Celestron Telescope StarSeeker User Manual

INSTRUCTION MANUAL  
StarSeeker 70mm • StarSeeker 80mm •StarSeeker 114mm • StarSeeker 130mm  
IN 264 Rev. B 4/06  
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Objective Lens  
Fork Arm  
Tube Ring  
Clamp  
Star Pointer  
Finderscope  
Eyepiece  
Accessory Tray w/  
Hand Control  
Holder  
Hand Control  
Tripod  
Star Diagonal  
Focuser Knob  
The Starseeker 70mm and 80mm Refractor Telescopes  
(80mm model shown)  
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Star Pointer Finderscope  
Eyepiece  
Focuser Knob  
Tube Ring  
Optical Tube  
Fork Arm  
Tripod  
Collimation  
Adjustment  
Knobs  
Accessory Tray w/  
Hand Control Holder  
Hand Control  
StarSeeker 114mm & 130mm Reflecting Telescopes  
(114mm model shown)  
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Internal heat build-up inside the telescope can cause  
these devices to crack or break, allowing unfiltered sun-  
light to pass through to the eye.  
Introduction  
Congratulations on your purchase of the Celestron  
StarSeeker! The StarSeeker ushers in a whole new genera-  
tion of computer automated technology. Simple and friendly to  
use, the StarSeeker is up and running after locating just three  
bright objects. It’s the perfect combination of power and porta-  
bility. If you are new to astronomy, you may wish to start off by  
using the StarSeeker’s built-in Sky Tour feature, which com-  
mands the StarSeeker to find the most interesting objects in  
the sky and automatically slews to each one. Or if you are an  
experienced amateur, you will appreciate the comprehensive  
database of over 4,000 objects, including customized lists of  
all the best deep-sky objects, bright double stars, and vari-  
able stars. No matter at what level you are starting out, the  
StarSeeker will unfold for you and your friends all the wonders  
of the Universe.  
• Never leave the telescope unsupervised, either when  
children are present or adults who may not be familiar with  
the correct operating procedures of your telescope.  
Assembly  
The StarSeeker comes partially assembled and can be oper-  
ational in a matter of minutes. The StarSeeker is conveniently  
packaged in one reusable shipping carton that contains the  
following accessories:  
StarSeeker 70mm &  
80mm  
StarSeeker 114mm &  
130mm  
25mm, 10mm Eyepieces - 11/4"  
11/4" Star Diagonal  
25mm, 10mm Eyepieces - 11/4"  
Collimating Cap  
Some of the many standard features of the StarSeeker  
include:  
Star Pointer Finderscope and  
Mounting Bracket  
Star Pointer Finderscope and  
Mounting Bracket  
• Incredible 4°/second slew speed.  
• Fully enclosed motors and optical encoders for position  
location.  
Deluxe Accessory Tray  
Battery Pack  
Deluxe Accessory Tray  
Battery Pack  
• Computerized hand controller with 4,000 object data  
base.  
Starry Night SE Astronomy  
Starry Night SE Astronomy  
Software  
Software  
• Storage for programmable user defined objects; and  
• Many other high performance features!  
StarSeeker Hand Control w/  
Object Database  
StarSeeker Hand Control w/  
Object Database  
The StarSeeker’s deluxe features combined with Celestron’s  
legendary optical standards give amateur astronomers one of  
the most sophisticated and easy to use telescopes available  
on the market today.  
The StarSeeker reflectors (StarSeeker 114mm and 130mm)  
come attached to the mount in the shipping box.To make them  
fit, the tube and mount were packed very compactly at the  
factory. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO REPOSITION THE MOUNT  
TO ITS PROPER ORIENTATION BY HAND! Otherwise,  
the gears and motors may be damaged. After removing the  
assembly from the shipping box, reposition the tube and  
mount as follows:  
Take time to read through this manual before embarking on  
your journey through the Universe. It may take a few observ-  
ing sessions to become familiar with your StarSeeker, so you  
should keep this manual handy until you have fully mastered  
your telescope’s operation. The StarSeeker hand control has  
built-in instructions to guide you through all the alignment  
procedures needed to have the telescope up and running in  
minutes. Use this manual in conjunction with the on-screen  
instructions provided by the hand control. The manual gives  
detailed information regarding each step as well as needed  
reference material and helpful hints guaranteed to make your  
observing experience as simple and pleasurable as possible.  
1. Remove the tube from the mount by first removing the  
thumbscrew on the mount’s clamp. Open the clamp, and  
remove the tube.  
2. Plug the hand controller and battery pack (with batteries  
installed, requires 8x AA batteries) into the base of the  
mount.  
Your StarSeeker telescope is designed to give you years of  
fun and rewarding observations. However, there are a few  
things to consider before using your telescope that will ensure  
your safety and protect your equipment.  
3. Use the hand controller to select your telescope model  
(see chart on page 10).  
4. Now use the hand controller direction buttons to reposition  
the mount until it is roughly in the position shown on page  
4 of the instruction manual.  
Warning  
5. Replace the optical tube in the cradle and secure it with  
the thumbscrew.  
• Never look directly at the sun with the naked eye or  
with a telescope (unless you have the proper solar filter).  
Permanent and irreversible eye damage may result.  
• Never use your telescope to project an image of the sun  
onto any surface. Internal heat build-up can damage the  
telescope and any accessories attached to it.  
• Never use an eyepiece solar filter or a Herschel wedge.  
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2. Thread the coupling screw into the hole at the bottom of  
the fork arm base and hand tighten.  
Assembling the StarSeeker  
Your StarSeeker comes in three major sections: the optical  
tube, fork arm and the tripod. These sections can be attached  
in seconds using the quick release coupling screw located  
under the tripod mounting platform. Remove all of the acces-  
sories from their individual boxes. Remember to save all of the  
containers so that they can be used to transport the telescope.  
Before attaching the visual accessories, the telescope tube  
should be mounted to its tripod. First, install the accessory tray  
onto the tripod legs:  
Your StarSeeker is fully assembled and is ready to attach the  
accessories.  
1. Remove the tripod from the box and spread the legs apart  
until the center leg brace is fully extended.  
2. Locate the accessory tray, and place it on top of the tripod  
center support brace in between the tripod legs (see figure  
2-2).  
3. Insert the locking bolt from underneath the tripod support  
brace and thread it into the hole in the center of the acces-  
sory tray. Do not over tighten.  
Locking bolt  
(underneath  
accessory tray)  
Accessory tray  
The accessory tray has a built-on hand control holder protrud-  
ing from the side.The back of the hand control has an opening  
that slides over the clip on the inside of the holder.  
Figure 2-2. The accessory tray/hand control holder  
It is a good idea to adjust the height of the tripod before attach-  
ing the fork arm and tube. Minor adjustments can be made  
later. To adjust the height of the tripod legs:  
The Star Diagonal  
(For StarSeeker 70mm & 80mm Models Only)  
1. Loosen the tripod leg locking bolt located on the side of  
each leg.  
The star diagonal diverts the light at a right angle from the light  
path of the telescope. For astronomical observing, this allows  
you to observe in positions that are more comfortable than if  
you were to look straight through. To attach the star diagonal:  
2. Slide the inner portion of each leg down 6" to 8" inches.  
3. Tighten the tripod locking bolts to hold each leg in place.  
1. Turn the thumbscrew on the eyepiece adapter at the end  
of the focuser barrel until it no longer extends into (i.e.,  
obstructs) the inner diameter of the focus barrel. Remove  
the protective dust cap from the focuser barrel.  
Attaching the Telescope to the Tripod  
With the tripod properly assembled, the telescope tube and  
fork arm can easily be attached using the quick release cou-  
pling screw located underneath the tripod mounting platform:  
2. Slide the chrome portion of the star diagonal into the eye-  
piece adapter.  
1. Hold the telescope tube assembly by the fork arm and  
place the fork arm base inside the tripod mounting plat-  
form. See Figure 2-1.  
3. Tighten the thumbscrew on the eyepiece adapter to hold  
the star diagonal in place.  
Optical Tube  
If you wish to change the orientation of the star diagonal,  
loosen the thumbscrew on the eyepiece adapter until the star  
diagonal rotates freely. Rotate the diagonal to the desired posi-  
tion and tighten the thumbscrew.  
(StarSeeker 70mm Shown)  
The Eyepiece  
The eyepiece, or ocular, is the optical element that magnifies  
the image focused by the telescope. The eyepiece fits either  
directly into the focuser (114mm and 130mm models) or into  
the star diagonal (70mm and 80mm models). To install the  
eyepiece:  
Tripod Mounting  
Platform  
Fork Arm Base  
For StarSeeker 70mm and 80mm models:  
Coupling Screw  
1. Loosen the thumbscrew on the star diagonal so it does  
not obstruct the inner diameter of the eyepiece end of the  
diagonal. Remove the protective dust cap from the star  
diagonal’s barrel.  
2. Slide the chrome portion of the low power 25mm eyepiece  
into the star diagonal.  
Figure 2-1.  
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3. Tighten the thumbscrew to hold the eyepiece in place.  
Eyepiece  
Star pointer  
To remove the eyepiece, loosen the thumbscrew on the star  
diagonal and slide the eyepiece out.  
Focus  
knob  
For StarSeeker 114mm and 130mm models:  
1. Loosen the thumb screw on the eyepiece adapter at the  
end of the focuser barrel and remove the protective dust  
cap from the focuser barrel.  
2. Slide the chrome portion of the low power 25mm eyepiece  
into the eyepiece adapter.  
3. Tighten the thumbscrew to hold the eyepiece in place.  
To remove the eyepiece, loosen the thumbscrew on the eye-  
piece barrel and slide the eyepiece out.  
Figure 2-4. Visual accessories for the StarSeeker 114mm & 130mm  
Eyepieces are commonly referred to by focal length and barrel  
diameter. The focal length of each eyepiece is printed on the  
eyepiece barrel. The longer the focal length (i.e., the larger  
the number), the lower the eyepiece power or magnification;  
and the shorter the focal length (i.e., the smaller the num-  
ber), the higher the magnification. Generally, you will use  
low-to-moderate power when viewing. For more information  
on how to determine power, see the section on “Calculating  
Magnification.”  
The Star Pointer Finderscope  
The Star Pointer is the quickest and easiest way to point your  
telescope exactly at a desired object in the sky. It’s like having  
a laser pointer that you can shine directly onto the night sky.  
