Meade Telescope RB 60 User Manual

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TELESTAR INSTRUCTION MANUAL  
60mm | 2.4" Altazimuth Refracting Telescope  
RB-60  
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INTRODUCTION  
Your telescope is an excellent beginner’s  
instrument, and is designed to observe  
objects in the sky and also on land. It can be  
your personal window on the universe or  
allows you to intimately study the behavior of  
nesting birds on a distant hillside.  
Setting up your telescope involves these  
simple steps:  
• Assemble your tripod  
1
• Attach the accessory tray  
• Attach the optical tube to the mount  
• Attach the red dot viewfinder  
• Attach the diagonal mirror and eyepiece  
• Align the red dot viewfinder  
The telescope is shipped with the following  
parts:  
• Optical tube  
Study the the picture on the next page and  
become acquainted with the parts of your  
telescope. Then proceed to “Assemble  
your Tripod.”  
• Aluminum tripod with an accessory tray  
• Two 1.25" eyepieces: MA25mm (28X),  
MH9mm (78X)  
• 2x 1.25" Barlow lens  
• Diagonal mirror  
• Red dot viewfinder with bracket  
• Telescope mount  
The tube has a focal length of 700mm, and  
its objective lens has a diameter of 60mm.  
The lens diameter is one of the most  
important pieces of information about the  
telescope. The size of the objective lens  
determines how much detail you will be able  
to see in your telescope. The focal length will  
help later on to calculate magnification.  
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Inset A  
Figure 1: Telestar RB-60 Altazimuth Refracting Telescope  
FIGURE 1  
Inset A:  
Inset B:  
Inset C:  
Red Dot Viewfinder Assembly  
Tripod Legs and Accessory Tray  
Altaz or Altazimuth Mount  
2
1. Eyepiece  
2. Red dot viewfinder (see Inset A)  
3. Red dot viewfinder alignment screws  
(see Inset A)  
4. Optical tube assembly  
5. Vertical locking lever  
6. Horizontal lock knob  
Inset B  
7. Tripod legs  
8. Leg brace supports (See Inset C)  
9. Leg brace (See Inset C)  
10. Mount base attachment knobs  
11. Optical tube lock knobs  
12. Horizontal slow motion control (See Inset B)  
13. Diagonal mirror  
14. Objective lens cell  
15. Focuser drawtube  
16. Vertical slow motion control (See Inset B)  
17. Accessory tray (Inset C)  
18. Red dot viewfinder bracket (see Inset A)  
19. Adjustable sliding leg extension (see Inset C)  
20. Tripod leg lock (see Inset C)  
21. Dew shield/lens shade  
22. Front lens cap (removed)  
23. Focusing knob  
Inset C  
24. Mount base attachment  
25. Quickrelease (Inset A)  
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Fig. 3  
2. Rotate the tray, until the corners of the  
tray "click" into place.  
ASSEMBLE YOUR TRIPOD  
The tripod is the basic support for your  
telescope. Adjust the height of the tripod so  
that you can view comfortably.  
3
ATTACH THE MOUNT TO THE TRIPOD  
Fig. 2  
1. Unlock the leg lock (20).  
1. Slide the center  
post of the mount into  
the center hole on top  
of the tripod.  
2. Tighten the lock  
knob (10) underneath  
the top of the tripod  
to firm feel. Notice  
that the lock knob is  
already attached to  
the tripod.  
2. Slide the leg in or out to the desired  
length.  
3. Tighten the leg lock to secure the leg  
in place.  
4. Repeat for the other two legs.  
5. Next, spread the legs out evenly apart.  
Inset B  
ATTACH THE RED DOT VIEWFINDER  
It can be difficult locating objects in the  
sky using the eyepiece. The red dot  
viewfinder has a red dot "bullseye" to help  
you more easily locate and line up with a  
celestial target.  
Slide the red dot viewfinder into the  
mounting bracket until it clicks into place.  
Note that the red dot viewfinder has a quick  
release control. To detach from the bracket,  
press the bracket quick release button and  
slide the bracket out.  
