Orion SPACEPROBE 9851 User Manual

INSTRUCTION MANUAL

Orion SpaceProbe™

130mm EQ

#9851 Equatorial Newtonian Reflector Telescope

Providing Exceptional Consumer Optical Products Since 1975

Customer Support [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]

Corporate Offices [phone]

89 Hangar Way, Watsonville, CA 95076

IN 186 Rev. B 02/09

Finder scope

Alignment thumb screws(2)

Dovetail slot

Eyepiece

Focuser

Dec. slow-motion
control cable

Dec. setting circle

R.A. lock knob

Counterweight
shaft

Counterweight
lock knob

Counterweight

Spring-loaded

tensioner

Finder scope

bracket

Piggyback adapter

Tube mounting rings

Tube ring clamps

Primary mirror cell

Collimation

screws(6)

R.A. setting

circle

R.A. slow motion
control cable

Accessory tray

Accessory tray
bracket

Latitude

adjustment T-bolt

Azimuth lock knob

Leg lock knob

Figure 1. The SpaceProbe 130 EQ parts diagram

2

Congratulations on your purchase of a quality Orion telescope. Your new SpaceProbe 130mm EQ is

designed for high-resolution viewing of astronomical objects. With its precision optics and equatorial
mount, you’ll be able to locate and enjoy hundreds of fascinating celestial denizens, including the plan­ets, Moon, and a variety of deep-sky galaxies, nebulas, and star clusters.

If you have never owned a telescope before, we would like to welcome you to amateur astronomy. Take
some time to familiarize yourself with the night sky. Learn to recognize the patterns of stars in the major
constellations. With a little practice, a little patience, and a reasonably dark sky away from city lights,
you’ll find your telescope to be a never-ending source of wonder, exploration, and relaxation.

These instructions will help you set up, properly use and care for your telescope. Please read them over
thoroughly before getting started.

Table of Contents

1. Unpacking........................ 3

2. Parts List......................... 3

3. Assembly ........................ 3

4. Getting Started .................... 6

5. Setting Up and Using the

Equatorial Mount .................. 8

6. Collimating the Optics.............. 10

7. Using Your Telescope–

Astronomical Observing ............ 12

8. Care and Maintenance ............. 15

9. Specifications .................... 16

1. Unpacking

The entire telescope system will arrive in one box. Be careful
unpacking the box. We recommend keeping the original ship­ping containers. In the event that the telescope needs to be
shipped to another location, or returned to Orion for warranty
repair, having the proper shipping containers will help ensure
that your telescope will survive the journey intact.

Make sure all the parts in the Parts List are present. Be sure
to check boxes carefully, as some parts are small. If anything

appears to be missing or broken, immediately call Orion
Customer Support (800-676-1343) for assistance.

2. Parts List

Qty. Description

1 Optical Tube Assembly

1 Optical tube dust cap

2 Optical tube mounting rings

1 25mm (36x) Explorer II eyepiece (1.25”)

1 10mm (90x) Explorer II eyepiece (1.25”)

1 6x30 crosshair finder scope

1 Dovetail finder scope bracket with O-ring

1 Equatorial mount

3 Tripod legs with attached accessory tray bracket

1 Counterweight shaft

1 Counterweight

1 Tripod accessory tray

3 Accessory tray wing screws
(may be attached to accessory tray)

2 Slow-motion control cables

4 Assembly tools (2 wrenches, Phillips head
screwdriver, flat head screwdriver key)

1 Collimation cap

WARNING: Never look directly at the Sun through

your telescope or its finder scope—even for an
instant—without a professionally made solar filter
that completely covers the front of the instrument, or
permanent eye damage could result. Be sure to also
cover the front of the finder scope with aluminum
foil or another opaque material to prevent physical
damage to the internal components of the scope itself
as well as to your eye. Young children should use this
telescope only with adult supervision.

3. Assembly

Assembling the telescope for the first time should take about
30 minutes. No tools are needed other than the ones pro­vided. All screws should be tightened securely to eliminate
flexing and wobbling, but be careful not to over-tighten or
the threads may strip. Refer to Figure 1 during the assembly
process.

During assembly (and anytime, for that matter), Do not touch
the surfaces of the telescope mirrors or the lenses of the
finder scopes or eyepieces with your fingers. The optical sur-

3

R.A.
setting
circle

Dec.

slow-motion

control cable

Dec.

lock knob

Dec.

setting-circle

R.A.

setting-circle

lock thumbscrew

DECLINATION AXIS

Latitude

RIGHT ASCENSION AXIS

scale

Latitude lock
T-bolt

Latitude
adjustment
T-bolt

Figure 2.

faces have delicate coatings on them that can be damaged
if touched inappropriately. Never remove any lens assembly
from its housing for any reason, or the product warranty and
return policy will be voided.

1. Lay the equatorial mount on its side. Attach the tripod
legs one at a time to the mount using the screws installed
in the tops of the tripod legs. Remove the screw from the
leg, line up the holes in the top of the leg with the holes
in the base of the mount, and reinstall the screw so it
passes through the leg and the mount with one washer
on both sides of the tripod leg. Tighten the wingnuts only
finger-tight, for now.

2. With the tripod legs now attached to the equatorial mount,
stand the tripod upright (be careful!) and spread the legs
apart until the accessory tray bracket is fully extended.

3. Attach the accessory tray to the accessory tray bracket
with the accessory tray wing screws. Push the screws up
through the bottom of the bracket and thread them into
the accesory tray.

4. Orient the equatorial mount as it appears in Figure 2,
at a latitude of about 40°, i.e., so the pointer next to the

The SpaceProbe 130’s equatorial mount.

R.A.

slow-motion

control cable

latitude scale (located directly above the latitude lock
T-bolt) is pointing to the mark at “40.” To do this, loosen
the latitude lock T-bolt, and turn the latitude adjustment
T-bolt until the pointer and the “40” line up. Then retighten
the latitude lock T-bolt. The declination (Dec.) and right
ascension (R.A.) axes may need re-positioning (rotation)
as well. Be sure to loosen the RA and Dec. lock knobs
before doing this. Retighten the R.A. and Dec. lock knobs
once the equatorial mount is properly oriented.

5. Slide the counterweight onto the counterweight shaft.
Make sure the counterweight lock knob is adequately
loosened to allow the counterweight shaft to pass through
the hole in the counterweight.

6. Now, with the counterweight lock knob still loose, grip the
counterweight with one hand and thread the shaft into
the equatorial mount (at the base of the declination axis)
with the other hand. When it is threaded as far in as it will
go, position the counterweight about halfway up the shaft
and tighten the counterweight lock knob. The retaining
screw and washer on the bottom of the shaft prevent the

4

Finder scope
bracket

Finder scope

Focusing
lock ring

Nylon
thumbscrews

Tensioner

Figure 3a. The 6x26 Correct-Image finder scope

counterweight from falling off (and onto your foot!) if the
counterweight lock knob becomes loose.

