.e., obstructs) the inner diameter of the focus barrel. Remove the protective dust cap from the focuser barrel.

2. Slide the chrome portion of the star diagonal into the eyepiece adapter.

3. Tighten the thumbscrew on the eyepiece adapter to hold the star diagonal in place.

If you wish to change the orientation of the star diagonal, loosen the thumbscrew on the eyepiece adapter until the star diagonal rotates freely. Rotate the diagonal to the desired position and tighten the thumbscrew.

Tube Clamp Tightening Knob

Figure 2-5

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Star Pointer

Finderscope

Star

Focuser Knob

The eyepiece, is the optical element that magnifies the image focused by the telescope. The eyepiece fits directly into the star diagonal. To install the eyepiece:

1. Loosen the thumbscrew on the star diagonal so it does not obstruct the inner diameter of the eyepiece end of the diagonal. Remove the protective dust cap from the star diagonal's barrel.

2. Slide the chrome portion of the low power 25mm eyepiece into the star diagonal.

Eyepiece

3. Tighten the thumbscrew to hold the eyepiece in place.

To remove the eyepiece, loosen the thumbscrew on the star diagonal and slide the eyepiece out.

Eyepieces are commonly referred to by focal length and barrel diameter. The focal length of each eyepiece is printed on the eyepiece barrel. The longer the focal length (i.e., the larger the number) the lower the eyepiece power or magnification; and the shorter the focal length (i.e., the smaller the number) the higher the magnification. Generally, you will use low-to-moderate power when viewing. For more information on how to determine power, see the section on “Calculating Magnification.”

Barrel diameter is the diameter of the barrel that slides into the star diagonal or focuser. The NexStar uses eyepieces with a standard 1-1/4" barrel diameter.

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The NexStar's focusing mechanism controls the primary mirror which is mounted on a ring that slides back and forth on the primary baffle tube. The focusing knob, which moves the primary mirror, is on the rear cell of the telescope just below the star diagonal and eyepiece. Turn the focusing knob until the image is sharp. If the knob will not turn, it has reached the end of its travel on the focusing mechanism. Turn the knob in the opposite direction until the image is sharp. Once an image is in focus, turn the knob clockwise to focus on a closer object and counterclockwise for a more distant object. A single turn of the focusing knob moves the primary mirror only slightly. Therefore, it will take many turns (about 25) to go from close focus (approximately 20 feet) to infinity.

For astronomical viewing, out of focus star images are very diffuse, making them difficult to see. If you turn the focus knob too quickly, you can go right through focus without seeing the image. To avoid this problem, your first astronomical target should be a bright object (like the Moon or a planet) so that the image is visible even when out of focus. Critical focusing is best accomplished when the focusing knob is turned in such a manner that the mirror moves against the pull of gravity. In doing so, any mirror shift is minimized. For astronomical observing, both visually and photographically, this is done by turning the focus knob counterclockwise.

Diagonal

Figure 2-6

Visual accessories for the NexStar 90 & 127 MAK

models

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The Star Pointer is the quickest and easiest way to point your telescope exactly at a desired object in the sky. It's like having a laser pointer that you can shine directly onto the night sky. The Star Pointer is a zero magnification pointing tool that uses a coated glass window to superimpose the image of a small red dot onto the night sky. While keeping both eyes open when looking through the Star Pointer, simply move your telescope until the red dot, seen through the Star Pointer, merges with the object as seen with your unaided eye. The red dot is produced by a light-emitting diode (LED); it is not a laser beam and will not damage the glass window or your eye. The Star Pointer comes equipped with a variable brightness control, two axes alignment control and mounting brackets. Before the Star Pointer is ready to be used, it must be attached to the telescope tube and properly aligned:

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1. Slide the Star Pointer bracket into the dovetail mounting platform on top of the focuser assembly (see figure 2-9).