ATTACH THE OPTICAL TUBE TO THE MOUNT  
The optical tube gathers distant light which  
is focused in the eyepiece.  
1. Remove the two lock knobs from the  
optical tube. (Fig. 3)  
Fig. 4  
ATTACH THE ACCESSORY TRAY  
The tray (17) helps stabilize the tripod and  
is also a convenient holder of eyepiece and  
other Meade accessories, such as the  
Barlow lens.  
1. Place the accessory tray over the center  
hub of the leg brace supports.  
2. Slide the two bolts through the holes in  
the mounting bracket.  
3. Thread a lock knob onto each of the  
mounting screws and tighten to a  
firm feel.  
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2. Look through the red dot viewfinder. Turn  
one or more of the viewfinder’s alignment  
screws (3) until the red dot is precisely  
over the same object as you centered in  
the eyepiece.  
3. Check this alignment at night on a  
celestial object, such as the Moon or  
a bright star, and use the viewfinder’s  
alignment screws to make any  
necessary refinements.  
movements as you follow (or “track”) an  
object as it moves in the eyepiece.  
ATTACH THE DIAGONAL MIRROR  
AND EYEPIECE  
4
The diagonal mirror reflects the light  
THE MOST IMPORTANT RULE  
from the optical tube to a more  
comfortable viewing position for  
the eyepiece.  
We have one very important rule that  
you should always follow when using  
your telescope:  
1. Slide the diagonal mirror into the focuser  
drawtube.  
2. Tighten the drawtube thumbscrew to hold  
the diagonal mirror securely.  
3. Slide the 25mm eyepiece into diagonal  
mirror.  
4. Tighten the diagonal mirror thumbscrew  
to hold the eyepiece securely.  
Have Fun!  
Have a good time when you’re observing. You  
may not know everything that there is to  
know about a telescope or what all the  
sights in the universe are, but that’s OK. Just  
point and observe at first.  
TO MOVE THE TELESCOPE  
Your RB-60 telescope is altazimuth  
mounted. Altazimuth is just a complicated  
way of saying that your telescope moves  
up and down and from side to side.  
Other telescopes may be mounted in  
different ways.  
1. Slightly loosen the vertical locking lever  
(5). Loosening this lever allows you to  
move the telescope up and down.  
ALIGN THE RED DOT VIEWFINDER  
Perform the first part of this procedure  
during the daytime and the last step at night.  
1. Point the telescope at an easy-to-find  
land object such as the top of a telephone  
pole or a distant mountain or tower. Look  
through the eyepiece in the diagonal  
mirror and turn the focuser knob (23)  
until the image is sharply focused. Center  
the object precisely in the eyepiece’s field  
of view.  
2. Slightly loosen the horizontal lock knob  
(6). Loosening this lock allows the  
telescope to be moved from side to side.  
3. Once an object is found, re-tighten the  
knob. You can then use the slow motion  
controls to make smooth and precise  
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SUN WARNING  
You will enjoy your telescope even more  
as you learn more about it. But don’t be  
scared off by difficult terms or  
complicated procedures. Don’t panic!  
Just relax and enjoy your scope.  
locating with the eyepiece. Line  
up the object with the viewfinders  
red dot.  
NEVER USE YOUR TELESCOPE  
TO LOOK AT THE SUN!  
5
LOOKING AT OR NEAR THE SUN WILL CAUSE  
INSTANT AND IRREVERSIBLE DAMAGE TO  
YOUR EYE. EYE DAMAGE IS OFTEN PAINLESS,  
SO THERE IS NO WARNING TO THE OBSERVER  
THAT DAMAGE HAS OCCURRED UNTIL IT IS  
TOO LATE. DO NOT POINT THE TELESCOPE OR  
ITS VIEWFINDER AT OR NEAR THE SUN. DO  
NOT LOOK THROUGH THE TELESCOPE OR ITS  
VIEWFINDER AS IT IS MOVING. CHILDREN  
SHOULD ALWAYS HAVE ADULT SUPERVISION  
WHILE OBSERVING.  