7. Attach the two tube rings to the equatorial head using
the hex head screws that come installed in the bottom of
the rings. First remove the screws, then push the screws,
with the washers still attached, up through the holes in
the tube ring mounting plate (on the top of the equato­rial mount) and rethread them into the bottom of the
tube rings. Tighten the screws securely with the smaller
wrench. Open the tube rings by first loosening the knurled
ring clamps. One of the tube rings has a piggyback cam­era adapter on top (the knurled black ring); ignore it for
now, it’s purpose will be discussed later in detail.

8. Lay the telescope optical tube in the tube rings at about
the midpoint of the tube’s length. Rotate the tube in the
rings so the focuser is angled somewhere between hori­zontal and straight up. Close the rings over the tube and
tighten the knurled ring clamps finger-tight to secure the
telescope in position.

9. Now attach the two slow-motion cables to the R.A. and
Dec. worm gear shafts of the equatorial mount by posi­tioning the thumb screw on the end of the cable over the
indented slot on the worm gear shaft and then tightening
the thumb screw. We recommend that the shorter cable
be used on the R.A. worm gear shaft and the longer
cable on the Dec. worm gear shaft. The Dec. worm gear
shaft and cable should extend toward the front (open)
end of the telescope optical tube. If it does not, you will
need to remove the tube from the mounting rings, rotate
the mount 180° about the Dec. axis (first loosen the Dec.
lock knob!), and then replace the tube.

Figure 3b. Pull-back on the tensioner and slide the finder scope

into its bracket until the O-ring is seated in the bracket ring

10. To place the finder scope in the finder scope bracket, first
unthread the two black nylon screws until the screw ends
are flush with the inside diameter of the bracket. Place
the O-ring that comes on the base of the bracket over the
body of the finder scope until it seats into the slot on the
middle of the finder scope. Slide the eyepiece end (nar­row end) of the finder scope into the end of the bracket’s
cylinder opposite the alignment screws while pulling the
chrome, spring-loaded tensioner on the bracket with your
fingers (Figure 3b). Push the finder scope through the
bracket until the O-ring seats just inside the front opening
of the bracket’s cylinder. Now, release the tensioner and
tighten the two black nylon screws a couple of turns each
to secure the finder scope in place.

11. Insert the base of the finder scope bracket into the dove­tail slot near the focuser. Lock the bracket into position by
tightening the knurled thumb screw on the dovetail slot.

12. Remove the cap from the focuser and insert the chrome
barrel of one of the eyepieces into the drawtube. Secure
the eyepiece with the thumb screws on the drawtube.
Remember to always loosen the thumb screws before
rotating or removing the eyepiece.

The telescope system is now fully assembled. Keep the dust
cap over the front end of the telescope when it is not in use.

4. Getting Started

Balancing the Telescope

To insure smooth movement of the telescope on both axes
of the equatorial mount, it is imperative that the optical tube
be properly balanced. We will first balance the telescope with
respect to the R.A. axis, then the Dec. axis.

5

a.

b.

c.

Figure 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d. Proper operation of the equatorial mount requires that the telescope tube be balanced on both the R.A. and

Dec. axes. (a) With the R.A. lock knob released, slide the counterweight along the counterweight shaft until it just counterbalances the tube.
(b) When you let go with both hands, the tube should not drift up or down. (c) With the Dec. lock knob released, loosen the tube ring lock
clamps a few turns and slide the telescope forward or back in the tube rings. (d) When the tube is balanced about the Dec. axis, it will not
move when you let go.

1. Keeping one hand on the telescope optical tube, loosen
the R.A. lock lever. Make sure the Dec. lock lever is
locked, for now. The telescope should now be able to
rotate freely about the R.A. axis. Rotate it until the coun­terweight shaft is parallel to the ground (i.e., horizontal).

2. Now loosen the counterweight lock knob and slide the
weight along the shaft until it exactly counterbalances the
telescope (Figure 4a). That’s the point at which the shaft
remains horizontal even when you let go of the telescope
with both hands (Figure 4b).

3. Retighten the counterweight lock knob. The telescope is
now balanced on the R.A. axis.

4. To balance the telescope on the Dec. axis, first tighten
the R.A. lock knob, with the counterweight shaft still in the
horizontal position.

5. With one hand on the telescope optical tube, loosen the
Dec. lock knob. The telescope should now be able to
rotate freely about the Dec. axis. Loosen the tube ring
clamps a few turns, until you can slide the telescope tube
forward and back inside the rings (this can be aided by
using a slight twisting motion on the optical tube while
you push or pull on it) (Figure 4c).

6. Position the telescope so it remains horizontal when you
carefully let go with both hands. This is the balance point
(Figure 4d). Before clamping the rings tight again, rotate
the telescope so the eyepiece is at a convenient angle for
viewing. When you are actually observing with the tele­scope, you can adjust the eyepiece position by loosening
the tube rings and rotating the optical tube.

7. Retighten the tube ring clamps.

The telescope is now balanced on both axes. Now when you
loosen the lock knob on one or both axes and manually point
the telescope, it should move without resistance and should
not drift from where you point it.

Focusing the Telescope

Insert the low-power 25mm eyepiece into the focuser and
secure with the thumb screws. Move the telescope so the
front (open) end is pointing in the general direction of an
object at least 1/4-mile away. Now, with your fingers, slowly
rotate one of the focusing knobs until the object comes into
sharp focus. Go a little bit beyond sharp focus until the image
just starts to blur again, then reverse the rotation of the knob,
just to make sure you’ve hit the exact focus point.

If you have trouble focusing, rotate the focus knob so the
drawtube is in as far as it will go. Now look through the eye-

d.

6

Naked-eye view

View through finder scope and telescope

Figure 5. The view through a standard finder scope and

reflector telescope is upside down (rotated 180°). This is true for the
SpaceProbe 130mm and its finder scope as well.

piece while slowly rotating the focus knob in the opposite
direction. You should soon see the point at which focus is
reached.

Do You Wear Eyeglasses?

If you wear eyeglasses, you may be able to keep them on
while you observe, if your eyepieces have enough “eye relief”
to allow you to see the whole field of view. You can try this
by looking through the eyepiece first with your glasses on
and then with them off, and see if the glasses restrict the
view to only a portion of the full field. If they do, you can eas­ily observe with your glasses off by just refocusing the tele­scope the needed amount.

If your eyes are astigmatic, images will probably appear the
best with glasses on. This is because a telescope’s focuser
can accommodate for nearsightedness or farsightedness,
but not astigmatism. If you have to wear your glasses while
observing and cannot see the entire field of view, you may
want to purchase additional eyepieces that have longer eye
relief.