The Star Pointer is a zero magnification pointing tool that uses  
a coated glass window to superimpose the image of a small  
red dot onto the night sky. While keeping both eyes open when  
looking through the Star Pointer, simply move your telescope  
until the red dot, seen through the Star Pointer, merges with  
the object as seen with your unaided eye. The red dot is pro-  
duced by a light-emitting diode (LED); it is not a laser beam  
and will not damage the glass window or your eye. The Star  
Pointer comes equipped with a variable brightness control, two  
axes alignment control and mounting brackets. Before the Star  
Pointer is ready to be used, it must be attached to the tele-  
scope tube and properly aligned:  
Barrel diameter is the diameter of the barrel that slides into the  
star diagonal or focuser. The StarSeeker uses eyepieces with  
a standard 1-1/4" barrel diameter.  
Focusing  
To focus your telescope, simply turn either of the focus knobs  
at the eyepiece end of the optical tube (see figures 2-3 and  
2.4). Turn the focus knob until the image is sharp. Once sharp,  
turn the knob towards you to focus on an object that is clos-  
er than the one you are currently observing. Turn the knob  
away from you to focus on a more distant object than the one  
you are currently observing.  
Star Pointer Installation  
For StarSeeker 80mm and 130mm models:  
1. Slide the Star Pointer bracket into the dovetail mounting  
platform near the focuser assembly.  
2. Orient the Star Pointer so that the sight tube is facing  
towards the front of the tube.  
Eyepiece  
Star pointer  
3. Secure the Star Pointer bracket by tightening the thumb  
screw on the mounting platform.  
For StarSeeker 70mm and 114mm models:  
1. Remove the nuts from the studs where the Star Pointer will  
mount.  
Focus knob  
2. Mount the Star Pointer bracket by placing the bracket over  
the studs protruding from the tube and tightening it down  
with the supplied nuts. Orient the Star Pointer so that the  
sight tube is facing towards the front of the tube.  
Star Pointer Operation  
Star diagonal  
The star pointer is powered by a long life 3-volt lithium battery  
(#CR2032) located underneath the front portion of the Star  
Pointer. Like all finderscopes, the Star Pointer must be properly  
aligned with the main telescope before it can be used. This is  
a simple process using the azimuth and altitude control knobs  
located on the side and bottom of the Star Pointer. The align-  
Eyepiece adapter  
Figure 2-3. Visual accessories for the StarSeeker 70mm & 80mm  
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Attaching the Hand Control  
Sight tube  
The StarSeeker hand control has a phone jack type connector  
at the end of its cord. Plug the phone jack connector into the  
outlet at the base of the telescope’s fork arm. Push the connec-  
tor into the outlet until it clicks into place and place the hand  
control into its holder as described previously in the Assembly  
section of the manual.  
ON/OFF  
Brightness control  
Powering the StarSeeker  
The StarSeeker can be powered by the supplied battery pack  
or an optional 12v AC adapter.The power pack requires 8 user  
supplied AA size alkaline batteries. To power the StarSeeker,  
insert the batteries into the battery pack and insert the plug  
into the 12v jack located on the side of the fork arm. Once the  
battery pack is plugged in, the StarSeeker will power on and  
the hand control will display the message NexStar GT. To turn  
the StarSeeker off, simply disconnect the power supply from  
the jack on the mount.  
Azimuth  
adjustment control  
Dovetail tightening  
screws  
The Hand Control  
The StarSeeker’s hand controller is designed to give you  
instant access to all the functions the StarSeeker has to offer.  
With automatic slewing to over 4,000 objects, and common  
sense menu descriptions, even a beginner can master its vari-  
ety of features in just a few observing sessions. Below is a brief  
description of the individual components of the StarSeeker  
hand controller:  
Mounting holes  
Altitude adjustment  
control  
Figure 2-5. The Star Pointer finderscope with bracket  
ment procedure is best done at night since the LED dot will be  
difficult to see during the day. Before using the StarPointer, you  
must first remove the protective plastic cover over the battery.  
1. Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) Window: Has a dual-line,  
16 character display screen that is backlit for comfortable  
viewing of telescope information and scrolling text.  
1. To turn on the Star Pointer, rotate the variable brightness  
control (see figure 2-5) clockwise until you here a “click”.To  
increase the brightness level of the red dot, continue rotat-  
ing the control knob about 180° until it stops.  
2. Align: Instructs the StarSeeker to use a selected star or  
object as an alignment position.  
Note: Remember to remove the plastic cover over the  
battery, and always turn the power off after you have  
found an object. This will extend the life of both the  
battery and the LED.  
3. Direction Keys: Allows complete control of the StarSeeker  
in any direction. Use the direction keys to center objects in  
the StarPointer finderscope and eyepiece.  
4. Catalog Keys: The StarSeeker has a key on the hand con-  
trol to allow direct access to each of the catalogs in its  
4,000+ object database. The StarSeeker contains the fol-  
lowing catalogs in its database:  
2. Locate a bright star or planet and center it in a low power  
eyepiece in the main telescope.  
3. With both eyes open, look through the glass window at the  
alignment star.  
Messier - Complete list of all Messier objects.  
If the Star Pointer is perfectly aligned, you will see the red LED  
dot overlap the alignment star. If the Star Pointer is not aligned,  
take notice of where the red dot is relative to the bright star.  
NGC - Many of the brightest deep sky objects from the Revised  
New General Catalog.  
Caldwell - A combination of the best NGC and IC objects.  
Planets - All 8 planets in our Solar System plus the Moon.  
4. Without moving the main telescope, turn the Star Pointer’s  
azimuth and altitude alignment controls until the red dot is  
directly over the alignment star.  
Stars - A compiled list of the brightest stars from the SAO  
catalog.  
If the LED dot is brighter than the alignment star, it may make  
it difficult to see the star. Turn the variable brightness control  
counterclockwise, until the red dot is the same brightness as  
the alignment star. This will make it easier to get an accurate  
alignment. The Star Pointer is now ready to be used.  
List - For quick access, all of the best and most popular objects  
in the StarSeeker database have been broken down into  
lists based on their type and/or common name:  
Named Stars: Common name listing of the brightest stars  
in the sky.  
Named Objects: Alphabetical listing of over 50 of the most  
popular deep sky objects.  
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Double Stars: Alphabetical listing of the most visually 10. Scroll Keys: Used to scroll up and down within any of the  
stunning double, triple and quadruple stars in the sky.  
menu lists. A double arrow symbol on the right side of the  
LCD indicates that the scroll keys can be used to view  
additional information.  
Variable Stars: Select list of the brightest variable stars  
with the shortest period of changing magnitude.  
11. Rate: Instantly changes the rate of speed of the motors  
when the direction buttons are pressed.  
Asterisms: A unique list of some of the most recognizable  
star patterns in the sky.  
12. RS-232 Jack: Allows use with a computer and software  
programs for point and click slewing capability.  
5. Info: Displays coordinates and useful information about  
objects selected from the StarSeeker database.  
6. Tour: Activates the tour mode, which seeks out all the best  
objects for a given month and automatically slews the  
StarSeeker to those objects.  
Hand Control Operation  
This section describes the basic hand control procedures  
needed to operate the StarSeeker. These procedures are  
7. Enter: Pressing Enter allows you to select any of the grouped into three categories: Alignment, Setup and Utilities.  
StarSeeker functions, accept entered parameters and slew The alignment section deals with the initial telescope align-  
the telescope to displayed objects.  
ment as well as finding objects in the sky; the setup section  
discusses changing parameters such as tracking mode and  
tracking rate; finally, the last section reviews all of the utility  
functions such as adjusting the telescopes slew limits and  
backlash compensation.  
8. Undo: Undo will take you out of the current menu and  
display the previous level of the menu path. Press Undo  
repeatedly to get back to a main menu or use it to erase  
data entered by mistake.  
9. Menu: Displays the many setup and utilities functions such  
as tracking rate and user defined objects and many others.  
Alignment Procedure  
In order for the StarSeeker to accurately point to objects in the  
sky, it must first be aligned to known positions (stars) in the  
sky. With this information, the telescope can create a model of  
the sky, which it uses to locate any object with known coordi-  
nates. There are many ways to align the StarSeeker with the  
sky depending on what infor-  
mation the user is able to  
provide: SkyAlign uses your  
current date, time and city to  
Definition  
"Altazimuth" or "Alt-Az"  
refers to a type of mounting  
1
2
3
7
8
create an accurate model of  
that allows a telescope to  
the sky. Then the user can  
move in both altitude (up  
simply point the telescope  
to any three bright celestial  
objects to accurately align  
the telescope with the sky.  
Auto Two-Star Align will  
ask the user to choose and  
center the first alignment  
star, then the StarSeeker will  
automaticallyselectandslew  
to a second star for alignment. Two-Star Alignment requires  
the user to identify and manually slew the telescope to the two  
alignment stars. One-Star Align is the same as Two-Star Align  
however only requires you to align to one known star. Although  
not as accurate as the other alignment methods, One-Star  
Align is the quickest way to find and track bright planets and  
objects in Altazimuth mode. Finally, Solar System Align will  
display a list of visible daytime objects (planets and the moon)  
available to align the telescope. Each alignment method is dis-  
cussed in detail below.  
and down) and azimuth  
(left and right) with respect  
to the ground. This is the  
simplest form of mounting  
in which the telescope is  
attached directly to a tripod  
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4
5
6
10  
11  
12  
Figure 3-2. The StarSeeker hand control  
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Important: The first time the StarSeeker is used, it will request  
information to help identify the model of telescope. Once  
powered on, the hand control will display the message Select  
Model. Use the Up and Down menu keys (10) to scroll through  
the different StarSeeker models. Press ENTER when your  
StarSeeker model is displayed on the hand control. This infor-  
mation will be retained for future use and will not be displayed  
again. If for some reason the incorrect model was selected or  
you wish to use your hand control on a different StarSeeker  
model, the Select Model utility feature allows you to re-select  
the proper StarSeeker model from the displayed list (see  
Select Model later in this section).  
site. Select City Database and press ENTER.  
• The hand control will allow you to choose from either U.S.  
or international locations. For a listing of U.S. locations by  
state and then by city, press ENTER while United States is  
displayed. For international locations, use the Up or Down  
scroll key to select International and press ENTER.  