Thumb Screw

2. Orient the Star Pointer so that the sight tube is facing towards the front of the tube.

3. Secure the Star Pointer bracket by tightening the thumb screw on the mounting platform.

Star Pointer Operation

The star pointer is powered by a long life 3-volt lithium battery (#CR2032) located underneath the front portion of the Star Pointer. Like all finderscopes, the Star Pointer must be properly aligned with the main telescope before it can be used. This is a simple process using the azimuth and altitude control knobs located on the side and bottom of the Star Pointer. The alignment procedure is best done at night since the LED dot will be difficult to see during the day.

1. Before using the StarPointer, you must first remove the protective plastic cover over the battery (see figure 2-10).

2. To turn on the Star Pointer, rotate the variable brightness control (see figure 2-8) clockwise until you here a "click". To increase the brightness level of the red dot, continue rotating the control knob about 180º until it stops.

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Mounting Platform

3. Locate a bright star or planet and center it in a low power eyepiece in the main telescope.

4. With both eyes open, look through the glass window at the alignment star. If the Star Pointer is perfectly aligned, you will see the red LED dot overlap the alignment star. If the Star Pointer is not aligned, take notice of where the red dot is relative to the bright star.

5. Without moving the main telescope, turn the Star Pointer's azimuth and altitude alignment controls (see figure 2-8) until the red dot is directly over the alignment object.

If the LED dot is brighter than the alignment star, it may make it difficult to see the star. Turn the brightness control

The NexStar SLT Outlets

ON/Off Switch

Red

Alignment

Dot

Protective

Cover

counterclockwise, until the red dot is the same brightness as the alignment star. This will make it easier to get an accurate alignment. The Star Pointer is now ready to be used

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Azimuth adjustment Knob

The NexStar SLT hand control has a phone jack type connector at the end of its cord. Plug the phone jack connector into the outlet at the base of the telescope’s fork arm. Push the connector into the outlet until it clicks into place and place the hand control into its holder as described previously in the Assembly section of the manual.

Auxiliary Port

Hand Control Port

12 V Power Outlet

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Figure 2-12

The NexStar SLT can be powered by 8 user supplied AA size alkaline batteries or an optional 12 V AC adapter. To install batteries into the NexStar:

1. Squeeze the tabs on both sides of the battery compartment cover while lifting upward.

2. Insert 8 AA batteries in to battery compartment holders.

3. Place the battery compartment cover over the batteries and push down until the cover snaps in place.

4. Flip the power switch to the “On” position. The light on the power button should come on.

Removing the Battery Compartment

In case of a loss of power, the optical tube can be moved by hand. However, when powered on, the telescope should always be controlled via the hand control. The NexStar will lose its star alignment if moved by hand when powered on.

Figure 2-13

Cover

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The NexStar SLT's hand controller is designed to give you instant access to all the functions the NexStar has to offer. With automatic slewing to over 4,000 objects, and common sense menu descriptions, even a beginner can master its variety of features in just a few observing sessions. Below is a brief description of the individual components of the NexStar SLT hand controller:

Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) Window: Has a dual-line, 16 character display screen that is backlit for comfortable viewing of telescope information and scrolling text.

Align: Instructs the NexStar to use a selected star or object as an alignment position.

Direction Keys: Allows complete control of the NexStar in any direction. Use the direction keys to center objects in the StarPointer finderscope and eyepiece.

Catalog Keys: The NexStar has a key on the hand control to allow direct access to each of the catalogs in its 4,000+ object database. The NexStar contains the following catalogs in its database:

Messier – Complete list of all Messier objects. NGC – Many of the brightest deep sky objects from the Revised New General Catalog. Caldwell – A combination of the best NGC and IC objects. Planets - All 8 planets in our Solar System plus the Moon and Sun. Stars – A compiled list of the brightest stars from the SAO catalog. List – For quick access, all of the best and most popular objects in the NexStar database have been

broken down into lists based on their type and/or common name:

Named Stars Named Objects

Double Stars

Variable Stars

Asterisms

Common name listing of the brightest stars in the sky. Alphabetical listing of over 50 of the most popular deep sky objects. Alphabetical listing of the most visually stunning double, triple and quadruple stars in the sky. Select list of the brightest variable stars with the shortest period of changing magnitude. A unique list of some of the most recognizable star patterns in the sky

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The NexStar Hand Control

5. Info: Displays coordinates and useful information about objects selected from the NexStar database.

Tour: Activates the tour mode, which seeks out all the best objects for a given month and automatically slews the NexStar to those objects.