By loosening or tightening the alignment thumb screws, you
change the line of sight of the finder scope. Continue making
adjustments to the alignment thumb screws until the image in
both the finder scope and the telescope’s eyepiece is exactly
centered. Check the alignment by moving the telescope to
another object and fixing the finder scope’s crosshairs on
the exact point you want to look at. Then look through the
telescope’s eyepiece to see if that point is centered in the
field of view. If it is, the job is done. If not, make the neces­sary adjustments until the two images match up.

NOTE: The image in both the finder scope and the main
telescope will appear upside-down (rotated 180°). This is
normal for finder scopes and reflector telescopes (see
Figure 5).

The finder scope alignment needs to be checked before
every observing session. This can easily be done at night,
before viewing through the telescope. Choose any bright
star or planet, center the object in the telescope eyepiece,
and then adjust the finder scope’s alignment screws until the
star or planet is also centered on the finder’s crosshairs. The
finder scope is an invaluable tool for locating objects in the
night sky; its usage for this purpose will be discussed later,
in detail.

When transporting the telescope, we recommend removing
the finder scope and bracket from the tube. This is done by
simply loosening the thumb screw on the dovetail slot. Store
the finder scope and bracket in an appropriate eyepiece/
accessory case.

Focusing the Finder Scope

If, when looking through the finder scope, the images appear
somewhat out of focus, you will need to refocus the finder
scope for your eyes. Loosen the lock ring located behind
the objective lens cell on the body of the finder scope (see
Figure 3a). Back the lock ring off by a few turns, for now.
Refocus the finder scope on a distant object by threading the
objective lens cell in or out on the finder scope body. Precise
focusing will be achieved by focusing the finder scope on a
bright star. Once the image appears sharp, retighten the lock
ring behind the objective lens cell. The finder scope’s focus
should not need to be adjusted again.

Aligning the Finder Scope

Now, look in the finder scope. Is the object visible? Ideally,
it will be somewhere in the finder’s field of view. If it is not,
some coarse adjustments of the two black nylon finder scope
alignment thumb screws will be needed to get the finder
scope roughly parallel to the main tube.

The finder scope must be aligned accurately with the tele­scope for proper use. To align it, aim the main telescope
in the general direction of an object at least 1/4-mile away,
such as the top of a telephone pole, a chimney, etc. Do this
by first loosening the R.A. and Dec. lock knobs. Position the
telescope so the object appears in the eyepiece’s field of
view and then retighten the R.A. and Dec. lock knobs. Use
the slow-motion control cables to center the object in the
eyepiece.

5. Setting Up and Using

the Equatorial Mount

When you look at the night sky, you no doubt have noticed
that the stars appear to move slowly from east to west over
time. That apparent motion is caused by the Earth’s rota­tion (from west to east). An equatorial mount (Figure 2) is
designed to compensate for that motion, allowing you to
easily “track” the movement of astronomical objects, thereby
keeping them from drifting out of the telescope’s field of view
while you’re observing.

This is accomplished by slowly rotating the telescope on its
right ascension axis, using only the R.A. slow-motion cable.
But first the R.A. axis of the mount must be aligned with

7

the Earth’s rotational (polar) axis—a process called polar
alignment.

Polar Alignment

For Northern Hemisphere observers, approximate polar
alignment is achieved by pointing the mount’s R.A. axis at
the North Star, or Polaris. It lies within 1° of the north celes­tial pole (NCP), which is an extension of the Earth’s rota­tional axis out into space. Stars in the Northern Hemisphere
appear to revolve around the NCP.

To find Polaris in the sky, look north and locate the pattern
of the Big Dipper (Figure 6). The two stars at the end of the
“bowl” of the Big Dipper point right to Polaris.

Observers in the Southern Hemisphere aren’t so fortunate
to have a bright star so near the south celestial pole (SCP).
The star Sigma Octantis lies about 1° from the SCP, but it is
barely visible with the naked eye (magnitude 5.5).

For general visual observation, an approximate polar align­ment is sufficient.

1. Level the equatorial mount by adjusting the length of the
three tripod legs.

2. Loosen the latitude lock T-bolt. Turn the latitude adjust­ment T-bolt and tilt the mount until the pointer on the lati­tude scale is set at the latitude of your observing site. If
you don’t know your latitude, consult a geographical atlas
to find it. For example, if your latitude is 35° North, set
the pointer to 35. Then retighten the latitude lock T-bolt.
The latitude setting should not have to be adjusted again
unless you move to a different viewing location some dis­tance away.

3. Loosen the Dec. lock knob and rotate the telescope opti­cal tube until it is parallel with the R.A. axis, as it is in
Figure 1. The pointer on the Dec. setting circle should
read 90°, Retighten the Dec. lock lever.

4. Loosen the azimuth lock knob at the base of the equato­rial mount and rotate the mount so the telescope tube
(and R.A. axis) points roughly at Polaris. If you cannot
see Polaris directly from your observing site, consult a
compass and rotate the mount so the telescope points
North. Retighten the azimuth lock knob.

The equatorial mount is now polar-aligned for casual observing.
More precise polar alignment is required for astrophotography.

From this point on in your observing session, you should not
make any further adjustments in the azimuth or the latitude
of the mount, nor should you move the tripod. Doing so will
undo the polar alignment. The telescope should be moved
only about its R.A. and Dec. axes.

Use of the R.A. and Dec.
Slow-Motion Control Cables

The R.A. and Dec. slow-motion control cables allow fine
adjustment of the telescope’s position to center objects
within the field of view. Before you can use the cables, you
must manually “slew” the mount to point the telescope in the
vicinity of the desired target. Do this by loosening the R.A.

Little Dipper

Big Dipper

(in Ursa Major)

Pointer Stars

(in Ursa Minor)

N.C.P.

Polaris

Cassiopeia

Figure 6. To find Polaris in the night sky, look north and find the

Big Dipper. Extend an imaginary line from the two “Pointer Stars”
in the bowl of the Big Dipper. Go about five times the distance
between those stars and you’ll reach Polaris, which lies within 1° of
the north celestial pole (NCP).

and Dec. lock knobs and moving the telescope about the
mount’s R.A. and Dec. axes. Once the telescope is pointed
somewhere close to the object to be viewed, retighten the
mount’s R.A. and Dec. lock knobs.

The object should now be visible somewhere in the tele­scope’s finder scope. If it isn’t, use the slow-motion controls
to scan the surrounding area of sky. When the object is
visible in the finder scope, use the slow-motion controls to
center it. Now, look in the telescope with a long focal length
(low magnification) eyepiece. If the finder scope is properly
aligned, the object should be visible somewhere in the field
of view.

Once the object is visible in the telescope’s eyepiece, use
the slow-motion controls to center it in the field of view. You
can now switch to a higher magnification eyepiece, if you
wish. After switching eyepieces, you can use the slow-motion
control cables to re-center the image, if necessary.