• Use the Up and Down Scroll buttons to choose your cur-  
rent state (or country if International locations was selected)  
from the alphabetical listing and press ENTER.  
• Use the Up and Down Scroll buttons to choose the clos-  
est city to your location from the displayed list and press  
ENTER.  
Sky Align  
Time - Enter the current time for your area. You can enter  
either the local time (i.e. 8:00), or you can enter military  
time (i.e. 20:00).  
Sky Align is the easiest way to get your StarSeeker aligned and  
ready to observe. Even if you do not know a single star in the  
If you have this model...  
StarSeeker 70mm  
Select the following Model  
NexStar 60mm  
• Select PM or AM. If military time was entered, the hand  
control will bypass this step.  
StarSeeker 80mm  
NexStar 80mm  
• Choose between Standard time or Daylight Savings time.  
Use the Up and Down scroll buttons (10) to toggle between  
options.  
StarSeeker 114mm  
StarSeeker 130mm  
NexStar 114mm  
NexStar 130mm  
• Select the time zone that you are observing from. Again,  
use the Up and Down buttons (10) to scroll through the  
choices. For time zone information, refer to the Time Zone  
map in the appendices of this manual.  
sky, the StarSeeker will have you aligned in minutes by asking  
for basic information like the date, time and location. Then you  
simply need to aim the telescope to any three bright celestial  
objects in the sky. Since Sky Align requires no knowledge of  
the night sky it is not necessary to know the name of the stars  
at which you are aiming. You may even select a planet or the  
moon. The StarSeeker is then ready to start finding and track-  
ing any of the objects in its 4,000+ object database. Before  
the telescope is ready to be aligned, it should be set up in an  
outside location with all accessories (eyepiece, diagonal and  
finderscope) attached and lens cover removed as described in  
the Assembly section of the manual. To begin Sky Align:  
HELPFUL HINTS  
Date - Enter the month, day and year of your observing  
session. The display will read: mm/dd/yy.  
• If the wrong information has been input into the hand  
control, the UNDO button will act as a backspace allowing  
the user to re-enter information.  
1. Power on the StarSeeker by plugging the battery pack into  
the jack on the base of the fork arm.  
• The next time that your StarSeeker is aligned, the hand  
control will automatically display the last location (either a  
city or longitude/latitude) that was entered. Press ENTER  
to accept these parameters if they still apply. Pressing the  
UNDO button will allow you to go back and select a new  
city location or longitude/latitude.  
2. Press ENTER to choose Sky Align. Pressing the ALIGN  
key will bypass the other alignment options and the scroll-  
ing text and automatically begins Sky Align.  
3. The hand control display will then ask for the following time/  
site information:  
4. Use the arrow buttons on the hand control to slew (move)  
the telescope towards any bright celestial object in the sky.  
Align the object with the red dot of the finderscope and  
press ENTER.  
Location - The StarSeeker will display a list of cities to  
choose from. Choose the city from the database that is  
closest to your current observing site. The city you choose  
will be remembered in the hand controls memory so that it  
will be automatically displayed the next time an alignment  
is done. Alternatively, if you know the exact longitude and  
latitude of your observing site, it can be entered directly  
into the hand control and remembered for future use as  
well. To choose a location city:  
5. If the finderscope has been properly aligned with the tele-  
scope tube, the alignment star should now be visible inside  
the field of view of the eyepiece. The hand control will ask  
that you center the bright alignment star in the center of  
the eyepiece and press the ALIGN button. This will accept  
the star as the first alignment position. (There is no need to  
adjust the slewing rate of the motors after each alignment  
step. The StarSeeker automatically selects the best slew-  
ing rate for aligning objects in both the finderscope and the  
eyepiece).  
• Use the Up and Down scroll keys to choose between City  
Database and Custom Site. City Database will allow you  
to select the closest city to your observing site from a list of  
either international or U.S. location. Custom Site allows you  
to enter the exact longitude and latitude of your observing  
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6. For the second alignment object, choose a bright star or  
planet as far as possible from the first alignment object.  
Once again use the arrow button to center the object in  
the finderscope and press ENTER. Then once centered in  
the eyepiece press the ALIGN button.  
1. Once the StarSeeker is powered on , Press ENTER to  
begin alignment.  
2. Use the Up and Down scroll keys (10) to select Auto Two-  
Star Align and press ENTER.  
3. The hand control will display the last time and location  
information that was entered into the hand control. Use  
the Up and Down buttons to scroll through the information.  
Press ENTER to accept the current information or press  
UNDO to manually edit the information (see Sky Align  
section for detailed instruction on entering time/site infor-  
mation).  
7. Repeat the process for the third alignment star. When  
the telescope has been aligned to the final stars, the dis-  
play will read Match Confirmed. Press UNDO to display the  
names of the three bright objects you aligned to, or press  
ENTER to accept these three objects for alignment. You  
are now ready to find your first object.  
4. The display will now prompt you to select a bright star from  
the displayed list on the hand control. Use Up and Down  
buttons (6 and 9 on the keypad) to scroll to the desired  
star and then press ENTER.  
Tips for Using Sky Align  
Remember the following alignment guidelines to make using  
Sky Align as simple and accurate as possible.  
• Be sure to level the tripod before you begin alignment.  
The time/site information along with a level tripod will help  
the telescope better predict the available bright stars and  
planets that are above the horizon.  
5. Use the arrow buttons to slew the telescope to the star  
you selected. Center the star in the finderscope and press  
ENTER. Finally, center the star in the eyepiece and press  
ALIGN.  
• Remember to select alignment stars that are as far apart  
in the sky as possible. For best results make sure that the  
third alignment star does not lie in a straight line between  
the first two stars. This may result in a failed alignment.  
6. Based on this information, the StarSeeker will automati-  
cally display the most suitable second alignment star that  
is above the horizon. Press ENTER to automatically slew  
the telescope to the displayed star. If for some reason you  
do not wish to select this star (perhaps it is behind a tree  
or building), you can either:  
• Don’t worry about confusing planets for stars when  
selecting alignment objects. SkyAlign works with the four  
brightest planets (Venus, Jupiter, Saturn and Mars) as well  
as the Moon. In addition to the planets, the hand control  
has over 80 bright alignment stars to choose from (down  
to 2.5 magnitude).  
• Press the UNDO button to display the next most suitable  
star for alignment.  
• Rarely SkyAlign will not be able to determine what three  
alignment objects were centered. This sometime happens  
when a bright planet or the Moon passes near one of the  
brighter stars. In situations like these it is best to try to  
avoid aligning to either object if possible.  
• Use the UP and DOWN scroll buttons to manually select  
any star you wish from the entire list of available stars.  
Once finished slewing, the display will ask you to use the  
arrow buttons to align the selected star with the red dot of the  
finderscope. Once centered in the finder, press ENTER. The  
display will then instruct you to center the star in the field of  
view of the eyepiece. When the star is centered, press ALIGN  
to accept this star as your second alignment star. When the  
telescope has been aligned to both stars the display will read  
Align Success, and you are now ready to find your first object.  
• Be sure to center the objects with the same final move-  
ments as the direction of the GoTo Approach.For example,  
if the scope normally finishes a GoTo with the front of the  
scope moving right and up, you should center all three  
alignment objects in the eyepiece using the right and up  
arrow buttons (the up/down arrows reverse at slew rates  
of 6 or lower). Approaching the star from this direction  
when looking through the eyepiece will eliminate much  
of the backlash between the gears and assure the most  
accurate alignment possible.  
Two Star Alignment  
With the two-star alignment method, the StarSeeker requires  
the user to know the positions of two bright stars in order to  
accurately align the telescope with the sky and begin finding  
objects. Here is an overview of the two-star alignment proce-  
dure:  
Auto Two-Star Align  
As with Sky Align, Auto Two-Star Align requires you to enter  
all the necessary time/site information as before. Once this  
information is entered, StarSeeker will prompt you to select  
and point the telescope at one known star in the sky. The  
StarSeeker now has all the information it needs to automati-  
cally choose a second star that will assure the best possible  
alignment. Once selected, the telescope will automatically  
slew to that second alignment star to complete the align-  
ment. With the StarSeeker set up outside with all accessories  
attached and the tripod leveled, follow the steps below to align  
the telescope:  
1. Once the StarSeeker is powered on, use the Up and  
Down scroll keys (10) to select Two-Star Align, and press  
ENTER.  
2. Press ENTER to accept the time/site information displayed  
on the display, or press UNDO to enter new information.  
3. The SELECT STAR 1 message will appear in the top row  
of the display. Use the Up and Down scroll keys (10) to  
select the star you wish to use for the first alignment star.  
Press ENTER.  
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4. StarSeeker then asks you to center in the eyepiece the  
alignment star you selected. Use the direction arrow but-  
tons to slew the telescope to the alignment star and care-  
fully center the star in the finderscope. Press ENTER when  
centered.  
Solar System Align  
Solar System Align is designed to provide excellent tracking  
and GoTo performance by using solar system objects (Sun,  
Moon and planets) to align the telescope with the sky. Solar  
System Align is a great way to align your telescope for day-  
time viewing as well as a quick way to align the telescope for  
night time observing.  
5. Then, center the star in the eyepiece and press ALIGN.  
HELPFUL HINT: In order to accurately center the alignment  
star in the eyepiece, you may wish to decrease the slew rate  
of the motors for fine centering. This is done by pressing the  
RATE key (11) on the hand controller then selecting the num-  
ber that corresponds to the speed you desire. (9 = fastest , 1  
= slowest).  
Never look directly at the sun with the naked eye or with a  
telescope (unless you have the proper solar filter). Permanent  
and irreversible eye damage may result.  
1. Select Solar System Align from the alignment options.  
2. Press ENTER to accept the time/site information displayed  
on the display, or press UNDO to enter new information.  
6. StarSeeker will then ask you to select and center a sec-  
ond alignment star and press the ALIGN key. It is best to  
choose alignment stars that are a good distance away  
from one another. Stars that are at least 40° to 60° apart  
from each other will give you a more accurate alignment  
than stars that are close to each other.  
3. The SELECT OBJECT message will appear in the top row  
of the display. Use the Up and Down scroll keys (10) to  
select the daytime object (planet, moon or sun) you wish  
to align. Press ENTER.  