Look through the eyepiece: Once you  
have the object lined up in the viewfinder,  
look through the optical tube’s eyepiece. If  
you have aligned your viewfinder, you will  
you see the object in your eyepiece.  
You will begin to grow and learn more  
about astronomy the more you observe.  
Go to the library and read some books  
about the stars and planets. Read about  
astronomers of old. Many of them had  
telescope no bigger than the one you  
are using right now. Galileo, who is one  
of the first astronomers to use a  
telescope, discovered four of the moons  
of Jupiter with a telescope about the  
same size as yours (and his didn’t even  
focus very well!).  
Focus: Look through the eyepiece and  
practice focusing on the object you  
have chosen.  
Try out the slow motion adjustment  
controls: To move the telescope from  
side to side, first unlock the azimuth lock.  
Then rotate the horizontal slow motion  
control wheel to move the telescope from  
side to side.  
Unlock the lock knobs: To move the  
telescope, you will need to unlock the  
horizontal lock knob (6) and vertical  
locking lever(5) (just rotate to unlock or  
lock; when locking, only tighten to a “firm  
feel,” do not overtighten).  
OBSERVING  
Observe during the daytime: Try out your  
telescope during the daytime at first. It is  
easier to learn how it operates and how to  
observe when it is light.  
THE MEADE 4M COMMUNITY  
Use the red dot viewfinder: If you have not  
done so, align the viewfinder (2) with the  
telescope’s eyepiece (1) as described earlier.  
You haven’t just bought a telescope, you have embarked  
on an astronomy adventure that never ends. Share the  
journey with others by accepting your free membership  
in the 4M community of astronomers.  
Pick out an easy object to observe:  
A distant mountain, a large tree, a  
lighthouse or skyscraper make excellent  
targets. Point the optical tube so it lines  
up with your object.  
Look through the viewfinder until you can  
see the object. It will be easier to locate  
an object using the viewfinder rather than  
today.  
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Look for different features on the Moon. The  
most obvious features are craters. In fact  
you can see craters within craters. Some  
craters have bright lines about them. These  
are called rays and are the result of material  
thrown out of the crater when it was struck  
by a colliding object. The dark areas on the  
Moon are called maria and are composed of  
lava from the period when the Moon still had  
volcanic activity. You can also see mountain  
ranges and fault lines on the Moon.  
To move the telescope up and down,  
unlock the altitude lock. Then rotate  
in your telescope: Venus, Mars, Jupiter  
and Saturn.  
6
the altitude control wheel to move the  
telescope up or down.  
Nine planets (maybe more!) travel in a fairly  
circular pattern around our Sun. Any system  
of planets orbiting one or more stars is  
called a solar system. Our Sun, by the way,  
is a single, yellow dwarf star. It is average as  
far as stars go and is a middle aged star.  
Observe the Moon: When you feel  
comfortable with the viewfinder, the  
eyepieces, the locks and the adjustment  
controls, you will be ready to try out the  
telescope at night. The Moon is the best  
object to observe the first time you go  
out at night. Pick a night when the Moon  
is a crescent. No shadows are seen  
during a full Moon, making it appear flat  
and uninteresting.  
Beyond the planets are clouds of comets, icy  
planetoids and other debris left over from  
the birth of our sun. Recently astronomers  
have found large objects in this area and  
they may increase the number of planets in  
our solar system.  
Use a neutral density filter (often called a  
“moon filter”) when observing the Moon.  
Neutral density filters are available from  
Meade as an optional accessory and  
enhance contrast to improve your  
observation of lunar features.  
The four planets closest to the Sun are rocky  
and are called the inner planets. Mercury,  
Venus, Earth and Mars comprise the inner  
planets. Venus and Mars can be easily seen  
in your telescope.  
TOO MUCH POWER?  