The Dec. slow-motion control cable can move the telescope
a maximum of 25°, This is because the Dec. slow-motion
mechanism has a limited range of mechanical travel. (The
R.A. slow-motion mechanism has no limit to its amount of
travel.) If you can no longer rotate the Dec. control cable in
a desired direction, you have reached the end of travel, and
the slow-motion mechanism should be reset. This is done by
first rotating the control cable several turns in the opposite
direction from which it was originally being turned. Then,
manually slew the telescope closer to the object you wish
to observe (remember to first loosen the Dec. lock knob).
You should now be able to use the Dec. slow-motion control
cable again to fine adjust the telescope’s position.

Tracking Celestial Objects

When you observe a celestial object through the telescope,
you’ll see it drift slowly across the field of view. To keep it in
the field, if your equatorial mount is polar aligned, just turn
the R.A. slow-motion control cable. The Dec. slow-motion
control cable is not needed for tracking. Objects will appear
to move faster at higher magnifications, because the field of
view is narrower.

8

Optional Motor Drives for Automatic Tracking

An optional DC motor drive can be mounted on the R.A.
axis of the equatorial mount to provide hands-free tracking.
Objects will then remain stationary in the field of view without
any manual adjustment of the R.A. slow-motion control.

Understanding the Setting Circles

The setting circles on an equatorial mount enable you to
locate celestial objects by their “celestial coordinates”. Every
object resides in a specific location on the “celestial sphere”.
That location is denoted by two numbers: its right ascension
(R.A.) and declination (Dec.). In the same way, every location
on Earth can be described by its longitude and latitude. R.A.
is similar to longitude on Earth, and Dec. is similar to latitude.
The R.A. and Dec. values for celestial objects can be found
in any star atlas or star catalog.

The R.A. setting circle is scaled in hours, from 1 through 24,
with small marks in between representing 10-minute incre­ments (there are 60 minutes in 1 hour of R.A.). The lower
set of numbers (closest to the plastic R.A. gear cover) apply
to viewing in the Northern Hemisphere, while the numbers
above them apply to viewing in the Southern Hemisphere.

The Dec. setting circle is scaled in degrees, with each mark
representing 1° increments. Values of Dec. coordinates range
from +90° to -90°. For Northern Hemisphere observers, use
the numbers on the setting circle that are closest to the
eastern horizon. The 0° mark indicates the celestial equator;
values north of the Dec. = 0° mark are positive, while values
south of the Dec. = 0° mark are negative.

So, the coordinates for the Orion Nebula listed in a star atlas
will look like this:

R.A. 5h 35.4m Dec. –5° 27'

That’s 5 hours and 35.4 minutes in right ascension, and -5
degrees and 27 arc-minutes in declination (there are 60 arc­minutes in 1 degree of declination).

Before you can use the setting circles to locate objects, the
mount must be well polar aligned, and the R.A. setting circle
must be calibrated. The Dec. setting circle has been calibrat­ed at the factory, and should read 90° when the telescope
optical tube is parallel with the R.A. axis.

Calibrating the Right Ascension Setting Circle

1. Identify a bright star near the celestial equator (Dec. = 0°)
and look up its coordinates in a star atlas.

2. Loosen the R.A. and Dec. lock knobs on the equatorial
mount, so the telescope optical tube can move freely.

3. Point the telescope at the bright star near the celestial
equator whose coordinates you know. Lock the R.A. and
Dec. lock knobs. Center the star in the telescope’s field of
view with the slow-motion control cables

4. Loosen the R.A. setting circle lock thumb screw located
just above the R.A. setting circle pointer; this will allow
the setting circle to rotate freely. Rotate the setting circle
until the pointer indicates the R.A. coordinate listed in the
star atlas for the object. Retighten the thumb screw.

Finding Objects With the Setting Circles

Now that both setting circles are calibrated, look up in a star
atlas the coordinates of an object you wish to view.

1. Loosen the Dec. lock knob and rotate the telescope until
the Dec. value from the star atlas matches the reading on
the Dec. setting circle. Retighten the Dec. lock knob.

2. Loosen the R.A. lock knob and rotate the telescope until
the R.A. value from the star atlas matches the reading on
the R.A. setting circle. Retighten the lock knob.

Most setting circles are not accurate enough to put an object
dead-center in the telescope’s eyepiece, but they should
place the object somewhere within the field of view of the
finder scope, assuming the equatorial mount is accurately
polar-aligned. Use the slow-motion controls to center the
object in the finder scope, and it should appear in the tele­scope’s field of view.

Confused About Pointing the Telescope?

Beginners occasionally experience some confusion about
how to point the telescope overhead or in other directions. In
Figure 1 the telescope is pointed north, as it would be during
polar alignment. The counterweight shaft is oriented down­ward. But it will not look like that when the telescope is point­ed in other directions. Let’s say you want to view an object
that is directly overhead, at the zenith. How do you do it?

One thing you DO NOT do is make any adjustment to the
latitude adjustment T-bolt. That will nullify the mount’s polar
alignment. Remember, once the mount is polar-aligned, the
telescope should be moved only on the R.A. and Dec. axes.
To point the scope overhead, first loosen the R.A. lock knob
and rotate the telescope on the R.A. axis until the coun­terweight shaft is horizontal (parallel to the ground). Then
loosen the Dec. lock knob and rotate the telescope until it
is pointing straight overhead. The counterweight shaft is still
horizontal. Then retighten both lock levers.

Similarly, to point the telescope directly south, the counter­weight shaft should again be horizontal. Then you simply
rotate the scope on the Dec. axis until it points in the south
direction.

What if you need to aim the telescope directly north, but at
an object that is nearer to the horizon than Polaris? You can’t
do it with the counterweight down as pictured in Figure 1.
Again, you have to rotate the scope in R.A. so the counter­weight shaft is positioned horizontally. Then rotate the scope
in Dec. so it points to where you want it near the horizon.

To point the telescope to the east or west, or in other direc­tions, you rotate the telescope on its R.A. and Dec. axes.
Depending on the altitude of the object you want to observe,
the counterweight shaft will be oriented somewhere between
vertical and horizontal.

Figure 7 illustrates how the telescope will look pointed at the
four cardinal directions—north, south, east, and west

To point the telescope to the east or west, or in other direc­tions, you rotate the telescope on its R.A. and Dec. axes.
Depending on the altitude of the object you want to observe,

9

b. d.a. c.

Figure 7. This illustration shows the telescope pointed in the four cardinal directions: (a) north, (b)south, (c) east, (d) west. Note that the

tripod and mount have not been moved; only the telescope tube has been moved on the R.A. and Dec. axes.

the counterweight shaft will be oriented somewhere between
vertical and horizontal.