Enter: Pressing Enter allows you to select any of the NexStar functions, accept entered parameters and slew the telescope to displayed objects.

Undo: Undo will take you out of the current menu and display the previous level of the menu path. Press Undo repeatedly to get back to a main menu or use it to erase data entered by mistake.

Menu: Displays the many setup and utilities functions such as tracking rate and user defined objects and many others.

10.

Scroll Keys: Used to scroll up and down within any of the menu lists. A double arrow symbol on the right side of the LCD indicates that the scroll keys can be used to view additional information.

11.

Rate: Instantly changes the rate of speed of the motors when the direction buttons are pressed.

12.

RS-232 Jack: Allows use with a computer and software programs for point and click slewing capability.

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This section describes the basic hand control procedures needed to operate the NexStar. These procedures are grouped into three categories: Alignment, Setup and Utilities. The alignment section deals with the initial telescope alignment as well as finding objects in the sky; the setup section discusses changing parameters such as tracking mode and tracking rate; finally, the last section reviews all of the utility functions such as adjusting the telescopes slew limits and backlash compensation.

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In order for the NexStar to accurately point to objects in the sky, it must first be aligned to known positions (stars) in the sky. With this information, the telescope can create a model of the sky, which it uses to locate any object with known coordinates. There are many ways to align the NexStar with the sky depending on what information the user is able to provide:

SkyAlign uses your current date, time and city to create an accurate model of the sky. Then the

user can simply point the telescope to any three bright celestial objects to accurately align the telescope with the sky. Auto Two-Star Align will ask the user to choose and center the first alignment star, then the NexStar will automatically select and slew to a second star for alignment. manually slew the telescope to the two alignment stars.

Two-Star Alignment requires the user to identify and

One-Star Align is the same as Two-Star Align however only

requires you to align to one known star. Although not as accurate as the other alignment methods, One-Star Align is the quickest way to find and track bright planets and objects in Altazimuth mode. Finally,

Solar System Align will

display a list of visible daytime objects (planets and the moon) available to align the telescope. Each alignment method is discussed in detail below.

Definition

"Altazimuth" or "Alt-Az" refers to a type of mounting that allows a telescope to move in both altitude (up and down) and azimuth (left and right) with respect to the ground.

This is the simplest form of mounting in which the telescope

is attached directly to a tripod.

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Sky Align is the easiest way to get your NexStar aligned and ready to observe. Even if you do not know a single star in the sky, the NexStar will have you aligned in minutes by asking for basic information like the date, time and location. Then you simply need to aim the telescope to any three bright celestial objects in the sky. Since Sky Align requires no knowledge of the night sky it is not necessary to know the name of the stars at which you are aiming. You may even select a planet or the moon. The NexStar is then ready to start finding and tracking any of the objects in its 4,000+ object database. Before the telescope is ready to be aligned, it should be set up in an outside location with all accessories (eyepiece, diagonal and finderscope) attached and lens cover removed as described in the Assembly section of the manual. To begin Sky Align:

1. Power on the NexStar by flipping the switch located on the side of the fork arm, to the "on" position. Once turned on the hand control display will say ALIGN key will bypass the other alignment options and the scrolling text and automatically begins

NexStar SLT. Press ENTER to choose Sky Align. Pressing the

Sky Align.

2. Once Sky Align has been selected, the hand control will display “Enter if OK”, “Undo to edit” and “Saved Site”. The bottom line of the LCD will display either the current time or the time when you last used the telescope. Since this is your first time using the NexStar , press UNDO to enter current time/site information.