Can you ever have too much power? If the type of  
power you’re referring to is eyepiece magnification,  
yes you can! The most common mistake of the  
beginning observer is to “overpower” a telescope  
by using high magnifications which the telescope’s  
aperture and atmospheric conditions cannot  
reasonably support. Keep in mind that a smaller,  
but bright and well-resolved image is far superior  
to one that is larger, but dim and poorly resolved.  
Powers above 400x should be employed only under  
the steadiest atmospheric conditions.  
Spend several nights observing the Moon.  
Some nights, the Moon is so bright that it  
makes other objects in the sky difficult to  
see. These are nights that are excellent for  
lunar observation.  
Venus is seen before dawn or after sunset,  
because it is close to the Sun. You can  
observe Venus going through crescent  
phases. But you cannot see any surface  
detail on Venus because it has a very thick  
atmosphere of gas.  
Observe the Solar System: After observing  
the Moon, you are ready to step up to the  
next level of observation, the planets. There  
are four planets that you can easily observe  
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Fig. 5  
When Mars is close to the Earth, you can see  
some details on Mars, and sometimes even  
Mars’ polar caps. But quite often, Mars is  
further away and just appears as a red dot  
with some dark lines crisscrossing it.  
Probably the most memorable sight  
you will see in your telescope is  
Saturn. Although you may not see  
many features on the surface of  
Saturn, its ring structure will steal  
7
your breath away. You will probably be able  
to see a black opening in the rings, known  
as the Cassini band.  
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto  
comprise the outer planets. These planets,  
except for Pluto, are made mostly of gases  
and are sometimes called gas giants. If they  
had grown much bigger, they may have  
become stars. Pluto is made mostly of ice.  
Saturn is not the only planet that has rings,  
but it is the only set of rings that can be  
seen with a small telescope. Jupiter’s rings  
cannot be seen from Earth at all—the  
Voyager spacecraft discovered the ring after  
it passed Jupiter and looked back at it. It  
on the face of Jupiter, see one moon eclipse  
another or even see a moon emerge from  
behind Jupiter’s giant disk. Drawing the  
positions of the moons each night is an  
excellent exercise for novice astronomers.  
Jupiter is quite interesting to observe. You  
can see bands across the face of Jupiter. The  
more time you spend observing these bands,  
the more detail you will be able to see.  
One of the most fascinating sights of Jupiter  
are its moons. The four largest moons are  
called the Galilean moons, after the  
Any small telescope can see the four  
Galilean moons of Jupiter (Fig. 5), plus a few  
others, but how many moons does Jupiter  
actually have? No one knows for sure! Nor  
are we sure how many Saturn has either. At  
last count, Jupiter had over 60 moons, and  
held a small lead over Saturn. Most of these  
moons are very small and can only be seen  
with very large telescopes.  
astronomer Galileo, who observed them for  
the first time. If you’ve never watched the  
Galilean moons in your telescope before,  
you’re missing a real treat! Each night, the  
moons appear in different positions around  
the Jovian sky. This is sometimes called the  
Galilean dance. On any given night, you  
might be able to see the shadow of a moon  
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turns out, only with the sunlight  
interesting. But look again. There is much  
information that is revealed in stars.  
You may be able to see the Andromeda  
galaxy and several others in your telescope.  
They will appear as small, fuzzy clouds. Only  
very large telescope will reveal spiral or  
elliptical details.  
shining through them, can the rings  
8
be seen. Uranus and Neptune also  
have faint rings.  
The first thing you will notice is that not all  
stars are the same colors. See if you can find  
blue, orange, yellow, white and red stars.  
The color of stars sometimes can tell you  
about the age of a star and the temperature  
that they burn at.  
Optional color filters help bring out detail  
and contrast of the planets. Meade offers a  
line of inexpensive color filters.  
You will also be able to see some nebulas  
with your scope. Nebula means cloud. Most  
nebulas are clouds of gas. The two easiest to  
see in the Northern Hemisphere are the  
Orion nebula during the winter and the  
Triffid nebula during the summer. These are  
large clouds of gas in which new stars are  
being born. Some nebulas are the remains  
of stars exploding. These explosions are  
called supernovas.  