The key things to remember when pointing the telescope is
that a) you only move it in R.A. and Dec., not in azimuth or
latitude (altitude), and b) the counterweight and shaft will not
always appear as it does in Figure 1. In fact, it almost never
will!

6. Collimating the Optics
(Aligning the Mirrors)

Collimation is the process of adjusting the mirrors so they
are perfectly aligned with one another. Your telescope’s
optics were aligned at the factory, and should not need
much adjustment unless the telescope is handled roughly.
Accurate mirror alignment is important to ensure the peak
performance of your telescope, so it should be checked reg­ularly. Collimation is relatively easy to do and can be done in
daylight.

To check collimation, remove the eyepiece and look down
the focuser drawtube. You should see the secondary mirror
centered in the drawtube, as well as the reflection of the pri­mary mirror centered in the secondary mirror, and the reflec­tion of the secondary mirror (and your eye) centered in the
reflection of the primary mirror, as in figure 8a. If anything is
off-center, as in figure 8b, proceed with the following collima­tion procedure.

The Collimation Cap and Mirror Center Mark

Your SpaceProbe 130 EQ comes with a collimation cap. This
is a simple cap that fits on the focuser drawtube like a dust
cap, but has a hole in the center and a silver bottom. This
helps center your eye so that collimation is easy to perform.
Figures 8b through 8e assume you have the collimation cap
in place.

In addition to providing the collimation cap, you’ll notice a tiny
ring (sticker) in the exact center of the primary mirror. This
“center mark” allows you to achieve a very precise collima­tion of the primary mirror; you don’t have to guess where the

center of the mirror is. You simply adjust the mirror position
(described below) until the reflection of the hole in the col­limation cap is centered inside the ring. This center mark is
also required for best results with other collimating devices,
such as Orion’s LaserMate Laser Collimator, obviating the
need to remove the primary mirror and mark it yourself.

NOTE: The center ring sticker need not ever be removed
from the primary mirror. Because it lies directly in the
shadow of the secondary mirror, its presence in no
way adversely affects the optical performance of the
telescope or the image quality. That might seem counter­intuitive, but it’s true!

Aligning the Secondary Mirror

With the collimation cap in place, look through the hole in the
cap at the secondary (diagonal) mirror. Ignore the reflections
for the time being. The secondary mirror itself should be cen­tered in the focuser drawtube, in the direction parallel to the
length of the telescope. If it isn’t, as in figure 8b, it must be
adjusted. Typically, this adjustment will rarely, if ever, need to
be done. It helps to adjust the secondary mirror in a brightly
lit room with the telescope pointed toward a bright surface,
such as white paper or wall. Placing a piece of white paper
in the telescope tube opposite the focuser (i.e., on the other
side of the secondary mirror) will also be helpful in collimat­ing the secondary mirror. Using a 2mm Allen wrench, loosen
the three small alignment set screws in the center hub of
the 4-vaned spider several turns. Now hold the mirror holder
stationary (be careful not to touch the surface of the mirrors),
while turning the center screw with a Phillips head screw­driver (see Figure 9). Turning the screw clockwise will move
the secondary mirror toward the front opening of the optical
tube, while turning the screw counter-clockwise will move the
secondary mirror toward the primary mirror.

When the secondary mirror is centered in the focuser draw­tube, rotate the secondary mirror holder until the reflection
of the primary mirror is as centered in the secondary mirror
as possible. It may not be perfectly centered, but that is OK.
Now tighten the three small alignment screws equally to
secure the secondary mirror in that position.

10

Primary mirror

center mark

Reflective surface
of collimation
cap

drawtube

Reflection
of primary
mirror clip

b.

c.

a.

d.

e.

Figure 8. Collimating the optics. (a) When the mirrors are properly aligned, the view down the focuser drawtube should look like this. (b)

With the collimation cap in place, if the optics are out of alignment, the view might look something like this. (c) Here, the secondary mirror is
centered under the focuser, but it needs to be adjusted (tilted) so that the entire primary mirror is visible. (d) The secondary mirror is correctly
aligned, but the primary mirror still needs adjustment. When the primary mirror is correctly aligned, the “dot” will be centered, as in (e).

If the entire primary mirror reflection is not visible in the sec­ondary mirror, as in Figure 8c, you will need to adjust the tilt
of the secondary mirror. This is done by alternately loosening
one of the three alignment setscrews while tightening the
other two, as depicted in Figure 10. The goal is to center the
primary mirror reflection in the secondary mirror, as in Figure
8d. Don’t worry that the reflection of the secondary mirror
(the smallest circle, with the collimation cap “dot” in the cen-

Figure 9. To center the

secondary mirror under the
focuser, hold the secondary
mirror holder in place with
one hand while adjusting the
center bolt with a Phillips
screwdriver. Do not touch the
mirror’s surface!

ter) is off-center. You will fix that in the next step.

Adjusting the Primary Mirror

The final adjustment is made to the primary mirror. It will
need adjustment if, as in Figure 8d, the secondary mirror
is centered under the focuser and the reflection of the pri­mary mirror is centered in the secondary mirror, but the small
reflection of the secondary mirror (with your eye inside) is
off-center.

The tilt of the primary is adjusted with the three pairs of colli­mation screws on the back end of the optical tube (bottom of

Figure 10. Adjust the tilt

of the secondary mirror by
loosening or tightening the
three alignment setscrews with
a 2mm allen wrench

the mirror cell, see Figure 11). The collimation screws can be
turned with a Phillips head screwdriver.

Each pair of collimation screws work together to adjust the
tilt. One screw pushes the mirror cell forward, while the other
screw pulls the mirror cell back. One must be loosened and
the other tightened by the same amount in order to adjust the
tilt. Try tightening and loosening one of the pairs of Phillips­headed collimation screws one turn. Look into the focuser
and see if the secondary mirror reflection has moved closer
to the center of the primary mirror reflection. Repeat this
process on the other two pairs of collimation screws, if nec­essary. It will take a little trial and error to get a feel for how to

tilt the mirror in this way to center the reflection. Look into the
focuser and see if the secondary reflection has moved closer
to the center of the primary. You can tell this easily with the
collimation cap and mirror center mark by simply watching

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Figure 11.

Out of collimation Collimated

The back end of the optical
tube (bottom of the primary
mirror cell). The three pairs of
collimation screws adjust the
tilt of the primary mirror.

to see if the “dot” of the collimation cap is moving closer or
further away from being centered in the “ring” of the primary
mirror. When you have the dot centered as much as pos­sible in the ring, your primary mirror is collimated. The view
through the collimation cap should resemble Figure 8e.

A simple star test will tell you whether the optics are accu­rately collimated.

Star-Testing the Telescope

When it is dark, point the telescope at a bright star and accu­rately center it in the eyepiece’s field of view. Slowly de-focus
the image with the focusing knob. If the telescope is correctly
collimated, the expanding disk should be a perfect circle
(Figure 12). If the image is unsymmetrical, the scope is out
of collimation. The dark shadow cast by the secondary mirror
should appear in the very center of the out-of-focus circle,
like the hole in a donut. If the “hole” appears off-center, the
telescope is out of collimation.

If you try the star test and the bright star you have selected is
not accurately centered in the eyepiece, the optics will always
appear out of collimation, even though they may be perfectly
aligned. It is critical to keep the star centered, so over time
you will need to make slight corrections to the telescope’s
position in order to account for the sky’s apparent motion.

7. Using Your Telescope—
Astronomical Observing

Choosing an Observing Site

When selecting a location for observing, get as far away as
possible from direct artificial light such as street lights, porch
lights, and automobile headlights. The glare from these lights
will greatly impair your dark-adapted night vision. Set up on
a grass or dirt surface, not asphalt, because asphalt radiates
more heat. Heat disturbs the surrounding air and degrades
the images seen through the telescope. Avoid viewing over
rooftops and chimneys, as they often have warm air currents
rising from them. Similarly, avoid observing from indoors
through an open (or closed) window, because the tempera­ture difference between the indoor and outdoor air will cause
image blurring and distortion.

Figure 12. A star test will determine if a telescope’s optics are

properly collimated. An unfocused view of a bright star through the
eyepiece should appear as illustrated on the right if the optics are
perfectly collimated. If the circle is unsymmetrical, as in the illustration
on-the left, the scope needs collimation.

If at all possible, escape the light-polluted city sky and head
for darker country skies. You’ll be amazed at how many more
stars and deep-sky objects are visible in a dark sky!

“Seeing” and Transparency

Atmospheric conditions play a huge part in quality of view­ing. In conditions of good “seeing”, star twinkling is minimal
and objects appear steady in the eyepiece. Seeing is best
overhead, worst at the horizon. Also, seeing generally gets
better after midnight, when much of the heat absorbed by the
Earth during the day has radiated off into space. Typically,
seeing conditions will be better at sites that have an altitude
over about 3000 feet. Altitude helps because it decreases
the amount of distortion causing atmosphere you are looking
through.

A good way to judge if the seeing is good or not is to look at
bright stars about 40° above the horizon. If the stars appear
to “twinkle”, the atmosphere is significantly distorting the
incoming light, and views at high magnifications will not
appear sharp. If the stars appear steady and do not twinkle,
seeing conditions are probably good and higher magnifica­tions will be possible. Also, seeing conditions are typically
poor during the day. This is because the heat from the Sun
warms the air and causes turbulence.

Good “transparency” is especially important for observing
faint objects. It simply means the air is free of moisture,
smoke, and dust. All tend to scatter light, which reduces an
object’s brightness.

One good way to tell if conditions are good is by how many
stars you can see with your naked eye. If you cannot see
stars of magnitude 3.5 or dimmer then conditions are poor.
Magnitude is a measure of how bright a star is, the brighter a
star is, the lower its magnitude will be. A good star to remem­ber for this is Megrez (mag. 3.4), which is the star in the ‘Big
Dipper’ connecting the handle to the ‘dipper’. If you cannot
see Megrez, then you have fog, haze, clouds, smog, or other
conditions that are hindering your viewing (Figure 13).

Cooling the Telescope

All optical instruments need time to reach “thermal equilib­rium”. The bigger the instrument and the larger the tempera-

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Figure 13. Megrez connects the Big Dipper’s handle to it's “pan”.

It is a good guide to how conditions are. If you can not see Megrez
(a 3.4 mag star) then conditions are poor.

ture change, the more time is needed. Allow at least 30 min­utes for your telescope to cool to the temperature outdoors.
In very cold climates (below freezing), it is essential to store
the telescope as cold as possible. If it has to adjust to more
than a 40° temperature change, allow at least one hour.

Let Your Eyes Dark-Adapt

Don’t expect to go from a lighted house into the darkness of
the outdoors at night and immediately see faint nebulas, gal­axies, and star clusters—or even very many stars, for that mat­ter. Your eyes take about 30 minutes to reach perhaps 80% of
their full dark-adapted sensitivity. As your eyes become dark­adapted, more stars will glimmer into view and you’ll be able
to see fainter details in objects you view in your telescope.

To see what you’re doing in the darkness, use a red-filtered
flashlight rather than a white light. Red light does not spoil
your eyes’ dark adaptation like white light does. A flashlight
with a red LED light is ideal, or you can cover the front of a
regular incandescent flashlight with red cellophane or paper.
Beware, too, that nearby porch and streetlights and car head­lights will ruin your night vision.

Calculating the Magnification

Magnification, or power, is determined by the focal length of
the telescope and the focal length of the eyepiece. Therefore,
by using eyepieces of different focal lengths, the resultant
magnification can be varied.

Magnification is calculated as follows:

Magnification =

Telescope Focal Length (mm)

Eyepiece Focal Length (mm)

For example, the SpaceProbe 130mm EQ, which has a focal
length of 900mm, used in combination with the included
25mm Explorer II eyepiece, yields a magnification of

900mm ÷ 25mm = 36x

Every telescope has a useful magnification limit of about
45x-60x per inch of aperture. Your SpaceProbe 130 has
an aperture of about 5.1", so the maximum magnification
would be approximently 230x-300x. Claims of higher power
by some telescope manufacturers are a misleading adver-

tising gimmick and should be dismissed. Keep in mind that
at higher powers, an image will always be dimmer and less
sharp (this is a fundamental law of optics). The steadiness of
the air (the “seeing”) can also limit how much magnification
an image can tolerate.

Eyepiece Selection

By using eyepieces of varying focal lengths, it is possible
to attain a great many magnifications with the SpaceProbe
130mm EQ. The telescope comes with two high-quality
Sirius Plössl eyepieces: a 25mm, which gives a magnifica­tion of 36x and a 10mm, which gives a magnification of 90x.
Other eyepieces can be used to achieve higher or lower
powers. It is quite common for an observer to own five or
more eyepieces to access a wide range of magnifications.
This allows the observer to choose the best eyepiece to use
depending on the object being viewed. At least to begin with,
the two supplied eyepieces will suffice nicely.

Whatever you choose to view, always start by inserting your
lowest-power (longest focal length) eyepiece to locate and
center the object. Low magnification yields a wide field of
view, which shows a larger area of sky in the eyepiece. This
makes acquiring and centering an object much easier. If you
try to find and center objects with high power (narrow field of
view), it’s like trying to find a needle in a haystack!

Once you’ve centered the object in the eyepiece, you can
switch to higher magnification (shorter focal length eye­piece), if you wish. This is especially recommended for small
and bright objects, like planets and double stars. The Moon
also takes higher magnifications well.

Deep-sky objects, however, typically look better at medium
or low magnifications. This is because many of them are
quite faint, yet have some extent (apparent width). Deep-sky
objects will often disappear at higher magnifications, since
greater magnification inherently yields dimmer images. This
is not the case for all deep-sky objects, however. Many galax­ies are quite small, yet are somewhat bright, so higher power
may show more detail.

The best rule of thumb with eyepiece selection is to start with
a low power, wide field, and then work your way up in magni­fication. If the object looks better, try an even higher magnifi­cation. If the object looks worse, then back off the magnifica­tion a little by using a lower-power eyepiece.

Objects to Observe

Now that you are all set up and ready to go, one critical deci­sion must be made: what to look at?

A. The Moon

With its rocky surface, the Moon is one of the easiest and
most interesting targets to view with your telescope. Lunar
craters, marias, and even mountain ranges can all be clearly
seen from a distance of 238,000 miles away! With its ever­changing phases, you’ll get a new view of the Moon every
night. The best time to observe our one and only natural sat­ellite is during a partial phase, that is, when the Moon is NOT
full. During partial phases, shadows are cast on the surface,
which reveal more detail, especially right along the border

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between the dark and light portions of the disk (called the
“terminator”). A full Moon is too bright and devoid of surface
shadows to yield a pleasing view. Make sure to observe the
Moon when it is well above the horizon to get the sharpest
images.

Use an optional Moon filter to dim the Moon when it is very
bright. It simply threads onto the bottom of the eyepieces
(you must first remove the eyepiece from the focuser to
attach a filter). You’ll find that the Moon filter improves view­ing comfort, and also helps to bring out subtle features on
the lunar surface.

B. The Sun

You can change your nighttime telescope into a daytime Sun
viewer by installing an optional full-aperture solar filter over
the front opening of the SpaceProbe 130mm EQ. The prima­ry attraction is sunspots, which change shape, appearance,
and location daily. Sunspots are directly related to magnetic
activity in the Sun. Many observers like to make drawings
of sunspots to monitor how the Sun is changing from day to
day.

Important Note: Do not look at the Sun with any optical
instrument without a professionally made solar filter, or
permanent eye damage could result. Leave the cover
caps on the finder scope, or better yet, remove the finder
scope from the telescope tube when solar viewing.

C. The Planets

The planets don’t stay put like the stars, so to find them
you should refer to Sky Calendar at our website (telescope.
com), or to charts published monthly in Astronomy, Sky &
Telescope, or other astronomy magazines. Venus, Mars,
Jupiter, and Saturn are the brightest objects in the sky
after the Sun and the Moon. Your SpaceProbe 130mm EQ
is capable of showing you these planets in some detail.
Other planets may be visible but will likely appear star-like.
Because planets are quite small in apparent size, optional
higher-power eyepieces are recommended and often need­ed for detailed observations. Not all the planets are generally
visible at any one time.

JUPITER The largest planet, Jupiter, is a great subject for
observation. You can see the disk of the giant planet and
watch the ever-changing positions of its four largest moons—
Io, Callisto, Europa, and Ganymede. Higher-power eyepieces
should bring out the cloud bands on the planet’s disk.

SATURN The ringed planet is a breathtaking sight when it is
well positioned. The tilt angle of the rings varies over a peri­od of many years; sometimes they are seen edge-on, while
at other times they are broadside and look like giant “ears”
on each side of Saturn’s disk. A steady atmosphere (good
seeing) is necessary for a good view. You will probably see a
bright “star” close by, which is Saturn’s brightest moon, Titan.

VENUS At its brightest, Venus is the most luminous object in
the sky, excluding the Sun and the Moon. It is so bright that
sometimes it is visible to the naked eye during full daylight!
Ironically, Venus appears as a thin crescent, not a full disk,
when at its peak brightness. Because it is so close to the

Sun, it never wanders too far from the morning or evening
horizon. No surface markings can be seen on Venus, which
is always shrouded in dense clouds.

MARS The Red Planet makes its closest approach to Earth
every two years. During close approaches you’ll see a red
disk, and may be able to see the polar ice cap. To see sur­face detail on Mars, you will need a high-power eyepiece and
very steady air!

E. The Stars

Stars will appear like twinkling points of light. Even powerful
telescopes cannot magnify stars to appear as more than a
point of light! You can, however, enjoy the different colors of
the stars and locate many pretty double and multiple stars.
The famous “Double-Double” in the constellation Lyra and
the gorgeous two-color double star Albireo in Cygnus are
favorites. Defocusing a star slightly can help bring out its
color.

F. Deep-Sky Objects

Under dark skies, you can observe a wealth of fascinating
deep-sky objects, including gaseous nebulas, open and
globular star clusters, and a variety of different types of gal­axies. Most deep-sky objects are very faint, so it is important
that you find an observing site well away from light pollution.
Take plenty of time to let your eyes adjust to the darkness.
Do not expect these subjects to appear like the photographs
you see in books and magazines; most will look like dim gray
smudges. Our eyes are not sensitive enough to see color in
deep-sky objects except in a few of the brightest ones. But
as you become more experienced and your observing skills
get sharper, you will be able to ferret out more and more
subtle details and structure.

How to Find Deep-Sky Objects: Star Hopping

Star hopping, as it is called by astronomers, is perhaps the
simplest way to hunt down deep-sky objects to view in the
night sky. It entails first pointing the telescope at a star close
to the object you wish to observe, and then progressing to
other stars closer and closer to the object until it is in the
field of view of the eyepiece. It is a very intuitive technique
that has been employed for hundreds of years by profession­al and amateur astronomers alike. Keep in mind, as with any
new task, that star hopping may seem challenging at first,
but will become easier over time and with practice.

To starhop, only a minimal amount of additional equipment
is necessary. A star chart or atlas that shows stars to at least
magnitude 5 is required. Select one that shows the positions
of many deep-sky objects, so you will have a lot of options to
choose from. If you do not know the positions of the constel­lations in the night sky, you will need to get a planisphere to
identify them.

Start by choosing bright objects to view. The brightness of
an object is measured by its visual magnitude; the brighter
an object, the lower its magnitude. Choose an object with
a visual magnitude of 9 or lower. Many beginners start with
the Messier objects, which represent some of the best and

14

Figure 14. Star hopping is a good way to locate hard-to-find

objects. Refer to a star chart to map a route to the object that uses
bright stars as guideposts. Center the first star you’ve chosen
in the finder scope and telescope eyepiece (1). Now move the
scope carefully in the direction of the next bright star (2), until it
is centered. Repeat (3 and 4). The last hop (5) should place the
desired object in the eyepiece.

brightest deep-sky objects, first catalogued about 200 years
ago by the French astronomer Charles Messier.

Determine in which constellation the object lies. Now, find the
constellation in the sky. If you do not recognize the constella­tions on sight, consult a planisphere. The planisphere gives
an all-sky view and shows which constellations are visible on
a given night at a given time.

Now, look at your star chart and find the brightest star in the
constellation that is near the object you are trying to find.
Using the finder scope, point the telescope at this star and
center it on the crosshairs. Next, look again at the star chart
and find another suitably bright star near the bright star cur­rently centered in the finder. Keep in mind that the field of
view of the finder scope is 7°, so you should choose another
star that is no more that 7° from the first star, if possible.
Move the telescope slightly, until the telescope is centered
on the new star.

Continue using stars as guideposts in this way until you are
at the approximate position of the object you are trying to
find (Figure 14). Look in the telescope’s eyepiece, and the
object should be somewhere within the field of view. If it’s
not, sweep the telescope carefully around the immediate
vicinity until the object is found.

If you have trouble finding the object, start the starhop again
from the brightest star near the object you wish to view. This
time, be sure the stars indicated on the star chart are in fact
the stars you are centering in the eyepiece. Remember, the
finder scope (and main telescope eyepiece, for that matter)

gives an inverted image, so you must keep this in mind when
star hopping from star to star.

8. Care and Maintenance

If you give your telescope reasonable care, it will last a
lifetime. Store it in a clean, dry, dust-free place, safe from
rapid changes in temperature and humidity. Do not store the
telescope outdoors, although storage in a garage or shed is
OK. Small components like eyepieces and other accessories
should be kept in a protective box or storage case. Keep the
caps on the front of the telescope and on the focuser draw­tube when it is not in use.

Your SpaceProbe 130mm EQ telescope requires very little
mechanical maintenance. The optical tube is steel and has
a smooth painted finish that is fairly scratch-resistant. If a
scratch does appear on the tube, it will not harm the tele­scope. If you wish, you may apply some auto touch-up paint
to the scratch. Smudges on the tube can be wiped off with
a soft cloth and a household cleaner such as Windex or
Formula 409.

Cleaning Lenses

Any quality optical lens cleaning tissue and optical lens clean­ing fluid specifically designed for multi-coated optics can
be used to clean the exposed lenses of your eyepieces or
finder scope. Never use regular glass cleaner or cleaning fluid
designed for eyeglasses. Before cleaning with fluid and tissue,
however, blow any loose particles off the lens with a blower
bulb or compressed air. Then apply some cleaning fluid to a
tissue, never directly on the optics. Wipe the lens gently in a
circular motion, then remove any excess fluid with a fresh lens
tissue. Oily fingerprints and smudges may be removed using
this method. Use caution; rubbing too hard may scratch the
lens. On larger lenses, clean only a small area at a time, using
a fresh lens tissue on each area. Never reuse tissues.

Cleaning Mirrors

You should not have to clean your telescope’s mirrors very
often; normally once every year or so. Covering your tele­scope when it is not in use will prevent dust from accumu­lating on the mirrors. Improper cleaning can scratch mirror
coatings, so the fewer times you have to clean the mirrors,
the better. Small specks of dust or flecks of paint have virtu­ally no effect on the visual performance of the telescope.

The large primary mirror and the elliptical secondary mirror
of your telescope are front-surface aluminized and over­coated with hard silicon dioxide, which prevents the alumi­num from oxidizing. These coatings normally last through
many, many years of use before requiring re-coating (which
is easily done).

To clean the secondary mirror, remove the mirror in its holder
from the 4-vaned spider in the tube. Do this by grasping the
secondary mirror holder with your fingertips while turning the
central screw on the spider’s central hub counterclockwise.
Handle the mirror holder only; do not touch the mirror surface.
Also be sure not to lose the spring behind the mirror holder.

15

Figure 15.

Remove the three
collimation screws
indicated to remove
the mirror cell from
the tube.

Then follow the same procedure described below for cleaning
the primary mirror. The secondary mirror is glued into its hold­er, and should not be removed from the holder for cleaning.

To clean the primary mirror, carefully remove the mirror cell
from the telescope. This is done by first removing the three
primary mirror collimation screws indicated in Figure 15.
Next, remove the primary mirror from the mirror cell; you will
need to remove the three mirror clips to do this. Completely
unthread the two Phillips head screws in each clip, and care­fully lift the mirror from its cell. Be careful not to touch the
front surface of the mirror with your fingers! Set the mirror on
a clean, soft towel. Fill a clean sink, free of abrasive cleanser,
with room-temperature water, a few drops of liquid dishwash­ing detergent, and if possible, a cap-full of rubbing alcohol.
Submerge the mirror (aluminized face up) in the water and let
it soak for several minutes (or hours if it’s a very dirty mirror).
Wipe the mirror under water with clean cotton balls, using
extremely light pressure and stroking in straight lines across
the surface. Use one ball for each wipe across the mirror.

Then rinse the mirror under a stream of lukewarm water. Any
particles on the surface can be swabbed gently with a series
of clean cotton balls, each used just one time. Dry the mirror
in a stream of air (a “blower bulb” works great), or remove any
stray drops of water with the corner of a paper towel. Water
will run off a clean surface. Cover the mirror surface with
Kleenex, and leave the entire assembly in a warm area until it
is completely dry before reassembling the telescope.

9. Specifications

Optical tube: Steel

Primary mirror diameter: 130mm

Primary mirror coating: Aluminized, silicon dioxide overcoat

Secondary mirror minor axis: 34mm

Focal length: 900mm

Focal ratio: f/7

Eyepieces: 25mm and 10mm Explorer II, fully coated, 1.25”

Magnification: 36x (with 25mm), 90x (with 10mm)

Focuser: Rack and pinion

Finder scope: 6x magnification, 30mm aperture, achromatic,
crosshairs

Mount: EQ-2 German-type equatorial

Tripod: Aluminum

Motor drives: Optional

One-Year Limited Warranty

This Orion SpaceProbe 130mm Equatorial Reflector is warranted against defects in materials or workmanship for
a period of one year from the date of purchase. This warranty is for the benefit of the original retail purchaser only.
During this warranty period Orion Telescopes & Binoculars will repair or replace, at Orion’s option, any warranted
instrument that proves to be defective, provided it is returned postage paid to: Orion Warranty Repair, 89 Hangar
Way, Watsonville, CA 95076. If -the product is not registered, proof of purchase (such as a copy of the original
invoice) is required.

This warranty does not apply if, in Orion’s judgment, the instrument has been abused, mishandled, or modified,
nor does it apply to normal wear and tear. This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may also have
other rights, which vary from state to state. For further warranty service information, contact: Customer Service
Department, Orion Telescopes & Binoculars, 89 Hangar Way, Watsonville, CA 95076; [phone].

Orion Telescopes & Binoculars

89 Hangar Way, Watsonville, CA 95076

Customer Support Help Line [phone] • Day or Evening

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