The hand control display will then ask for the following information:

Location - The NexStar will display a list of cities to choose from. Choose the city from the database that is closest

to your current observing site. The city you choose will be remembered in the hand controls memory so that it will be automatically displayed the next time an alignment is done. Alternatively, if you know the exact longitude and latitude of your observing site, it can be entered directly into the hand control and remembered for future use as well. To choose a location city:

 Use the Up and Down scroll keys to choose between City Database and Custom Site. City Database will

allow you to select the closest city to your observing site from a list of either international or U.S. location. Custom Site allows you to enter the exact longitude and latitude of your observing site. Select City Database and press ENTER.

 The hand control will allow you to choose from either U.S. or international locations. For a listing of U.S.

locations by state and then by city, press ENTER while locations, use the Up or Down scroll key to select

 Use the Up and Down Scroll buttons to choose your current state (or country if International locations was

Internationaland press ENTER.

United States is displayed. For international

selected) from the alphabetical listing and press ENTER.

 Use the Up and Down Scroll buttons to choose the closest city to your location from the displayed list and

press ENTER.

Helpful

Hints

Time - Enter the current time for your area. You can enter either the local time (i.e. 8:00), or you can enter

military time (i.e.

 Select PM or AM. If military time was entered, the hand control will bypass this step.

 Choose between Standard time or Daylight Savings time. Use the Up and Down scroll buttons (10) to toggle

20:00).

between options.

 Select the time zone that you are observing from. Again, use the Up and Down buttons (10) to scroll through

the choices. For time zone information, refer to the Time Zone map in the appendix of this manual.

Date - Enter the month, day and year of your observing session. The display will read: mm/dd/yy.

 If the wrong information has been input into the hand control, the UNDO button will act as a backspace

allowing the user to re-enter information.

 The next time that your NexStar is aligned, the hand control will automatically display the last location

(either a city or longitude/latitude) that was entered. Press ENTER to accept these parameters if they still apply. Pressing the UNDO button will allow you to go back and select a new city location or longitude/latitude.

3. Use the arrow buttons on the hand control to slew (move) the telescope towards any bright celestial object in the sky. Align the object with the red dot of the finderscope and press ENTER.

4. If the finderscope has been properly aligned with the telescope tube, the alignment star should now be visible inside the field of view of the eyepiece. The hand control will ask that you center the bright alignment star in the center of the eyepiece and press the ALIGN button. This will accept the star as the first alignment position. (There is no need to adjust the slewing rate of the motors after each alignment step. The NexStar automatically selects the best slewing rate for aligning objects in both the finderscope and the eyepiece).

5. For the second alignment object, choose a bright star or planet as far as possible from the first alignment object. Once again use the arrow button to center the object in the finderscope and press ENTER. Then once centered in the eyepiece press the ALIGN button.

6. Repeat the process for the third alignment star. When the telescope has been aligned to the final stars, the

display will read "

Match Confirmed". Press UNDO to display the names of the three bright objects

you aligned to, or press ENTER to accept these three objects for alignment. You are now ready to find your first object.

Tips for Using Sky Align

Remember the following alignment guidelines to make using Sky Align as simple and accurate as possible.

 Be sure to level the tripod before you begin alignment. The time/site information along with a level

tripod will help the telescope better predict the available bright stars and planets that are above the horizon.

 Remember to select alignment stars that are as far apart in the sky as possible. For best results make sure

that the third alignment star does not lie in a straight line between the first two stars. This may result in a failed alignment.

 Don’t worry about confusing planets for stars when selecting alignment objects. SkyAlign works with the

four brightest planets (Venus, Jupiter, Saturn and Mars) as well as the Moon. In addition to the planets, the hand control has over 80 bright alignment stars to choose from (down to 2.5 magnitude).

 Rarely SkyAlign will not be able to determine what three alignment objects were centered. This sometime

happens when a bright planet or the Moon passes near one of the brighter stars. In situations like these it is best to try to avoid aligning to either object if possible.