What’s Next? Beyond the Solar System:  
Once you have observed our own system of  
planets, it’s time to really travel far from  
home and look at stars and other objects.  
Other stars to look for are multiple stars.  
Very often, you can find double (or binary)  
stars, stars that are very close together.  
These stars orbit each other. What do  
you notice about these stars? Are they  
different colors? Does one seem brighter  
than the other?  
You can observe thousands of stars with  
your telescope. At first, you may think stars  
are just pinpoints of light and aren’t very  
When you become an advanced observer you  
can look for other types of objects such as  
asteroids, planetary nebula and globular  
clusters. And if you’re lucky, every so often a  
bright comet appears in the sky, presenting  
an unforgettable sight.  
Almost all the stars you can see in the sky  
are part of our galaxy. A galaxy is a large  
grouping of stars, containing millions or  
even billions of stars. Some galaxies form a  
spiral (like our galaxy, the Milky Way) and  
other galaxies look more like a large football  
and are called elliptical galaxies. There are  
many galaxies that are irregularly shaped  
and are thought to have been pulled apart  
because they passed too close to—or even  
through—a larger galaxy.  
The more you learn about objects in the  
sky, the more you will learn to appreciate  
the sights you see in your telescope. Start  
a notebook and write down the observations  
you make each night. Note the time and  
the date.  
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Use a compass to make a circle, or trace  
around the lid of a jar. Draw what you see in  
your eyepiece inside the circle. The best  
exercise for drawing is to observe the moons  
of Jupiter every night or so. Try to make  
Jupiter and the moons approximately the  
same size as they look in your eyepiece. You  
will see that the moons are in a different  
position every night. As you get better at  
drawing, try more challenging sights, like a  
crater system on the moon or even a nebula.  
Fig. 6  
Barlow lens: You can also change  
magnification by using your Barlow.  
Remove the eyepiece from the  
diagonal mirror and slide in the  
Barlow. And then place the eyepiece  
into the Barlow. Tighten the thumbscrews to  
secure the Barlow lens and the eyepiece in  
place. The Barlow lens included with your  
telescope doubles the power of your  
telescope. (Fig. 6).  
eyepiece  
barlow  
9
diagonal  
mirror  
Meade offers a complete line of eyepieces  
for your telescope. Most astronomers have  
four or five low-power and high power  
eyepieces to view different objects and to  
cope with different viewing conditions.  
Go your library or check out the internet for  
more information about astronomy. Learn  
about the basics: light years, orbits, star  
colors, how stars and planets are formed,  
red shift, the big bang, what are the different  
kinds of nebula, what are comets, asteroids  
and meteors and what is a black hole. The  
more you learn about astronomy, the more  
fun, and the more rewarding your telescope  
will become.  
viewing conditions. Use the high-power 9mm  
eyepiece to view details when observing the  
Moon and planets. If the image become  
fuzzy, switch back down to a lower power.  
Changing eyepieces changes the power or  
magnification of your telescope.  
Objects move in the eyepiece: If you are  
observing an astronomical object (the Moon,  
a planet, star, etc.) you will notice that the  
object will begin to move slowly through the  
telescopic field of view. This movement is  
caused by the rotation of the Earth and  
makes an object move through the tele-  
scope’s field of view. To keep astronomical  
objects centered in the field, simply move  
the telescope on one or both of its axes—  
vertically and/or horizontally as needed—try  
By the way, you might have noticed  
something strange when you looked through  
your eyepiece. Although the image is right-  
side up, it is reversed. That means reading  
words can be a problem. But it has no affect  
on astronomical objects. If you wish to have  
a fully corrected image, check out Meade’s  
optional Erecting Prism in the Optional  
Accessory section.  
SOME OBSERVING TIPS  
Eyepieces: Always begin your observations  
using the 25mm low-power eyepiece. The  
25mm eyepiece delivers a bright, wide field  
of view and is the best to use for most  
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using the telescopes coarse and fine  
adjustment controls. At higher  
lack sharpness—the same object, when  
observed higher in the sky, will appear  
sharper and have greater contrast. Try  
reducing power (change your eyepiece) if  
your image is fuzzy or shimmers. Keep in  
mind that a bright, clear, but smaller image  
is more interesting than a larger, dimmer,  
fuzzy one. Using too high a power eyepiece is  
one of the most common mistakes made by  
new astronomers.  
cause the image to move. Avoid observing  
sites where vibrations cause image  
movement (for example, near railroad  
tracks). Viewing from the upper floors of a  
building may also cause image movement.  
10  
powers, astronomical objects will  
seem to move through the field of  
view of the eyepiece more rapidly.  
Place the object to be viewed at the edge of  
the field and, without touching the telescope,  
watch it drift through the field to the other  
side before repositioning the telescope  
so that the object to be viewed is again  
placed at the edge of the field, ready to be  
further observed.  
Let your eyes “dark-adapt”: Allow five or  
ten minutes for your eyes to become “dark  
adapted” before observing. Use a red-  
filtered flashlight to protect your night vision  
when reading star maps, or inspecting the  
telescope. Do not use use a regular flash-  
light or turn on other lights when observing  
with a group of other astronomers. You can  
make your own red filtered flashlight by  
taping red cellophane over a flashlight lens.  
Dress Warm: Even on summer nights, the  
air can feel cool or cold as the night wears  
on. It is important to dress warm or to have  
a sweater, jacket, gloves, etc., nearby.  
Vibrations: Avoid touching the eyepiece  
while observing through the telescope.  
Vibrations resulting from such contact will  
Know your observing site: If possible,  
know the location where you will be  
observing. Pay attention to holes in the  
ground and other obstacles. Is it a location  
where wild animals, such as skunks, snakes,  
etc., may appear? Are there viewing  
obstructions such as tall trees, street lights,  
headlights and so forth? The best locations  
are dark locations, the darker the better.  
Deep space objects are easiest to see under  
dark skies. But it is still possible to observe  
even in a city.  
Viewing through windows: Avoid setting up  
the telescope inside a room and observing  
through an opened or closed window pane.  
Images may appear blurred or distorted due  
to temperature differences between inside  
and outside air. Also, it is a good idea to  
allow your telescope to reach the ambient  
(surrounding) outside temperature before  
starting an observing session.  
STAR CHARTS  
Star charts and planispheres are useful for a variety of  
reasons. In particular, they are a great aid in planning a  
night of celestial viewing.  
A wide variety of star charts are available in books, in  
magazines, on the internet and on CD Roms. Meade  
offers Autostar Suitesoftware. Contact your local  
Meade dealer or Meade’s Customer Service department  
for more information.  
Astronomy and Sky and Telescope magazines print star  
charts each month for up-to-the-minute maps of the  
heavens.  
When to observe: Planets and other  
objects viewed low on the horizon often  
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always described by how large their  
objective lens is. Your telescope is 60mm  
or 2.4 inches. Other telescopes are 90mm,  
8 inches, 16 inches, or even 3 feet in  
diameter. The Hubble Telescope’s objective  
lens has a diameter of 2.4 meters (that’s  
7.8 feet across!).  
Surf the Web and visit your local library:  
The internet contains a huge amount of  
astronomical information, both for children  
and adults. Check out astronomy books from  
your library. Look for star charts—these are  
available on a monthly basis in Astronomy  
and Sky and Telescope magazines.  
reducers to make slow exposure  
telescopes have faster focal ratios.  
11  
Altaz mounting simply means your  
telescope moves up and down  
(altitude or “alt”), and side to side, (azimuth  
or “az”). Other mounting configurations are  
available for other telescopes, such as  
equatorial mounting.  
HAVE A GOOD TIME,  
ASTRONOMY IS FUN!  
ASTRONOMY RESOURCES  
USE THE SPECIFICATIONS TO CALCULATE  
THE MAGNIFICATION OF YOUR EYEPIECE  
The Meade 4M Community  
6001 Oak Canyon, Irvine, CA 92618  
Astronomical League  
SPECIFICATIONS  
The power of a telescope is how much it  
magnifies objects. Your 25mm eyepiece  
magnifies an object 28 times. Your 9mm  
eyepiece magnifies objects 78 times.  
Executive Secretary  
Optical tube focal length . . . . . . . . . 700mm  
Objective lens diameter . . . . . . 60mm (2.4")  
Focal ratio. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . f/11.6  
Mounting type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Altazimuth  
5675 Real del Norte, Las Cruces, NM 88012  
The Astronomical Society of the Pacific  
390 Ashton Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94112  
The Planetary Society  
65 North Catalina Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91106  
International Dark-Sky Association, Inc.  
3225 N. First Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85719-2103  
But if you obtain other eyepieces, you can  
calculate how much magnification they have  
with your telescope. Just divide the focal  
length of the telescope by the focal length of  
the eyepiece.  
What do the specifications mean?  
Optical tube focal length is simply a  
measurement of the length of the optical  
tube. In other words, this is the distance  
light travels in the tele-scope before being  
brought to focus in you eyepiece. Your tube is  
700mm long.  
The focal ratio helps determine how fast the  
photographic speed of a telescope is. The  
lower the focal ratio number, the faster the  
exposure. f/5 is faster than f/10. The faster  
the ratio, the faster exposure time is needed  
when a camera is hooked up to the tele-  
scope. Your telescope has slower focal ratio  
at f/11.6. Sometimes, astronomers use focal  
Focal Length of the Telescope  
÷
Focal Length of the Eyepiece  
=
Objective lens diameter is how big the  
lens is on your scope. Telescopes are  
Magnification  
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Look at the specifications. You will  
see that the focal length of your  
magnification is when you use a Barlow,  
multiply your eyepiece’s magnification  
by two.  
• Avoid cleaning the telescope’s lenses. A  
little dust on the front surface of the  
telescope’s correcting lens will not cause  
loss of image quality.  
12  
scope is 700mm. Let’s say that you  
have obtained a 13mm eyepiece. You  
can tell that what the focal length of  
your eyepiece is as it is always printed on  
the side of an eyepiece. Divide: 700 ÷ 13,  
which equals 53.8. Round this off to the  
nearest whole number and your new  
eyepiece magnifies objects 54 times.  
Eyepiece’s magnification x 2  
=
• When absolutely necessary, dust on the  
front lens should be removed with very  
gentle strokes of a camel hair brush or  
blown off with an ear syringe (available at  
most pharmacies).  
Magnification with a 2X Barlow lens  
Your 25mm low-power eyepiece magnifies  
an object 28 times. Multiply 28 by 2 and you  
get 56 times magnification with your Barlow.  
• Fingerprints and organic materials on the  
front lens may be removed with a solution  
of 3 parts distilled water to 1 part  
If you use your Barlow lens with one of your  
eyepieces, it doubles the magnification of  
your eyepiece. Other types of Barlows can  
triple or further increase the power of an  
eyepiece. To find out how much your  
It’s worth repeating: Keep in mind that a  
bright, clear, but smaller image is more  
interesting than a larger, dimmer, fuzzy one.  
Using too high a power eyepiece is one of  
the most common mistakes made by new  
astronomers. So don’t think that higher  
magnification is necessarily better—quite  
often the best view is with lower  
isopropyl alcohol. You may also add 1 drop  
of biodegradable dishwashing soap per  
pint of solution. Use soft, white facial  
tissues and make short, gentle strokes.  
Change tissues often.  
CAUTION: Do not use scented or lotioned  
tissues or damage could result to the optics.  
DO NOT use a commercial photographic  
lens cleaner.  
magnification value!  
TAKING CARE OF YOUR TELESCOPE  
Your telescope is a precision optical  
instrument designed for a lifetime of  
rewarding viewing. It will rarely, if ever,  
require factory servicing or maintenance.  