4. StarSeeker then asks you to center in the eyepiece the  
alignment object you selected. Use the direction arrow  
buttons to slew the telescope to the alignment object and  
carefully center it in the finderscope. Press ENTER when  
centered.  
Once the second star alignment is completed properly, the  
display will read Align Successful, and you should hear the  
tracking motors turn-on and begin to track.  
One-Star Align  
5. Then, center the object in the eyepiece and press ALIGN.  
One-Star Align requires you to input all the same informa-  
tion as you would for the Two-Star Align procedure. However,  
instead of slewing to two alignment stars for centering and  
alignment, the StarSeeker uses only one star to model the  
sky based on the information given. This will allow you to  
roughly slew to the coordinates of bright objects like the moon  
and planets and gives the StarSeeker the information needed  
to track objects in altazimuth in any part of the sky. One-Star  
Align is not meant to be used to accurately locate small or  
faint deep-sky objects or to track objects accurately for pho-  
tography.  
Once in position, the StarSeeker will model the sky based on  
this information and display Align Successful.  
Tips for Using Solar System Align  
• For safety purposes, the Sun will not be displayed in  
any of the hand control’s customer object lists unless it  
is enabled from the Utilities Menu. To allow the Sun to be  
displayed on the hand control, do the following:  
1. Press the UNDO button until the display reads NexStar GT.  
2. Press the MENU button and use the Up and Down keys to  
select the Utilities menu. Press ENTER.  
To use One-Star Align:  
1. Select One-Star Align from the alignment options.  
3. Use the UP and Down keys to select Sun Menu and press  
ENTER.  
2. Press ENTER to accept the time/site information displayed  
on the display, or press UNDO to enter new information.  
4. Press ENTER again to allow the Sun to appear on the  
hand control display.  
3. The SELECT STAR 1 message will appear in the top row  
of the display. Use the Up and Down scroll keys (10) to  
select the star you wish to use for the first alignment star.  
Press ENTER.  
The Sun can be removed from the display by using the same  
procedure as above.  
To improve the telescope pointing accuracy, you can use the  
Re-Align feature as described below.  
4. StarSeeker then asks you to center in the eyepiece the  
alignment star you selected. Use the direction arrow but-  
tons to slew the telescope to the alignment star and care-  
fully center the star in the finderscope. Press ENTER when  
centered.  
StarSeeker Re-Alignment  
The StarSeeker has a re-alignment feature which allows you  
to replace either of the original alignment stars with a new star  
or celestial object. This can be useful in several situations:  
5. Then, center the star in the eyepiece and press ALIGN.  
6. Once in position, the StarSeeker will model the sky based  
• If you are observing over a period of a few hours, you  
may notice that your original two alignment stars have  
drifted towards the west considerably. (Remember that the  
stars are moving at a rate of 15° every hour). Aligning on a  
new star that is in the eastern part of the sky will improve  
your pointing accuracy, especially on objects in that part  
on this information and display Align Successful.  
Note: Once a One-Star Alignment has been done, you can  
use the Re-alignment feature (later in this section ) to improve  
your telescope’s pointing accuracy.  
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of the sky.  
required to enter the first four digits of the objects six digit SAO  
number. Once the first four digits are entered, the hand control  
will automatically list all the available SAO objects beginning  
with those numbers. This allows you to scroll through only  
the SAO stars in the database. For example, in searching for  
the SAO star 40186 (Capella), the first four digits would be  
“0401”. Entering this number will display the closest match  
from the SAO stars available in the database. From there you  
can scroll down the list and select the desired object.  
• If you have aligned your telescope using the One-star  
align method, you can use re-align to align to an additional  
object in the sky. This will improve the pointing accuracy  
of your telescope without having to re-enter addition infor-  
mation.  
To replace an existing alignment star with a new alignment  
star:  
1. Select the desired star (or object) from the database and  
slew to it.  
Slewing to an Object  
Once the desired object is displayed on the hand control  
screen, you have two options:  
2. Carefully center the object in the eyepiece.  
3. Once centered, press the UNDO button until you are at  
the main menu.  
• Press the INFO Key. This will give you useful information  
about the selected object such as magnitude, constella-  
tion and fascinating facts about many of the objects.  
4. With NexStar GT displayed, press the ALIGN key on the  
hand control.  
• Press the ENTER Key. This will automatically slew the  
telescope to the coordinates of the object. While the tele-  
scope is slewing to the object, the user can still access  
many of the hand control functions (such as displaying  
information about the object).  
5. The display will then ask you which alignment star you  
want to replace.  
6. Use the UP and Down scroll keys to select the alignment  
star to be replaced, and press ENTER. It is usually best  
to replace the star closest to the new object. This will  
space out your alignment stars across the sky. If you have  
used one of the single object alignment methods then it is  
always best to replace the object that is “unassigned” with  
an actual object.  
If you slew to an object that is below the horizon, StarSeeker  
will notify you by displaying a message reminding you that  
you have selected an object outside of your slew limits (see  
Slew Limits in the Scope Setup section of the manual). Press  
UNDO to go back and select a new object. Press ENTER to  
ignore the message and continue the slew. The StarSeeker  
hand control will only display objects that are below the hori-  
zon if the Filter Limits are set below 0° in altitude. See Filter  
Limits in the Utility Feature section of the manual for more  
information on setting the filter limits.  
7. Press ALIGN to make the change.  
Selecting an Object  
Now that the telescope is properly aligned, you can choose  
an object from any of the catalogs in the StarSeeker’s data-  
base. The hand control has a key designated for each of the  
catalogs in its database. There are two ways to select objects  
from the database; scrolling through the named object lists  
and entering object numbers:  
Caution: Never slew the telescope when someone is  
looking into the eyepiece.The telescope can move at fast  
slew speeds and may hit an observer in the eye.  
Object information can be obtained without having to do a  
star alignment. After the telescope is powered on, pressing  
any of the catalog keys allows you to scroll through object lists  
or enter catalog numbers and view the information about the  
object as described above.  
• Pressing the LIST key on the hand control will access  
all objects in the database that have common names or  
types. Each list is broken down into the following catego-  
ries: Named Stars, Named Object, Double Stars, Variable  
Stars and Asterisms. Selecting any one of these options  
will display an alpha-numeric listing of the objects under  
that list. Pressing the Up and Down keys (10) allows you  
to scroll through the catalog to the desired object.  
Finding Planets  
The StarSeeker can locate all 8 of our solar systems planets  
plus the Sun and Moon. However, the hand control will only  
display the solar system objects that are above the horizon (or  
within its filter limits).To locate the planets, press the PLANET  
key on the hand control. The hand control will display all solar  
system objects that are above the horizon:  
• Pressing any of the catalog keys (M, CALD, NGC, or  
STAR) will display a blinking cursor below the name of  
the catalog chosen. Use the numeric key pad to enter the  
number of any object within these standardized catalogs.  
For example, to find the Orion Nebula, press the “M” key  
and enter “042”.  
• Use the Up and Down keys to select the planet that you  
wish to observe.  
• Pressing the PLANET button will allow you to use the  
UP and DOWN arrow keys to scroll through and select the  
eight planets as well as the moon.  
• Press INFO to access information on the displayed planet.  
• Press ENTER to slew to the displayed planet.  
To allow the Sun to be displayed as an option in the database,  
see Sun Menu in the Utilities section of the manual.  
When scrolling through a long list of objects, holding down  
either the Up or Down key will allow you to scroll through the  
catalog at a rapid speed.  
When entering the number for a SAO star, you are only  
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Tour Mode  
The hand control has a “double button” feature that allows you  
to instantly speed up the motors without having to choose a  
speed rate. To use this feature, simply press the arrow button  
that corresponds to the direction that you want to move the  
telescope. While holding that button down, press the opposite  
directional button. This will increase the speed to the maxi-  
mum slew rate.  
The StarSeeker includes a tour feature which automatically  
allows the user to choose from a list of interesting objects  
based on the date and time in which you are observing. The  
automatic tour will display only those objects that are with-  
in your set filter limits. To activate the Tour mode, press the  
TOUR key on the hand control. The StarSeeker will display  
the best objects to observe that are currently in the sky.  
When using the Up and Down buttons on the StarSeeker  
70mm or 80mm, the slower slew rates (6 and lower) move  
the motors in the opposite direction than the faster slew rates  
(7- 9). This is done so that an object will move in the appro-  
priate direction when looking into the eyepiece (i.e. pressing  
the up arrow button will move the star upwards in the field of  
view of the eyepiece). However, if any of the slower slew rates  
(rate 6 and below) are used to center an object in the Star  
Pointer, you may need to press the opposite directional button  
to make the telescope move in the correct direction.  
To see information and data about the displayed object,  
press the INFO key.  
To slew to the object displayed, press ENTER.  
To see the next tour object, press the Down key.  
Constellation Tour  
In addition to the Tour Mode, the StarSeeker telescope has  
a Constellation Tour that allows the user to take a tour of all  
the best objects within a particular constellation. Selecting  
Constellation from the LIST menu will display all the constel-  
lation names that are above the user defined horizon (filter  
limits). Once a constellation is selected, you can choose from  
any of the database object catalogs to produce a list of all the  
available objects in that constellation.  
Set Up Procedures  
The StarSeeker contains many user defined setup functions  
designed to give the user control over the telescope’s many  
advanced features. All of the set up and utility features can be  
accessed by pressing the MENU key and scrolling through  
the options:  
To see information and data about the displayed object,  
press the INFO key.  
Tracking Mode-Once the StarSeeker is aligned the tracking  
motors will automatically turn on and begin tracking the sky.  
However, the tracking can be turned off for terrestrial use:  
To slew to the object displayed, press ENTER.  
To see the next tour object, press the Up key.  
Alt-Az This is the default tracking rate and is used when  
the telescope has been properly aligned.  
Direction Buttons  
The StarSeeker has four direction buttons in the center of the  
hand control which controls the telescope motion in altitude  
(up and down) and azimuth (left and right).The telescope can  
be controlled at nine different speed rates.  
EQ North Used to track the sky when the telescope is  
polar aligned using an equatorial wedge in the Northern  
Hemisphere. This option is not used with the StarSeeker  
series of telescopes.  