 Be sure to center the objects with the same final movements as the direction of the GoTo Approach. For

example, if the scope normally finishes a GoTo with the front of the scope moving right and up, you should center all three alignment objects in the eyepiece using the right and up arrow buttons (the up/down arrows reverse at slew rates of 6 or lower). Approaching the star from this direction when looking through the eyepiece will eliminate much of the backlash between the gears and assure the most accurate alignment possible.

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As with Sky Align, Auto Two-Star Align requires you to enter all the necessary time/site information as before. Once this information is entered, NexStar will prompt you to select and point the telescope at one known star in the sky. The NexStar now has all the information it needs to automatically choose a second star that will assure the best possible alignment. Once selected the telescope will automatically slew to that second alignment star to complete the alignment. With the NexStar set up outside with all accessories attached and the tripod leveled, follow the steps below to align the telescope:

1. Once the NexStar is powered on, Press ENTER to begin alignment.

2. Use the Up and Down scroll keys (10) to select

3. The hand control will display the last time and location information that was entered into the hand control. Use the Up and Down buttons to scroll through the information. Press ENTER to accept the current information or press UNDO to manually edit the information (see Sky Align section for detailed instruction on entering time/site information).

4. The display will now prompt you to select a bright star from the displayed list on the hand control. Use Up and Down buttons (6 and 9 on the keypad) to scroll to the desired star and then press ENTER.

5. Use the arrow buttons to slew the telescope to the star you selected. Center the star in the finderscope and press ENTER. Finally, center the star in the eyepiece and press ALIGN.

6. Based on this information, the NexStar will automatically display the most suitable second alignment star that is above the horizon. Press ENTER to automatically slew the telescope to the displayed star. If for some reason you do not wish to select this star (perhaps it is behind a tree or building), you can either:

 Press the UNDO button to display the next most suitable star for alignment.  Use the UP and DOWN scroll buttons to manually select any star you wish from the entire list of available

stars.

Auto Two-Star Align and press ENTER.

Once finished slewing, the display will ask you to use the arrow buttons to align the selected star with the red dot of the finderscope. Once centered in the finder, press ENTER. The display will then instruct you to center the star in the field of view of the eyepiece. When the star is centered, press ALIGN to accept this star as your second alignment star. When the telescope has been aligned to both stars the display will read ready to find your first object.

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With the two-star alignment method, the NexStar requires the user to know the positions of two bright stars in order to accurately align the telescope with the sky and begin finding objects. Here is an overview of the two-star alignment procedure:

1. Once the NexStar is powered on, use the Up and Down scroll keys (10) to select Two-Star Align, and press

2. Press ENTER to accept the time/site information displayed on the display, or press UNDO to enter new

3. The SELECT STAR 1 message will appear in the top row of the display. Use the Up and Down scroll keys

4. NexStar then asks you to center in the eyepiece the alignment star you selected. Use the direction arrow

Helpful

5. Then, center the star in the eyepiece and press ALIGN.

In order to accurately center the alignment star in the eyepiece, you may wish to decrease the slew rate of the motors for fine centering. This is done by pressing the RATE key (11) on the hand controller then selecting the number that corresponds to the speed you desire. (9 = fastest, 1 = slowest).

6. NexStar will then ask you to select and center a second alignment star and press the ALIGN key. It is best

Once the second star alignment is completed properly, the display will read hear the tracking motors turn-on and begin to track.

Align Success, and you are now

ENTER.

information.

(10) to select the star you wish to use for the first alignment star. Press ENTER.

buttons to slew the telescope to the alignment star and carefully center the star in the finderscope. Press ENTER when centered.

to choose alignment stars that are a good distance away from one another. Stars that are at least 40º to 60º apart from each other will give you a more accurate alignment than stars that are close to each other.

Align Successful, and you should

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Celestron 22097, 22087 User manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual