MEADE INSTRUCTION MANUAL
70mm | 2.75" Altazimuth Refracting Telescope
RB-70
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INTRODUCTION
Your telescope is an excellent beginner’s
instrument, and is designed to observe
objects in the sky and also on land. It can be
your personal window on the universe or
allows you to intimately study the behavior of
nesting birds on a distant hillside.
Setting up your telescope involves these
simple steps:
• Assemble your tripod
1
• Attach the accessory tray
• Attach the optical tube to the mount
• Attach the red dot viewfinder
• Attach the diagonal mirror and eyepiece
• Align the red dot viewfinder
The telescope is shipped with the following
parts:
• Optical tube
Study the the picture on the next page and
become acquainted with the parts of your
telescope. Then proceed to “Assemble your
Tripod.”
• Aluminum tripod with an accessory tray
• Two 1.25" eyepieces: SP26mm (27X),
SP9.7mm (78X)
• Diagonal mirror
• Red dot viewfinder with bracket
• Telescope mount
The tube has a focal length of 700mm, and
its objective lens has a diameter of 70mm.
The lens diameter is one of the most
important pieces of information about the
telescope. The size of the objective lens
determines how much detail you will be able
to see in your telescope. The focal length will
help later on to calculate magnification.
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Inset A
Figure 1: Meade 70-RB Altazimuth Refracting Telescope
FIGURE 1
Inset A:
Inset B:
Inset C:
Red Dot Viewfinder Assembly
Tripod Legs and Accessory Tray
Altaz or Azimuth Mount
2
1. Eyepiece
2. Red dot viewfinder (see Inset A)
3. Red dot viewfinder alignment screws
(see Inset A)
4. Optical tube assembly
5. Vertical locking lever
6. Horizontal lock knob
Inset B
7. Tripod legs
8. Leg brace supports (See Inset C)
9. Leg brace (See Inset C)
10. Mount base attachment
11. Optical tube lock knobs
12. Horizontal slow motion controll (See Inset B)
13. Diagonal mirror
14. Objective lens cell
15. Focuser drawtube
16. Vertical slow motion control (See Inset B)
17. Accessory tray (Inset C)
18. Red dot viewfinder bracket (see Inset A)
19. Adjustable sliding leg extension (see Inset C)
20. Tripod leg lock (see Inset C)
21. Dew shield/lens shade
22. Front lens cap (removed)
23. Focusing knob
Inset C
24. Mount base attachment
25. Horizontal slow motion control
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Fig. 2
ATTACH THE RED DOT VIEWFINDER
ASSEMBLE YOUR TRIPOD
An eyepiece (1) has a narrow field of
view. A viewfinder (2) has a wider
field of view, which makes it easier to
locate objects. The red dot viewfinder
has a red dot to make it easier to line up
more precisely with a target.
1. Note the red dot viewfinder (2) has a
quick release mounting bracket (18).
2. Slide the red dot viewfinder (2) into the
The tripod is the basic support for your
telescope. Its height may be adjusted so
that you can view comfortably.
Note: Number in brackets, e.g., (3), refer
to Fig. 1.
3
1. Spread the legs out evenly apart.
2. Set the height of your tripod unlock the
leg lock (20).
3. Slide leg (19) in or out to the desired
3. Rotate the tray, locking the corners of the
tray in place on the leg brace supports.
mounting bracket as shown on Fig. 3.
Fig. 3
length
Inset B
Note: To
4. Tighten the leg
lock (20) to
relock the leg
lock.
detach the
bracket press
the bracket
quick release
button and
slide the
ATTACH THE OPTICAL TUBE TO THE MOUNT
The optical tube gathers distant light which
is focused in the eyepiece.
1. Remove the two lock knobs (11) from the
optical tube.
2. Slide the altitude rod into the hole in the
altitude adjustment control . Tighten to a
firm feel. See Fig. 2.
3. Place the optical tube (4) onto the
mounting bracket Fig. 2.
5. Repeat for the
other two legs.
bracket out.
ATTACH THE
ACCESSORY TRAY
ATTACH THE DIAGONAL MIRROR AND
EYEPIECE
The tray helps stabilize the tripod and is also
a convenient holder of eyepieces and other
Meade accessories, such as the Barlow lens.
1. Place the accessory tray (17) over the
center of the leg brace supports (8).
The diagonal mirror reflects the light from
the optical tube to a more comfortable
viewing position.
1. Slide the diagonal mirror (13) into the
focuser drawtube(15).
4. Thread a lock knob (11) onto each of the
mounting screws and tighten to a firm
feel. See Fig. 2.
2. Rotate the tray so it fits onto the central
lock. See Inset B.
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Looking at or near the Sun will cause irreversable damage to your eye. Do not point this telescope at or near the Sun. Do not look through the telescope as it is moving.
2.Tighten the drawtube thumbscrew
to hold the diagonal mirror securely.
3.Slide the SP 26mm eyepiece (1) into
diagonal mirror (13).
4.Tighten the diagonal mirror
thumbscrew (26) to hold the eyepiece
securely.
alignment screws to make any necessary
refinements.
THE MOST IMPORTANT RULE
We have one very important rule that you
should always follow when using your
telescope:
4
TO MOVE THE TELESCOPE
Your telescope is altazimuth mounted.
Altazimuth is just a complicated way of
saying that your telescope moves up and
down and from side to side. Other
telescopes may be mounted in different
ways.
1. Slightly loosen the vertical locking lever
(5). Loosening this lever allows you to
move the telescope up and down.
Have Fun!
Have a good time when you’re observing. You
may not know everything that there is to
know about a telescope or what all the
sights in the universe are, but that’s OK. Just
point and observe at first.
ALIGN THE RED DOT VIEWFINDER
Perform the first part of this procedure
during the daytime and the last step at night.
1. Point the telescope at an easy-to-find
land object such as the top of a telephone
pole or a distant mountain or tower. Look
through the eyepiece in the diagonal
mirror and turn the focuser knob (23)
until the image is sharply focused. Center
the object precisely in the eyepiece’s field
of view.
2. Look through the red dot viewfinder. Turn
one or more of the viewfinder’s alignment
screws (3) until the red dot is precisely
over the same object as you centered in
the eyepiece.
You will begin to grow and learn more about
astronomy the more you observe. Go to the
library and read some books about the
2. Slightly loosen the horizontal lock knob
(6). Loosening this lock allows the
telescope to be moved from side to side.
3. Once an object is found, re-tighten the
knob. You can then use the slow motion
controls to make smooth and precise
movements as you follow (or “track”) an
object as it moves in the eyepiece.
You will enjoy your telescope even more as
you learn more about it. But don’t be scared
off by difficult terms or complicated
procedures. Don’t panic! Just relax and enjoy
your scope.
3. Check this alignment at night on a
celestial object, such as the Moon or a
bright star, and use the viewfinder’s
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Looking at or near the Sun will cause irreversable damage to your eye. Do not point this telescope at or near the Sun. Do not look through the telescope as it is moving.
SUN WARNING
have aligned your viewfinder, you will
you see the object in your eyepiece.
stars and planets. Read about
NEVER USE YOUR TELESCOPE
TO LOOK AT THE SUN!
astronomers of old. Many of them had
telescope no bigger than the one you
are using right now. Galileo, who is one
of the first astronomers to use a
telescope, discovered four of the moons
of Jupiter with a telescope about the
same size as yours (and his didn’t even
focus very well!).
5
Focus: Look through the eyepiece
and practice focusing on the object
you have chosen.
LOOKING AT OR NEAR THE SUN WILL CAUSE
INSTANT AND IRREVERSIBLE DAMAGE TO
YOUR EYE. EYE DAMAGE IS OFTEN PAINLESS,
SO THERE IS NO WARNING TO THE OBSERVER
THAT DAMAGE HAS OCCURRED UNTIL IT IS
TOO LATE. DO NOT POINT THE TELESCOPE OR
ITS VIEWFINDER AT OR NEAR THE SUN. DO
NOT LOOK THROUGH THE TELESCOPE OR ITS
VIEWFINDER AS IT IS MOVING. CHILDREN
SHOULD ALWAYS HAVE ADULT SUPERVISION
WHILE OBSERVING.
Try out the slow motion adjustment
controls: Practice using the slow motion
controls (12 and 16) to move the telescope.
These can come in very handy, especially
when you wish to move the telescope in very
small (fine control) steps.
OBSERVING
Observe during the daytime: Try out your
telescope during the daytime at first. It is
easier to learn how it operates and how to
observe when it is light.
Observe the Moon: When you feel
comfortable with the viewfinder, the
eyepieces, the locks and the adjustment
controls, you will be ready to try out the
telescope at night. The Moon is the best
Use the red dot viewfinder: If you have not
done so, align the viewfinder (2) with the
telescope’s eyepiece (1) as described earlier.
Pick out an easy object to observe:
A distant mountain, a large tree, a
lighthouse or skyscraper make excellent
targets. Point the optical tube so it lines
up with your object.
Look through the viewfinder until you can
see the object. It will be easier to locate an
object using the viewfinder rather than
locating with the eyepiece. Line up the object
with the viewfinders red dot.
THE MEADE 4M COMMUNITY
You haven’t just bought a telescope, you have embarked
on an astronomy adventure that never ends. Share the
journey with others by accepting your free membership
in the 4M community of astronomers.
Unlock the lock knobs: To move the
telescope, you will need to unlock the
horizontal lock knob (6) and vertical
locking lever(5) (just rotate to unlock or
lock; when locking, only tighten to a “firm
feel,” do not overtighten).
Look through the eyepiece: Once you have
the object lined up in the viewfinder, look
through the optical tube’s eyepiece. If you
today.
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Looking at or near the Sun will cause irreversable damage to your eye. Do not point this telescope at or near the Sun. Do not look through the telescope as it is moving.
volcanic activity. You can also see mountain
ranges and fault lines on the Moon.
object to observe the first time you go
out at night. Pick a night when the
Moon is a crescent. No shadows are
seen during a full Moon, making it
appear flat and uninteresting.
Beyond the planets are clouds of comets, icy
planetoids and other debris left over from
the birth of our sun. Recently astronomers
have found large objects in this area and
they may increase the number of planets in
our solar system.
6
Use a neutral density filter (often called a
“moon filter”) when observing the Moon.
Neutral density filters are available from
Meade as an optional accessory and
enhance contrast to improve your
Look for different features on the Moon. The
most obvious features are craters. In fact
you can see craters within craters. Some
craters have bright lines about them. These
are called rays and are the result of material
thrown out of the crater when it was struck
by a colliding object. The dark areas on the
Moon are called maria and are composed of
lava from the period when the Moon still had
The four planets closest to the Sun are rocky
and are called the inner planets. Mercury,
Venus, Earth and Mars comprise the inner
planets. Venus and Mars can be easily seen
in your telescope.
observation of lunar features.
Spend several nights observing the Moon.
Some nights, the Moon is so bright that it
makes other objects in the sky difficult to
see. These are nights that are excellent for
lunar observation.
Venus is seen before dawn or after sunset,
because it is close to the Sun. You can
observe Venus going through crescent
phases. But you cannot see any surface
detail on Venus because it has a very thick
atmosphere of gas.
Observe the Solar System: After observing
the Moon, you are ready to step up to the
next level of observation, the planets. There
are four planets that you can easily observe
in your telescope: Venus, Mars, Jupiter
and Saturn.
TOO MUCH POWER?
Can you ever have too much power? If the type of
power you’re referring to is eyepiece magnification,
yes you can! The most common mistake of the
beginning observer is to “overpower” a telescope
by using high magnifications which the telescope’s
aperture and atmospheric conditions cannot
reasonably support. Keep in mind that a smaller,
but bright and well-resolved image is far superior
to one that is larger, but dim and poorly resolved.
Powers above 400x should be employed only under
the steadiest atmospheric conditions.
When Mars is close to the Earth, you can see
some details on Mars, and sometimes even
Mars’ polar caps. But quite often, Mars is
further away and just appears as a red dot
with some dark lines crisscrossing it.
Nine planets (maybe more!) travel in a fairly
circular pattern around our Sun. Any system
of planets orbiting one or more stars is
called a solar system. Our Sun, by the way,
is a single, yellow dwarf star. It is average as
far as stars go and is a middle aged star.
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto
comprise the outer planets. These planets,
except for Pluto, are made mostly of gases
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Looking at or near the Sun will cause irreversable damage to your eye. Do not point this telescope at or near the Sun. Do not look through the telescope as it is moving.
Fig. 5
and are sometimes called gas giants. If they
had grown much bigger, they may have
become stars. Pluto is made mostly of ice.
Saturn is not the only planet that has
rings, but it is the only set of rings
that can be seen with a small
7
telescope. Jupiter’s rings cannot be
seen from Earth at all—the Voyager
spacecraft discovered the ring after it
passed Jupiter and looked back at it. It turns
out, only with the sunlight shining through
them, can the rings be seen. Uranus and
Neptune also have faint rings.
Jupiter is quite interesting to observe. You
can see bands across the face of Jupiter. The
more time you spend observing these bands,
the more detail you will be able to see.
One of the most fascinating sights of Jupiter
are its moons. The four largest moons are
called the Galilean moons, after the
Optional color filters help bring out detail
and contrast of the planets. Meade offers a
line of inexpensive color filters.
astronomer Galileo, who observed them for
the first time. If you’ve never watched the
Galilean moons in your telescope before,
you’re missing a real treat! Each night, the
moons appear in different positions around
the Jovian sky. This is sometimes called the
Galilean dance. On any given night, you
might be able to see the shadow of a moon
on the face of Jupiter, see one moon eclipse
another or even see a moon emerge from
behind Jupiter’s giant disk. Drawing the
positions of the moons each night is an
excellent exercise for novice astronomers.
others, but how many moons does Jupiter
actually have? No one knows for sure! Nor
are we sure how many Saturn has either. At
last count, Jupiter had over 60 moons, and
held a small lead over Saturn. Most of these
moons are very small and can only be seen
with very large telescopes.
Probably the most memorable sight you will
see in your telescope is Saturn. Although you
may not see many features on the surface of
Saturn, its ring structure will steal your
breath away. You will probably be able to see
a black opening in the rings, known as the
Cassini band.
Any small telescope can see the four
Galilean moons of Jupiter (Fig. 5), plus a few
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Looking at or near the Sun will cause irreversable damage to your eye. Do not point this telescope at or near the Sun. Do not look through the telescope as it is moving.
Other stars to look for are multiple stars.
Very often, you can find double (or binary)
stars, stars that are very close together.
These stars orbit each other. What do
you notice about these stars? Are they
different colors? Does one seem brighter
than the other?
see in the Northern Hemisphere are the
Orion nebula during the winter and the
Triffid nebula during the summer. These are
large clouds of gas in which new stars are
being born. Some nebulas are the remains
of stars exploding. These explosions are
called supernovas.
What’s Next? Beyond the Solar
System: Once you have observed our
own system of planets, it’s time to
really travel far from home and look
at stars and other objects.
8
You can observe thousands of stars with
your telescope. At first, you may think stars
are just pinpoints of light and aren’t very
interesting. But look again. There is much
information that is revealed in stars.
Almost all the stars you can see in the sky
are part of our galaxy. A galaxy is a large
grouping of stars, containing millions or
even billions of stars. Some galaxies form a
spiral (like our galaxy, the Milky Way) and
other galaxies look more like a large football
and are called elliptical galaxies. There are
many galaxies that are irregularly shaped
and are thought to have been pulled apart
because they passed too close to—or even
through—a larger galaxy.