EQ South Used to track the sky when the telescope is  
polar aligned using an equatorial wedge in the Southern  
Hemisphere. This option is not used with the StarSeeker  
series of telescopes.  
1 = 2x  
2 = 4x  
3 = 8x  
4 = 16x  
5 = 32x  
6 = .5° / sec  
7 = 1° / sec  
8 = 2° / sec  
Off When using the telescope for terrestrial (land) obser-  
vation the tracking can be turned off so that the telescope  
never moves.  
9 = 4° / sec  
Nine available slew speeds  
Rate Button  
Note: The EQ North and EQ South tracking modes are  
only needed with telescopes that can be polar aligned. The  
StarSeeker’s are exclusively Alt-Az mounted telescopes and  
do not require equatorial tracking.  
Pressing the RATE key (11) allows you to instantly change the  
speed rate of the motors from high speed slew rate to precise  
guiding rate or anywhere in between. Each rate corresponds  
to a number on the hand controller key pad. The number 9 is  
the fastest rate (approximately 4° per second, depending on  
power source) and is used for slewing between objects and  
locating alignment stars. The number 1 on the hand control  
is the slowest rate (2x sidereal) and can be used for accurate  
centering of objects in the eyepiece. To change the speed  
rate of the motors:  
Tracking Rate - In addition to being able to move the tele-  
scope with the hand control buttons, the StarSeeker will  
continually track a celestial object as it moves across the  
night sky. The tracking rate can be changed depending on  
what type of object is being observed:  
Sidereal This rate compensates for the rotation of the earth  
by moving the telescope at the same rate as the rotation of  
the earth, but in the opposite direction. When tracking in Alt-  
Az mode, the telescope must make corrections in both altitude  
and azimuth.  
• Press the RATE key on the hand control. The LCD will  
display the current speed rate.  
• Press the number on the hand control that corresponds  
to the desired speed.  
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Lunar Used for tracking the moon when observing the lunar  
Identify  
landscape.  
Identify Mode will search any of the StarSeeker database  
catalogs or lists and display the name and offset distances to  
the nearest matching objects. This feature can serve two pur-  
poses. First, it can be used to identify an unknown object in  
the field of view of your eyepiece. Additionally, Identify Mode  
can be used to find other celestial objects that are close to  
the objects you are currently observing. For example, if your  
telescope is pointed at the brightest star in the constellation  
Lyra, choosing Identify and then searching the Named Star  
catalog will no doubt return the star Vega as the star you are  
observing. However, by selecting Identify and searching by  
the Named Object or Messier catalogs, the hand control will  
let you know that the Ring Nebula (M57) is approximately 6°  
from your current position. Searching the Double Star catalog  
will reveal that Epsilon Lyrae is only 1° away from Vega. To  
use the Identify feature:  
Solar Used for tracking the Sun when solar observing using  
a proper solar filter.  
View Time-Site - View Time-Site will display the last saved  
time and longitude/latitude entered in the hand control.  
User Defined Objects - The StarSeeker can store up to 50  
different user defined objects in its memory. The objects can  
be daytime land objects or an interesting celestial object that  
you discover that is not included in the regular database.  
There are several ways to save an object to memory depend-  
ing on what type of object it is:  
Save Sky Object: The StarSeeker stores celestial objects to  
its database by saving its right ascension and declination in  
the sky. This way the same object can be found each time  
the telescope is aligned. Once a desired object is centered  
in the eyepiece, simply scroll to the Save Sky Obj command  
and press ENTER. The display will ask you to enter a number  
between 1-25 to identify the object. Press ENTER again to  
save this object to the database.  
• Press the Menu button and select the Identify option.  
• Use the Up/Down scroll keys to select the catalog that  
you would like to search.  
• Press ENTER to begin the search.  
Save Database (Db) Object: This feature allows you to cre-  
ate your own custom tour of database objects by allowing  
you to record the current position of the telescope and save  
the name of the object by selecting it from any one of the  
database catalogs. These objects then can be accessed by  
selecting GoTo Sky Object.  
Note: Some of the databases contain thousands of  
objects, and can therefore take a minute or two to return  
the closest object.  
Scope Setup Features  
SetupTime-Site - Allows the user to customize the StarSeeker  
display by changing time and location parameters (such as  
time zone and daylight savings).  
Save Land Object: The StarSeeker can also be used as a  
spotting scope on terrestrial objects. Fixed land objects can  
be stored by saving their altitude and azimuth relative to the  
location of the telescope at the time of observing. Since these  
objects are relative to the location of the telescope, they are  
only valid for that exact location. To save land objects, once  
again center the desired object in the eyepiece. Scroll down  
to the Save Land Obj command and press ENTER. The display  
will ask you to enter a number between 1-25 to identify the  
object. Press ENTER again to save this object to the data-  
base.  
Anti-backlash - All mechanical gears have a certain amount  
of backlash or play between the gears. This play is evident  
by how long it takes for a star to move in the eyepiece when  
the hand control arrow buttons are pressed (especially when  
changing directions). The StarSeeker’s anti-backlash features  
allows the user to compensate for backlash by inputting a  
value which quickly rewinds the motors just enough to elimi-  
nate the play between gears. The amount of compensation  
needed depends on the slewing rate selected; the slower the  
slewing rate the longer it will take for the star to appear to  
move in the eyepiece. Therefore, the anti-backlash compen-  
sation will have to be set higher. You will need to experiment  
with different values; a value between 20 and 50 is usually  
best for most visual observing, whereas a higher value may  
be necessary for photographic guiding. Positive backlash  
compensation is applied when the mount changes its direction  
of movement from backwards to forwards. Similarly, negative  
backlash compensation is applied when the mount changes  
its direction of movement from forwards to backwards. When  
tracking is enabled, the mount will be moving in one or both  
axes in either the positive or negative direction, so backlash  
compensation will always be applied when a direction button  
is released and the direction moved is opposite to the direc-  
tion of travel.  
Enter R.A. - Dec: You can also store a specific set of coordi-  
nates for an object just by entering the R.A. and declination  
for that object. Scroll to the Enter RA-DEC command and press  
ENTER. The display will then ask you to enter first the R.A.  
and then the declination of the desired object.  
GoTo Object: To go to any of the user defined objects stored  
in the database, scroll down to either GoTo Sky Obj or Goto Land  
Obj and enter the number of the object you wish to select and  
press ENTER. StarSeeker will automatically retrieve and dis-  
play the coordinates before slewing to the object.  
To replace the contents of any of the user defined objects,  
simply save a new object using one of the existing identifi-  
cation numbers; StarSeeker will replace the previous user  
defined object with the current one.  
Get RA/DEC - Displays the right ascension and declination  
To set the anti-backlash value, scroll down to the anti-back-  
lash option and press ENTER. Enter a value from 0-100 for  
both azimuth and altitude directions and press ENTER after  
each one to save these values. StarSeeker will remember  
for the current position of the telescope.  
Goto R.A/ Dec - Allows you to input a specific R.A. and dec-  
lination and slew to it.  
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these values and use them each time it is turned on until they  
are changed.  
Utility Features  
Version - Selecting this option will allow you to see the version  
number of the hand control software.  
Slew Limits - Sets the limits in altitude that the telescope can  
slew without displaying a warning message. The slew limits  
prevent the telescope tube from slewing to an object below the  
horizon or slewing to an object that is high enough that the tube  
might hit one of the tripod legs. However, the slew limits can  
be customized depending on your needs. For example, if you  
would like to slew to an object that is close to the zenith and are  
certain that the tube will not hit the tripod legs, you can set the  
slew limits to 90° in altitude.This will allow the telescope to slew  
to any object above the horizon without warning.  
Light Control - This feature allows you to turn off both the  
red key pad light and LCD display for daytime use to conserve  
power and to help preserve your night vision.  
Factory Setting - Returns the StarSeeker hand control  
to its original factory setting. Parameters such as backlash  
compensation values, initial date and time, longitude/latitude  
along with slew and filter limits will be reset. However, stored  
parameters such as PEC and user defined objects will remain  
saved even when Factory Settings is selected. The hand con-  
trol will ask you to press the “0” key before returning to the  
factory default setting.  
Filter Limits - When an alignment is complete, the StarSeeker  
automatically knows which celestial objects are above the  
horizon. As a result, when scrolling through the database lists  
(or selecting the Tour function), the StarSeeker hand control  
will display only those objects that are known to be above the  
horizon when you are observing.You can customize the object  
database by selecting altitude limits that are appropriate for  
your location and situation. For example, if you are observ-  
ing from a mountainous location where the horizon is partially  
obscured, you can set your minimum altitude limit to read +20°.  
This will make sure that the hand control only displays objects  
that are higher in altitude than 20°.  
Get Alt-Az - Displays the relative altitude and azimuth for the  
current position of the telescope.  
Goto Alt-Az - Allows you to enter a specific altitude and azi-  
muth position and slew to it.  
Hibernate - Hibernate allows the StarSeeker to be completely  
powered down and still retain its alignment when turned back  
on. This not only saves power, but is ideal for those that have  
their telescopes permanently mounted or leave their telescope  
in one location for long periods of time.To place your telescope  
in Hibernate mode:  
If you want to explore the entire object database, set the maxi-  
mum altitude limit to 90° and the minimum limit to -90°.This will  
display every object in the database lists regardless of whether  
it is visible in the sky from your location or not.  
1. Select Hibernate from the Utility Menu.  
2. Move the telescope to a desire position and press ENTER.  
3. Power off the telescope. Remember to never move your  
telescope manually while in Hibernate mode.  
Direction Buttons -The direction a star moves in the eyepiece  
varies depending on the accessories being used. This can cre-  
ate confusion when guiding on a star using an off-axis guider  
versus a straight through guide scope. To compensate for this,  
the direction of the drive control keys can be changed. To  
reverse the button logic of the hand control, press the MENU  
button and select Direction Buttons from the Utilities menu. Use  
the Up/Down arrow keys (10) to select either the Azimuth but-  
tons (left and right) or Altitude buttons (up and down) and press  
ENTER. Pressing ENTER again will reverse the direction of the  
hand control buttons from their current state. Direction Buttons  
will only change the eyepiece rates (rate 1-6) and will not affect  
the slew rates (rate 7-9).  
Once the telescope is powered on again the display will read  
Wake Up. After pressing Enter you have the option of scrolling  
through the time/site information to confirm the current setting.  
Press ENTER to wake up the telescope.  
Pressing UNDO at the Wake Up screen allows you to explore  
many of the features of the hand control without waking the  
telescope up from hibernate mode. To wake up the telescope  
after UNDO has been pressed, select Hibernate from the Utility  
menu and press ENTER. Do not use the direction buttons to  
move the telescope while in hibernate mode.  
Sun Menu  
Select Model - The first time the StarSeeker is powered on,  
the hand control display allows you to select your StarSeeker  
from a list of different models. If for some reason the incorrect  
model was selected or you wish to use your hand control on  
a different StarSeeker model, the Select Model utility feature  
allows you to re-select the proper StarSeeker model from the  
displayed list. Once the correct StarSeeker model has been  
selected the power needs to be restarted before beginning the  
alignment procedure. The Select Model feature will return the  
hand control to its original factory settings. Parameters such  
as backlash compensation values along with slew and filter  
limits will be reset. However, stored parameters such as user  
defined objects will remain saved even after the model has  
been changed.  
For safety purposes the Sun will not be displayed as a database  
object unless it is first enabled. The enable the Sun, go to the  
Sun Menu and press ENTER. The Sun will now be displayed  
in the Planets catalog as can be used as an alignment object  
when using the Solar System Alignment method. To remove  
the Sun from displaying on the hand control, once again select  
the Sun Menu from the Utilities Menu and press ENTER.  
Scrolling Menu  
This menus allows you to change the rate of speed that the text  
scrolls across the hand control display.  
• Press the Up (number 6) button to increase the speed of  
the text.  
Press the Down (number 9) button to decrease the speed of  
the text.  
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StarSeeker  
StarSeeker Menu Tree:  
The following figure is a menu tree showing the sub-menus associated with the primary command functions.  
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Let’s say, for example, you are using the 25mm eyepiece. To  
determine the magnification you simply divide the focal length  
of your telescope (for example, the StarSeeker 130mm has  
a focal length of 650mm) by the focal length of the eyepiece,  
25mm. Dividing 650 by 25 yields a magnification of 26 power.  
Telescope Basics  
A telescope is an instrument that collects and focuses light.  
The nature of the optical design determines how the light  
is focused. Some telescopes, known as refractors, use  
lenses. Other telescopes, known as reflectors, use mirrors.  
The StarSeeker 70mm and 80mm telescopes are refrac-  
tor telescopes that use an objective lens to collect light. The  
StarSeeker 114mm and 130mm are reflecting telescopes with  
a primary and secondary mirror to gather and focus light.  
Although the power is variable, each instrument under aver-  
age skies has a limit to the highest useful magnification. The  
general rule is that 60 power can be used for every inch of  
aperture. For example, the StarSeeker 80mm is 3.2" (80mm)  
in diameter. Multiplying 3.2 by 60 gives a maximum useful  
magnification of 192 power. Although this is the maximum  
useful magnification, most observing is done in the range of  
20 to 35 power for every inch of aperture which is 64 to 112  
times for the StarSeeker 80mm telescope.  
Focusing  
Once you have found an object in the telescope, turn the  
focusing knob until the image is sharp.To achieve a truly sharp  
focus, never look through glass windows or across objects  
that produce heat waves, such as asphalt parking lots.  
Determining Field of View  
Determining the field of view is important if you want to get  
an idea of the angular size of the object you are observing. To  
calculate the actual field of view, divide the apparent field of  
the eyepiece (supplied by the eyepiece manufacturer) by the  
magnification. In equation format, the formula looks like this:  
For astronomical viewing, out of focus star images are very  
diffuse, making them difficult to see. If you turn the focus knob  
too quickly, you can go right through focus without seeing the  
image. To avoid this problem, your first astronomical target  
should be a bright object (like the Moon or a planet) so that  
the image is visible even when out of focus.  
Apparent Field of Eyepiece  
True Field =  
Image Orientation  
The image orientation of any telescope changes depending  
on how the eyepiece is inserted into the telescope. When  
observing through the StarSeeker 70mm or 80mm using a  
diagonal, the image will be right side up, but reversed from  
left to right. When observing straight through, with the eye-  
piece inserted directly into the telescope, the image will be  
inverted.  
Magnification  
As you can see, before determining the field of view, you must  
calculate the magnification. Using the example in the previous  
section, we can determine the field of view using the same  
25mm eyepiece.The 25mm eyepiece has an apparent field of  
view of 56°. Divide the 56° by the magnification, which is 26  
power. This yields an actual field of view of 2.2°.  
When observing through the StarSeeker 114mm or 130mm,  
a reflecting telescope, the image will appear up-side-down  
when looking through the eyepiece.  
To convert degrees to feet at 1,000 yards, which is more use-  
ful for terrestrial observing, simply multiply by 52.5. Continuing  
with our example, multiply the angular field 2.2° by 52.5. This  
produces a linear field width of 115.5 feet at a distance of  
one thousand yards. The apparent field of each eyepiece that  
Celestron manufactures is found in the Celestron Accessory  
Catalog (#93685).  
Reversed from left to right, as  
viewed with a star diagonal  
Inverted image as viewed  
with the eyepiece directly in  
telescope  
General Observing Hints  
When working with any optical instrument, there are a few  
things to remember to ensure you get the best possible  
image:  
Calculating Magnification  
You can change the power of your telescope just by changing  
the eyepiece (ocular). To determine the magnification of your  
telescope, simply divide the focal length of the telescope by  
the focal length of the eyepiece used. In equation format, the  
formula looks like this:  
• Never look through window glass. Glass found in house-  
hold windows is optically imperfect, and as a result, may  
vary in thickness from one part of a window to the next.  
This inconsistency can and will affect the ability to focus  
your telescope. In most cases you will not be able to  
achieve a truly sharp image, while in some cases, you  
may actually see a double image.  
Focal Length of Telescope (mm)  
Magnification =  
• Never look across or over objects that are producing  
heat waves.This includes asphalt parking lots on hot sum-  
mer days or building rooftops.  
Focal Length of Eyepiece (mm)  
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• Hazy skies, fog, and mist can also make it difficult to  
focus when viewing terrestrially.The amount of detail seen  
under these conditions is greatly reduced. Also, when  
photographing under these conditions, the processed film  
may come out a little grainier than normal with lower con-  
trast and underexposed.  
Planetary  
Observing  
Hints  
• Remember that  
atmospheric con-  
ditionsareusually  
the limiting fac-  
tor on how much  
planetary detail  
will be visible. So,  
avoid observing  
the planets when  
they are low on  
• If you wear corrective lenses (specifically glasses), you  
may want to remove them when observing with an eye-  
piece attached to the telescope. When using a camera,  
however, you should always wear corrective lenses to  
ensure the sharpest possible focus. If you have astigma-  
tism, corrective lenses must be worn at all times.  
the horizon or when they are directly over a source of radi-  
ating heat, such as a rooftop or chimney. See the “Seeing  
Conditions” section later in this section.  
Celestial Observing  
With your telescope set up, you are ready to use it for observ-  
ing. This section covers visual observing hints for both solar  
system and deep sky objects as well as general observing  
conditions which will affect your ability to observe.  
To increase contrast and bring out detail on the planetary  
surface, try using color eyepiece filters.  
Observing the Sun  
Observing the Moon  
Although overlooked by many amateur astronomers, solar  
observation is both rewarding and fun. However, because  
the Sun is so bright, special precautions must be taken when  
observing our star so as not to damage your eyes or your  
telescope.  
Often, it is tempt-  
ing to look at the  
Moon when it is  
full. At this time,  
the face we see  
is fully illuminated  
and its light can  
be overpowering.  
In addition, little  
or no contrast  
can be seen dur-  
ing this phase.  
Never project an image of the Sun through the telescope.  
Tremendous heat build-up may result inside the optical tube.  
This can damage the telescope and/or any accessories  
attached to the telescope.  
For safe solar viewing, use a solar filter that reduces the  
intensity of the Sun’s light, making it safe to view. With a filter  
you can see sunspots as they move across the solar disk and  
faculae, which are bright patches seen near the Sun’s edge.  
One of the best  
times to observe the Moon is during its partial phases (around  
the time of first or third quarter). Long shadows reveal a great  
amount of detail on the lunar surface. At low power you will  
be able to see most of the lunar disk at one time. Change to  
higher power (magnification) to focus in on a smaller area.  
Choose the lunar tracking rate from the StarSeeker’s MENU  
tracking rate options to keep the moon centered in the eye-  
piece even at high magnifications.  
Solar Observing Hints  
• The best time to observe the Sun is in the early morning  
or late afternoon when the air is cooler.  
To center the Sun without looking into the eyepiece,  
watch the shadow of the telescope tube until it forms a  
circular shadow.  
To ensure accurate tracking, be sure to select solar  
tracking rate.  
Lunar Observing Hints  
To increase contrast and bring out detail on the lunar surface,  
use eyepiece filters. A yellow filter works well at improving  
contrast while a neutral density or polarizing filter will reduce  
overall surface brightness and glare.  
Observing Deep Sky Objects  
Deep sky objects are simply those objects outside the bound-  
aries of our solar system.They include star clusters, planetary  
nebulae, diffuse nebulae, double stars and other galaxies out-  
side our own Milky Way. Most deep sky objects have a large  
angular size. Therefore, low-to-moderate power is all you  
need to see them. Visually, they are too faint to reveal any of  
the color seen in long exposure photographs. Instead, they  
appear black and white. And, because of their low surface  
brightness, they should be observed from a dark sky location.  
Light pollution around large urban areas washes out most  
nebulae making them difficult, if not impossible, to observe.  
Light Pollution Reduction filters help reduce the background  
sky brightness, thus increasing contrast.  
Observing the Planets  
Other fascinating targets include the five naked eye planets.  
You can see Venus go through its lunar-like phases. Mars can  
reveal a host of surface detail and one, if not both, of its polar  
caps.You will be able to see the cloud belts of Jupiter and the  
great Red Spot (if it is visible at the time you are observing).  
In addition, you will also be able to see the moons of Jupiter  
as they orbit the giant planet. Saturn, with its beautiful rings, is  
easily visible at moderate power.  
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Viewing Conditions  
Telescope Maintenance  
Viewing conditions affect what you can see through your  
telescope during an observing session. Conditions include  
transparency, sky illumination, and seeing. Understanding  
viewing conditions and the effect they have on observing will  
help you get the most out of your telescope.  
While your StarSeeker telescope requires little maintenance,  
there are a few things to remember that will ensure your tele-  
scope performs at its best.  
Care and Cleaning of the Optics  
Transparency  
Occasionally, dust and/or moisture may build up on the lenses  
of your telescope. Special care should be taken when clean-  
ing any instrument so as not to damage the optics.  
Transparency is the clarity of the atmosphere which is affected  
by clouds, moisture, and other airborne particles.Thick cumu-  
lus clouds are completely opaque while cirrus can be thin,  
allowing the light from the brightest stars through. Hazy skies  
absorb more light than clear skies making fainter objects hard-  
er to see and reducing contrast on brighter objects. Aerosols  
ejected into the upper atmosphere from volcanic eruptions  
also affect transparency. Ideal conditions are when the night  
sky is inky black.  
If dust has built up on a lens surface, remove the dust with a  
brush (made of camel’s hair) or a can of pressurized air. Spray  
at an angle to the lens for approximately two to four seconds.  
Then, use an optical cleaning solution and optical cleaning  
tissue to remove any remaining debris. Apply the solution to  
the tissue and then apply the tissue paper to the lens. Low  
pressure strokes should go from the center of the lens to the  
outer portion. Do NOT rub in circles!  
Sky Illumination  
General sky brightening caused by the Moon, aurorae, nat-  
ural airglow, and light pollution greatly affect transparency.  
While not a problem for the brighter stars and planets, bright  
skies reduce the contrast of extended nebulae making them  
difficult, if not impossible, to see.To maximize your observing,  
limit deep sky viewing to moonless nights far from the light  
polluted skies found around major urban areas. LPR filters  
enhance deep sky viewing from light polluted areas by block-  
ing unwanted light while transmitting light from certain deep  
sky objects.You can, on the other hand, observe planets and  
stars from light polluted areas or when the Moon is out.  
You can use a commercially made lens cleaner or mix your  
own. A good cleaning solution is isopropyl alcohol mixed with  
distilled water. The solution should be 60% isopropyl alcohol  
and 40% distilled water. Or, liquid dish soap diluted with water  
(a couple of drops per one quart of water) can be used.  
To minimize the need to clean your telescope, replace all lens  
covers once you have finished using it. This will prevent con-  
taminants from entering the optical tube.  
Collimation  
(For StarSeeker 114mm and 130mm)  
Seeing  
The optical performance of your StarSeeker telescope is  
directly related to its collimation, which is the alignment of its  
optical system.Your StarSeeker was collimated at the factory  
after it was completely assembled. However, if the telescope  
is dropped or jarred severely during transport, it may have to  
be collimated. The StarSeeker 70mm and 80mm are refrac-  
tor-type telescopes that have fixed optical systems that  
should not come out of collimation. The StarSeeker 114mm  
and 130mm, however, have collimation screws that can be  
used to adjust the alignment of the primary mirror.  
Seeing conditions refers to the stability of the atmosphere  
and directly affects the amount of fine detail seen in extend-  
ed objects. The air in our atmosphere acts as a lens which  
bends and distorts incoming light rays. The amount of bend-  
ing depends on air density. Varying temperature layers have  
different densities and, therefore, bend light differently. Light  
rays from the same object arrive slightly displaced creating  
an imperfect or smeared image. These atmospheric distur-  
bances vary from time-to-time and place-to-place. The size  
of the air parcels compared to your aperture determines the  
“seeing” quality. Under good seeing conditions, fine detail is  
visible on the brighter planets like Jupiter and Mars, and stars  
are pinpoint images. Under poor seeing conditions, images  
are blurred and stars appear as blobs.  
To check if your telescope is in collimation refer to figure 6-1.  
If you look into the eyepiece adapter (without an eyepiece) at  
the top of the focuser, this is what you should see. If the reflec-  
tion of your eye is off center, then collimating is necessary.  
The StarSeeker 114mm and 130mm reflectors come with a  
collimating 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 collimating is  
easy to perform.  
The conditions described here apply to both visual and photo-  
graphic observations.  
In addition to the collimating cap, you’ll notice a small ring  
label on the exact center of the primary mirror. This “center  
mark” allows you to achieve a very precise alignment of the  
primary mirror; you don’t have to guess where the center of  
the mirror is. You simply adjust the primary mirror position  
(described below) until the reflection of the hole in the col-  
limating cap (the “dot”) is centered inside the ring.  
Figure 5-1. Seeing conditions directly affect quality. These  
drawings represent a point source (i.e., star) under bad seeing  
conditions (right). Most often, seeing conditions produce images that  
lie some where between these two extremes.  
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how to adjust the screw pairs to center the dot of the collimat-  
ing cap in the ring of the primary mirror mark. Once the dot is  
centered in the ring, the telescope is collimated, and the rear  
cover plate can be reinstalled on the back of the mirror cell.  
Support  
screws  
Figure 6-1. The view of a collimated telescope as seen through  
the focuser of the StarSeeker 114mm and 130mm reflectors.  
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 counter-intuitive,  
but it’s true!  
Collimating the StarSeeker 114mm  
Adjustments to the collimation of the telescope can be made  
by turning the collimation adjustment knobs located at the  
rear of the optical tube (Figure 6-2). First loosen the three  
Phillips head screws on the rear cell of the tube. Turn each  
collimation knob, one at a time, until the reflected image of the  
collimating cap’s dot in the secondary mirror is centered in the  
primary mirror center mark ring. Once the telescope is col-  
limated, tighten the Phillips head screws until you feel a slight  
resistance. Do not over tighten the screws.  
Collimation  
screws  
Figure 6-2. Collimation adjustment screws for the StarSeeker  
114mm and 130mm.  
Collimating the StarSeeker 130mm  
To perform collimation adjustments, the rear cover plate must  
first be removed. This is done by unthreading the three small  
Phillips-head screws on the back of the mirror cell (Figure  
6-3). Once the cover plate is removed, the collimation adjust-  
ment screws are accessible (Figure 6-4).  
Rear cover plate  
Collimation screw pairs  
Collimation adjustments are made by adjusting the three pairs  
of collimation screws (Figure 6-4). The collimation screws can  
be turned with a Phillips head screwdriver and a 2.5mm hex  
key.Each pair of collimation screws work together to adjust the  
alignment of the primary mirror; one screw must be loosened  
and the other tightened by the same amount. Try tighten-  
ing and loosening one of the pairs of collimation screws by  
one turn. Look into the focuser to see if the secondary mirror  
reflection has moved closer to the center of the primary mirror  
reflection. The collimating cap makes this easy to see; watch  
if the “dot” of the collimating cap is moving closer or farther  
away from the ring on the center of the primary mirror. 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  
Figure 6-3. To access the  
collimation adjustment screws,  
the rear cover plate must first  
be removed.  
Figure 6-4. Collimation  
adjusted by tightening and  
loosening each pair of screws.  
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Appendix A -  
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS  
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The nearest “star” to our solar system, Alpha Centauri, is  
actually our nearest example of a multiple star system, it  
consists of three stars, two very similar to our Sun and  
one dim, small, red star orbiting around one another.  
Appendix B -  
GLOSSARY OF TERMS  
A-  
C -  
Absolute magnitude: The apparent magnitude that a star  
would have if it were observed from a standard distance of  
10 parsecs, or 32.6 light-years.The absolute magnitude of  
the Sun is 4.8. at a distance of 10 parsecs, it would just  
be visible on Earth on a clear moonless night away from  
surface light.  
Celestial Equator: The projection of the Earth’s equator  
on to the celestial sphere. It divides the sky into two equal  
hemispheres.  
Celestial pole: The imaginary projection of Earth’s rota-  
tional axis north or south pole onto the celestial sphere.  
Celestial Sphere: An imaginary sphere surrounding the  
Earth, concentric with the Earth’s center.  
Airy disk: The apparent size of a star’s disk produced  
even by a perfect optical system. Since the star can never  
be focused perfectly, 84 per cent of the light will concen-  
trate into a single disk, and 16 per cent into a system of  
surrounding rings.  
Collimation: The act of putting a telescope’s optics into  
perfect alignment.  
D -  
E -  
Alt-Azimuth Mounting: A telescope mounting using  
two independent rotation axes allowing movement of the  
instrument in Altitude and Azimuth.  
Declination (DEC)  
The angular distance of a celestial body north or south  
of the celestial equator. It may be said to correspond to  
latitude on the surface of the Earth.  
Altitude: In astronomy, the altitude of a celestial object is  
its Angular Distance above or below the celestial horizon.  
Aperture: The diameter of a telescope’s primary lens or  
mirror; the larger the aperture, the greater the telescope’s  
light-gathering power.  
Ecliptic  
The projection of the Earth’s orbit on to the celestial  
sphere. It may also be defined as “the apparent yearly  
path of the Sun against the stars”.  
Apparent Magnitude: A measure of the relative bright-  
ness of a star or other celestial object as perceived by an  
observer on Earth.  
Equatorial mount: A telescope mounting in which the  
instrument is set upon an axis which is parallel to the axis  
of the Earth; the angle of the axis must be equal to the  
observer’s latitude.  
Arc minute: A unit of angular size equal to 1/60 of a  
degree.  
Arc second: A unit of angular size equal to 1/3,600 of  
a degree (or 1/60 of an arc minute).  
Asterism: A small unofficial grouping of stars in the night  
sky.  
F -  
Focal length: The distance between a lens (or mirror)  
and the point at which the image of an object at infinity is  
brought to focus. The focal length divided by the aperture  
of the mirror or lens is termed the focal ratio.  
Asteroid: A small, rocky body that orbits a star.  
Astrology: The pseudoscientific belief that the positions  
of stars and planets exert an influence on human affairs;  
astrology has nothing in common with astronomy.  
J -  
K -  
L -  
Astronomical unit (AU): The distance between the Earth  
and the Sun. It is equal to 149,597,900 km., usually round-  
ed off to 150,000,000 km.  
Jovian Planets: Any of the four gas giant planets that are  
at a greater distance form the sun than the terrestrial plan-  
ets.  
Aurora: The emission of light when charged particles  
from the solar wind slams into and excites atoms and mol-  
ecules in a planet’s upper atmosphere.  