When you become an advanced observer you
can look for other types of objects such as
asteroids, planetary nebula and globular
clusters. And if you’re lucky, every so often a
bright comet appears in the sky, presenting
an unforgettable sight.
The first thing you will notice is that not all
stars are the same colors. See if you can find
blue, orange, yellow, white and red stars.
The color of stars sometimes can tell you
about the age of a star and the temperature
that they burn at.
The more you learn about objects in the sky,
the more you will learn to appreciate the
sights you see in your telescope. Start a
notebook and write down the observations
you make each night. Note the time and
the date.
You may be able to see the Andromeda
galaxy and several others in your telescope.
They will appear as small, fuzzy clouds. Only
very large telescope will reveal spiral or
elliptical details.
Use a compass to make a circle, or trace
around the lid of a jar. Draw what you see in
your eyepiece inside the circle. The best
exercise for drawing is to observe the moons
of Jupiter every night or so. Try to make
Jupiter and the moons approximately the
same size as they look in your eyepiece. You
You will also be able to see some nebulas
with your scope. Nebula means cloud. Most
nebulas are clouds of gas. The two easiest to
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Looking at or near the Sun will cause irreversable damage to your eye. Do not point this telescope at or near the Sun. Do not look through the telescope as it is moving.
Fig. 6
will see that the moons are in a different
position every night. As you get better at
drawing, try more challenging sights, like a
crater system on the moon or even a nebula.
Tighten the thumbscrews to secure
the Barlow lens and the eyepiece in
place. Some Barlow lenses can
double the power of your telescope.
See Fig. 6.
eyepiece
barlow
9
Go your library or check out the internet for
more information about astronomy. Learn
about the basics: light years, orbits, star
colors, how stars and planets are formed,
red shift, the big bang, what are the different
kinds of nebula, what are comets, asteroids
and meteors and what is a black hole. The
more you learn about astronomy, the more
fun, and the more rewarding your telescope
will become.
Meade offers a complete line of eyepieces
for your telescope. Most astronomers have
four or five low-power and high power
eyepieces to view different objects and to
cope with different viewing conditions.
diagonal
mirror
Objects move in the eyepiece: If you are
observing an astronomical object (the Moon,
a planet, star, etc.) you will notice that the
object will begin to move slowly through the
telescopic field of view. This movement is
caused by the rotation of the Earth and
makes an object move through the tele-
scope’s field of view. To keep astronomical
objects centered in the field, simply move
the telescope on one or both of its axes—
vertically and/or horizontally as needed—try
using the telescopes coarse and fine
adjustment controls. At higher powers,
astronomical objects will seem to move
through the field of view of the eyepiece
more rapidly.
By the way, you might have noticed
something strange when you looked through
your eyepiece. Although the image is right-
side up, it is reversed. That means reading
words can be a problem. But it has no affect
on astronomical objects. If you wish to have
a fully corrected image, check out Meade’s
optional Erecting Prism in the Optional
Accessory section.
SOME OBSERVING TIPS
Eyepieces: Always begin your observations
using the 26mm low-power eyepiece. The
26mm eyepiece delivers a bright, wide field
of view and is the best to use for most
viewing conditions. Use the high-power
9.7mm eyepiece to view details when
observing the Moon and planets. If the
image become fuzzy, switch back down to a
lower power. Changing eyepieces changes
the power or magnification of your
telescope.
Barlow lens: You can also change
magnification by using a Barlow (not
included). Remove the eyepiece from the
diagonal mirror and slide in the Barlow. And
then place the eyepiece into the Barlow.
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Looking at or near the Sun will cause irreversable damage to your eye. Do not point this telescope at or near the Sun. Do not look through the telescope as it is moving.
Place the object to be viewed at the
edge of the field and, without
touching the telescope, watch it drift
through the field to the other side
before repositioning the telescope
have greater contrast. Try reducing power
(change your eyepiece) if your image is
fuzzy or shimmers. Keep in mind that a
bright, clear, but smaller image is more
interesting than a larger, dimmer, fuzzy one.
Using too high a power eyepiece is one of
the most common mistakes made by
new astronomers.
tracks). Viewing from the upper floors of a
building may also cause image movement.
10
Let your eyes “dark-adapt”: Allow five or
ten minutes for your eyes to become “dark
adapted” before observing. Use a red-
filtered flashlight to protect your night vision
when reading star maps, or inspecting the
telescope. Do not use use a regular flash-
light or turn on other lights when observing
with a group of other astronomers. You can
make your own red filtered flashlight by
taping red cellophane over a flashlight lens.
so that the object to be viewed is again
placed at the edge of the field, ready to be
further observed.
Vibrations: Avoid touching the eyepiece
while observing through the telescope.
Vibrations resulting from such contact will
cause the image to move. Avoid observing
sites where vibrations cause image
Dress Warm: Even on summer nights, the
air can feel cool or cold as the night wears
on. It is important to dress warm or to have
a sweater, jacket, gloves, etc., nearby.
movement (for example, near railroad
Know your observing site: If possible,
know the location where you will be
observing. Pay attention to holes in the
ground and other obstacles. Is it a location
where wild animals, such as skunks, snakes,
etc., may appear? Are there viewing
obstructions such as tall trees, street lights,
headlights and so forth? The best locations
are dark locations, the darker the better.
Deep space objects are easiest to see under
dark skies. But it is still possible to observe
even in a city.
Viewing through windows: Avoid setting up
the telescope inside a room and observing
through an opened or closed window pane.
Images may appear blurred or distorted due
to temperature differences between inside
and outside air. Also, it is a good idea to
allow your telescope to reach the ambient
(surrounding) outside temperature before
starting an observing session.
STAR CHARTS
Star charts and planispheres are useful for a variety of
reasons. In particular, they are a great aid in planning a
night of celestial viewing.
A wide variety of star charts are available in books, in
magazines, on the internet and on CD Roms. Meade
offers Autostar Suite™ software. Contact your local
Meade dealer or Meade’s Customer Service department
for more information.
When to observe: Planets and other objects
viewed low on the horizon often lack sharp-
ness—the same object, when observed
higher in the sky, will appear sharper and
Astronomy and Sky and Telescope magazines print star
charts each month for up-to-the-minute maps of the
heavens.
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Looking at or near the Sun will cause irreversable damage to your eye. Do not point this telescope at or near the Sun. Do not look through the telescope as it is moving.
objective lens is. Your telescope is 70mm or
2.75 inches. Other telescopes are 90mm, 8
inches, 16 inches, or even 3 feet in
diameter. The Hubble Telescope’s objective
lens has a diameter of 2.4 meters (that’s 7.8
feet across!).
Surf the Web and visit your local library:
The internet contains a huge amount of
astronomical information, both for children
and adults. Check out astronomy books from
your library. Look for star charts—these are
available on a monthly basis in Astronomy
and Sky and Telescope magazines.
magnifies an object 27 times. Your
9.7mm eyepiece magnifies objects
73 times.
11
But if you obtain other eyepieces, you
can calculate how much magnification they
have with your telescope. Just divide the
focal length of the telescope by the focal
length of the eyepiece.
The focal ratio helps determine how fast the
photographic speed of a telescope is. The
lower the focal ratio number, the faster the
exposure. f/5 is faster than f/10. The faster
the ratio, the faster exposure time is needed
when a camera is hooked up to the tele-
scope. Your telescope has slower focal ratio
at f/10. Sometimes, astronomers use focal
reducers to make slow exposure telescopes
have faster focal ratios.
HAVE A GOOD TIME,
ASTRONOMY IS FUN!
Focal Length of the Telescope
÷
SPECIFICATIONS
Optical tube focal length . . . . . . . . . 700mm
Objective lens diameter . . . . . 70mm (2.75")
Focal ratio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . f/10
Mounting type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Altazimuth
Focal Length of the Eyepiece
=
Magnification
ASTRONOMY RESOURCES
What do the specifications mean?
Optical tube focal length is simply a
measurement of the length of the optical
tube. In other words, this is the distance
light travels in the tele-scope before being
brought to focus in you eyepiece. Your tube is
700mm long.
Altaz mounting simply means your telescope
moves up and down (altitude or “alt”), and
side to side, (azimuth or “az”). Other
mounting configurations are available for
other telescopes, such as equatorial
mounting.
•
•
The Meade 4M Community
6001 Oak Canyon, Irvine, CA 92618
Astronomical League
Executive Secretary
5675 Real del Norte, Las Cruces, NM 88012
The Astronomical Society of the Pacific
390 Ashton Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94112
The Planetary Society
65 North Catalina Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91106
International Dark-Sky Association, Inc.
3225 N. First Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85719-2103
•
•
•
USE THE SPECIFICATIONS TO CALCULATE
THE MAGNIFICATION OF YOUR EYEPIECE
Objective lens diameter is how big the
lens is on your scope. Telescopes are
always described by how large their
The power of a telescope is how much
it magnifies objects. Your 26mm eyepiece
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Looking at or near the Sun will cause irreversable damage to your eye. Do not point this telescope at or near the Sun. Do not look through the telescope as it is moving.
Look at the specifications. You will
see that the focal length of your
scope is 700mm. Let’s say that you
have obtained a 13mm eyepiece. You
can tell that what the focal length of
magnification is when you use a Barlow,
multiply your eyepiece’s magnification
by two.
• Avoid cleaning the telescope’s lenses. A
little dust on the front surface of the
telescope’s correcting lens will not cause
loss of image quality.
• When absolutely necessary, dust on the
front lens should be removed with very
gentle strokes of a camel hair brush or
blown off with an ear syringe (available at
most pharmacies).
• Fingerprints and organic materials on the
front lens may be removed with a solution
of 3 parts distilled water to 1 part
isopropyl alcohol. You may also add 1 drop
of biodegradable dishwashing soap per
pint of solution. Use soft, white facial
tissues and make short, gentle strokes.
Change tissues often.
12
Eyepiece’s magnification x 2
=
your eyepiece is as it is always printed on
the side of an eyepiece. Divide: 700 ÷ 13,
which equals 53.8. Round this off to the
nearest whole number and your new
eyepiece magnifies objects 54 times.
Magnification with a 2X Barlow lens
Your 26mm low-power eyepiece magnifies
an object 27 times. Multiply 27 by 2 and you
get 54 times magnification with your Barlow.
If you use a Barlow lens with one of your
eyepieces, it doubles the magnification of
your eyepiece. Other types of Barlows can
triple or further increase the power of an
eyepiece. To find out how much your
It’s worth repeating: Keep in mind that a
bright, clear, but smaller image is more
interesting than a larger, dimmer, fuzzy one.
Using too high a power eyepiece is one of
the most common mistakes made by new
astronomers. So don’t think that higher
magnification is necessarily better—quite
often the best view is with lower
CAUTION: Do not use scented or lotioned
tissues or damage could result to the optics.
DO NOT use a commercial photographic
lens cleaner.
magnification value!
TAKING CARE OF YOUR TELESCOPE
Your telescope is a precision optical
instrument designed for a lifetime of
rewarding viewing. It will rarely, if ever,
require factory servicing or maintenance.
Follow these guidelines to keep your
telescope in the best condition:
OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES
#928 45° Erecting Prism (1.25 O.D.):
Correctly orients the telescopic image
during terrestrial observing and yields an
image position at a 45° angle to the main
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Looking at or near the Sun will cause irreversable damage to your eye. Do not point this telescope at or near the Sun. Do not look through the telescope as it is moving.
telescope tube, resulting in a more comfor-
table observing position in most cases.
13
Additional Eyepieces (1.25" barrel
diameter): For higher or lower
magnifications with the telescopes that
accommodate 1.25" eyepieces, Meade Series
4000 Super Plössl eyepieces, available in a
wide variety of sizes, provide a high level of
image resolution and color correction at an
economical price. Contact your Meade
Dealer or see the Meade catalog for more
information. Visit us on the web at
JOIN AN ASTRONOMY CLUB, ATTEND A STAR PARTY
One of the best ways to increase your knowledge of
astronomy is to join an astronomy club. Check your
local newspaper, school, library, or telescope dealer/
store to find out if there’s a club in your area.
Many groups also hold regularly scheduled Star Parties
at which you can check out and observe with many
different telescopes and other pieces of astronomical
equipment. Magazines such as Sky and Telescope and
Astronomy print schedules for many popular Star
Parties around the United States and Canada.
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Looking at or near the Sun will cause irreversable damage to your eye. Do not point this telescope at or near the Sun. Do not look through the telescope as it is moving.
Meade, freight-prepaid, with proof of
purchase. This warranty applies to the
original purchaser only and is non-
transferable. Meade products purchased
outside North America are not included in
this warranty, but are covered under
separate warranties issued by Meade
international distributors.
limited to a term of one year from the date
of original retail purchase.
MEADE CONSUMER SOLUTIONS
If you have a question concerning
your telescope, call Meade
Instruments Consumer Solutions
Department at (800) 626-3233.
14
This warranty gives you specific rights. You
may have other rights which vary from state
to state.
Consumer Solutions Departmant hours are
8:00AM to 5:00PM, Pacific Time, Monday
through Friday. Write or call the Meade
Consumer Solutions Department first,
before returning the telescope to the factory,
giving full particulars as to the nature of the
problem, as well as your name, address, and
daytime telephone number. The great
majority of servicing issues can be resolved
by telephone, avoiding return of the
Meade reserves the right to change product
specifications or to discontinue products
without notice.
RGA Number Required: Prior to the return
of any product or part, a Return Goods
Authorization (RGA) number must be
obtained from Meade by writing, or by
calling (800) 626-3233. Each returned part or
product must include a written statement
detailing the nature of the claimed defect, as
well as the owner’s name, address, and
phone number.
This warranty supersedes all previous
Meade product warranties.
telescope to the factory.
SURF THE WEB
MEADE LIMITED WARRANTY
•
•
•
•
•
•
The Meade 4M Community:
This warranty is not valid in cases where the
product has been abused or mishandled,
where unauthorized repairs have been
attempted or performed, or where
depreciation of the product is due to normal
wear-and-tear. Meade specifically disclaims
special, indirect, or consequential damages
or lost profit which may result from a breach
of this warranty. Any implied warranties
which cannot be disclaimed are hereby
Sky & Telescope:
Every Meade telescope and telescope
accessory is warranted by Meade
Instruments Corporation (“Meade”) to be
free of defects in materials and
workmanship for a period of ONE YEAR from
the date of original purchase in the U.S.A.
Meade will repair or replace a product, or
part thereof, found by Meade to be defective,
provided the defective part is returned to
Astronomy:
Astronomy Picture of the Day:
Photographic Atlas of the Moon:
Hubble Space Telescope Public Pictures:
©2007 MEADE INSTRUMENTS CORPORATION
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Looking at or near the Sun will cause irreversable damage to your eye. Do not point this telescope at or near the Sun. Do not look through the telescope as it is moving.
OBSERVATION LOG
OBSERVER:
OBJECT NAME:
DATE & TIME OBSERVED:
CONSTELLATION:
EYEPIECE SIZE:
SEEING CONDITIONS:
NOTES:
EXCELLENT
GOOD
POOR
DRAWING OF IMAGE
(SAVE ORIGINAL - BE SURE TO MAKE COPIES)
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OBSERVATION LOG
OBSERVER:
OBJECT NAME:
DATE & TIME OBSERVED:
CONSTELLATION:
EYEPIECE SIZE:
SEEING CONDITIONS:
NOTES:
EXCELLENT
GOOD
POOR
DRAWING OF IMAGE
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Meade Instruments Corporation
1-800
6001 Oak Canyon, Irvine, California
92618
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