Kuiper Belt: A region beyond the orbit of Neptune extend-  
ing to about 1000 AU which is a source of many short  
period comets.  
Azimuth: The angular distance of an object eastwards  
along the horizon, measured from due north, between the  
astronomical meridian (the vertical line passing through  
the center of the sky and the north and south points on the  
horizon) and the vertical line containing the celestial body  
whose position is to be measured. .  
Light-Year (ly): A light-year is the distance light traverses  
in a vacuum in one year at the speed of 299,792 km/ sec.  
With 31,557,600 seconds in a year, the light-year equals a  
distance of 9.46 X 1 trillion km (5.87 X 1 trillion mi).  
B -  
Binary Stars: Binary (Double) stars are pairs of stars  
that, because of their mutual gravitational attraction, orbit  
around a common center of mass. If a group of three or  
more stars revolve around one another, it is called a mul-  
tiple system. It is believed that approximately 50 percent  
of all stars belong to binary or multiple systems. Systems  
with individual components that can be seen separately by  
a telescope are called visual binaries or visual multiples.  
M -  
Magnitude: Magnitude is a measure of the brightness of a  
celestial body.The brightest stars are assigned magnitude  
1 and those increasingly fainter from 2 down to magnitude  
5. The faintest star that can be seen without a telescope  
is about magnitude 6. Each magnitude step corresponds  
to a ratio of 2.5 in brightness. Thus a star of magnitude  
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1 is 2.5 times brighter than a star of magnitude 2, and  
100 times brighter than a magnitude 5 star. The brightest  
star, Sirius, has an apparent magnitude of -1.6, the full  
moon is -12.7, and the Sun’s brightness, expressed on a  
magnitude scale, is -26.78. The zero point of the apparent  
magnitude scale is arbitrary.  
R -  
Reflector: A telescope in which the light is collected by  
means of a mirror.  
Resolution: The minimum detectable angle an optical  
system can detect. Because of diffraction, there is a limit  
to the minimum angle, resolution. The larger the aperture,  
the better the resolution.  
Meridian: A reference line in the sky that starts at the  
North celestial pole and ends at the South celestial pole  
and passes through the zenith. If you are facing South, the  
meridian starts from your Southern horizon and passes  
directly overhead to the North celestial pole.  
Right Ascension: (RA): The angular distance of a celes-  
tial object measured in hours, minutes, and seconds along  
the Celestial Equator eastward from the Vernal Equinox.  
Messier: A French astronomer in the late 1700’s who  
was primarily looking for comets. Comets are hazy dif-  
fuse objects and so Messier cataloged objects that were  
not comets to help his search. This catalog became the  
Messier Catalog, M1 through M110.  
S -  
Sidereal Rate: This is the angular speed at which the  
Earth is rotating. Telescope tracking motors drive the tele-  
scope at this rate. The rate is 15 arc seconds per second  
or 15 degrees per hour.  
N -  
T -  
U -  
V -  
Nebula: Interstellar cloud of gas and dust. Also refers to  
any celestial object that has a cloudy appearance.  
Terminator: The boundary line between the light and dark  
portion of the moon or a planet.  
North Celestial Pole: The point in the Northern hemi-  
sphere around which all the stars appear to rotate. This is  
caused by the fact that the Earth is rotating on an axis that  
passes through the North and South celestial poles. The  
star Polaris lies less than a degree from this point and is  
therefore referred to as the “Pole Star”.  
Universe: The totality of astronomical things, events, rela-  
tions and energies capable of being described objectively.  
Nova: Although Latin for “new” it denotes a star that sud-  
denly becomes explosively bright at the end of its life cycle.  
Variable Star: A star whose brightness varies over time  
due to either inherent properties of the star or something  
eclipsing or obscuring the brightness of the star.  
O -  
P -  
W -  
Open Cluster: One of the groupings of stars that are con-  
centrated along the plane of the Milky Way. Most have an  
asymmetrical appearance and are loosely assembled.  
They contain from a dozen to many hundreds of stars.  
Waning Moon: The period of the moon’s cycle between  
full and new, when its illuminated portion is decreasing.  
Waxing Moon: The period of the moon’s cycle between  
new and full, when its illuminated portion is increasing.  
Parallax: Parallax is the difference in the apparent posi-  
tion of an object against a background when viewed by  
an observer from two different locations. These positions  
and the actual position of the object form a triangle from  
which the apex angle (the parallax) and the distance of  
the object can be determined if the length of the baseline  
between the observing positions is known and the angular  
direction of the object from each position at the ends of  
the baseline has been measured. The traditional method  
in astronomy of determining the distance to a celestial  
object is to measure its parallax.  
Z -  
Zenith: The point on the Celestial Sphere directly above  
the observer.  
Zodiac: The zodiac is the portion of the Celestial Sphere  
that lies within 8 degrees on either side of the Ecliptic.The  
apparent paths of the Sun, the Moon, and the planets,  
with the exception of some portions of the path of Pluto,  
lie within this band. Twelve divisions, or signs, each 30  
degrees in width, comprise the zodiac. These signs coin-  
cided with the zodiacal constellations about 2,000 years  
ago. Because of the Precession of the Earth’s axis, the  
Vernal Equinox has moved westward by about 30 degrees  
since that time; the signs have moved with it and thus no  
longer coincide with the constellations.  
Parfocal: Refers to a group of eyepieces that all require  
the same distance from the focal plane of the telescope  
to be in focus. This means when you focus one parfocal  
eyepiece all the other parfocal eyepieces, in a particular  
line of eyepieces, will be in focus.  
Parsec: The distance at which a star would show paral-  
lax of one second of arc. It is equal to 3.26 light-years,  
206,265 astronomical units, or 30,8000,000,000,000 km.  
(Apart from the Sun, no star lies within one parsec of us.)  
Point Source: An object which cannot be resolved into an  
image because it to too far away or too small is considered  
a point source. A planet is far away but it can be resolved  
as a disk. Most stars cannot be resolved as disks, they are  
too far away.  
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Appendix C -  
RS-232 CONNECTION  
You can control your StarSeeker telescope with a computer  
via the RS-232 port located on the computerized hand control  
and using an optional RS-232 cable (Celestron #93920). The  
telescope can be controlled using popular astronomy soft-  
ware programs, such as Starry Night Pro.  
25  
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Appendix D -  
MAPS OF TIME ZONES  
26  
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CELESTRON TWO YEAR  
WARRANTY  
Some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of  
incidental or consequential damages or limitation on how  
long an implied warranty lasts, so the above limitations  
and exclusions may not apply to you.  
A.Celestron warrants this telescope to be free from defects  
in materials and workmanship for two years. Celestron  
will repair or replace such product or part thereof which,  
upon inspection by Celestron, is found to be defective in  
materials or workmanship. As a condition to the obligation  
of Celestron to repair or replace such product, the product  
must be returned to Celestron together with proof-of-pur-  
chase satisfactory to Celestron.  
This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may  
also have other rights which vary from state to state.  
Celestron reserves the right to modify or discontinue, with-  
out prior notice to you, any model or style telescope.  
If warranty problems arise, or if you need assistance in  
using your telescope contact:  
B. The Proper Return Authorization Number must be  
obtained from Celestron in advance of return. Call  
Celestron at (310) 328-9560 to receive the number to be  
displayed on the outside of your shipping container.  
Celestron  
Customer Service Department  
2835 Columbia Street  
Torrance, CA 90503  
All returns must be accompanied by a written statement  
setting forth the name, address, and daytime telephone  
number of the owner, together with a brief description of  
any claimed defects. Parts or product for which replace-  
ment is made shall become the property of Celestron.  
Tel. (310) 328-9560  
Fax. (310) 212-5835  
The customer shall be responsible for all costs of trans-  
portation and insurance, both to and from the factory of  
Celestron, and shall be required to prepay such costs.  
Monday-Friday 8AM-4PM PST  
This warranty supersedes all other product warranties.  
Celestron shall use reasonable efforts to repair or replace  
any telescope covered by this warranty within thirty days  
of receipt. In the event repair or replacement shall require  
more than thirty days, Celestron shall notify the customer  
accordingly. Celestron reserves the right to replace any  
product which has been discontinued from its product line  
with a new product of comparable value and function.  
NOTE: This warranty is valid to U.S.A. and Canadian cus-  
tomers who have purchased this product from an Authorized  
Celestron Dealer in the U.S.A. or Canada. Warranty outside  
the U.S.A. and Canada is valid only to customers who pur-  
chased from a Celestron Distributor or Authorized Celestron  
Dealer in the specific country and please contact them for any  
warranty service.  
This warranty shall be void and of no force of effect in  
the event a covered product has been modified in design  
or function, or subjected to abuse, misuse, mishandling  
or unauthorized repair. Further, product malfunction or  
deterioration due to normal wear is not covered by this  
warranty.  
Celestron  
2835 Columbia Street  
Torrance, CA 90503  
Tel. (310) 328-9560  
Fax. (310) 212-5835  
CELESTRON DISCLAIMS ANY WARRANTIES,  
EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, WHETHER OF  
MERCHANTABILITY OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR  
USE, EXCEPT AS EXPRESSLY SET FORTH HEREIN.  
THE SOLE OBLIGATION OF CELESTRON UNDER  
THIS LIMITED WARRANTY SHALL BE TO REPAIR  
OR REPLACE THE COVERED PRODUCT, IN  
ACCORDANCE WITH THE TERMS SET FORTH  
HEREIN. CELESTRON EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY  
LOST PROFITS, GENERAL, SPECIAL, INDIRECT OR  
CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES WHICH MAY RESULT  
FROM BREACH OF ANY WARRANTY, OR ARISING  
OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE ANY  
CELESTRON PRODUCT. ANY WARRANTIES WHICH  
ARE IMPLIED AND WHICH CANNOT BE DISCLAIMED  
SHALL BE LIMITED IN DURATION TO A TERM OF  
TWO YEARS FROM THE DATE OF ORIGINAL RETAIL  
PURCHASE.  
Copyright 2005 Celestron  
All rights reserved.  
(Products or instructions may change  
without notice or obligation.)  
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rule. Operation  
is subject to the following two conditions: 1) This device may  
not cause harmful interference, and 2) This device must  
accept any interference received, including interference that  
may cause undesired operations.  
34  
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