Follow these guidelines to keep your  
telescope in the best condition:  
OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES  
#928 45° Erecting Prism (1.25 O.D.):  
Correctly orients the telescopic image  
during terrestrial observing and yields an  
image position at a 45° angle to the main  
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Telestar RB-60.qxd 4/11/06 2:04 PM Page 15  
telescope tube, resulting in a more comfor-  
table observing position in most cases.  
13  
Additional Eyepieces (1.25" barrel  
diameter): For higher or lower  
magnifications with the telescopes that  
accommodate 1.25" eyepieces, Meade Series  
4000 Super Plössl eyepieces, available in a  
wide variety of sizes, provide a high level of  
image resolution and color correction at an  
economical price. Contact your Meade  
Dealer or see the Meade catalog for more  
information. Visit us on the web at  
JOIN AN ASTRONOMY CLUB, ATTEND A STAR PARTY  
One of the best ways to increase your knowledge of  
astronomy is to join an astronomy club. Check your  
local newspaper, school, library, or telescope dealer/  
store to find out if there’s a club in your area.  
Many groups also hold regularly scheduled Star Parties  
at which you can check out and observe with many  
different telescopes and other pieces of astronomical  
equipment. Magazines such as Sky and Telescope and  
Astronomy print schedules for many popular Star  
Parties around the United States and Canada.  
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Telestar RB-60.qxd 4/11/06 2:04 PM Page 16  
Meade, freight-prepaid, with proof of  
purchase. This warranty applies to the  
original purchaser only and is non-  
transferable. Meade products purchased  
outside North America are not included in  
this warranty, but are covered under  
separate warranties issued by Meade  
international distributors.  
limited to a term of one year from the date  
of original retail purchase.  
MEADE CONSUMER SOLUTIONS  
If you have a question concerning  
your telescope, call Meade  
Instruments Consumer Solutions  
Department at (800) 626-3233.  
14  
This warranty gives you specific rights. You  
may have other rights which vary from state  
to state.  
Consumer Solutions Departmant hours are  
8:00AM to 5:00PM, Pacific Time, Monday  
through Friday. Write or call the Meade  
Consumer Solutions Department first,  
before returning the telescope to the factory,  
giving full particulars as to the nature of the  
problem, as well as your name, address, and  
daytime telephone number. The great  
majority of servicing issues can be resolved  
by telephone, avoiding return of the  
telescope to the factory.  
Meade reserves the right to change product  
specifications or to discontinue products  
without notice.  
RGA Number Required: Prior to the return  
of any product or part, a Return Goods  
Authorization (RGA) number must be  
obtained from Meade by writing, or by  
calling (800) 626-3233. Each returned part or  
product must include a written statement  
detailing the nature of the claimed defect, as  
well as the owner’s name, address, and  
phone number.  
This warranty supersedes all previous  
Meade product warranties.  
SURF THE WEB  
MEADE LIMITED WARRANTY  
The Meade 4M Community:  
This warranty is not valid in cases where the  
product has been abused or mishandled,  
where unauthorized repairs have been  
attempted or performed, or where  
depreciation of the product is due to normal  
wear-and-tear. Meade specifically disclaims  
special, indirect, or consequential damages  
or lost profit which may result from a breach  
of this warranty. Any implied warranties  
which cannot be disclaimed are hereby  
Every Meade telescope and telescope  
accessory is warranted by Meade  
Instruments Corporation (“Meade”) to be  
free of defects in materials and  
workmanship for a period of ONE YEAR from  
the date of original purchase in the U.S.A.  
Meade will repair or replace a product, or  
part thereof, found by Meade to be defective,  
provided the defective part is returned to  
Sky & Telescope:  
Astronomy:  
Astronomy Picture of the Day:  
Photographic Atlas of the Moon:  
Hubble Space Telescope Public Pictures:  
©2006 MEADE INSTRUMENTS CORPORATION  
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Telestar RB-60.qxd 4/11/06 2:04 PM Page 17  
OBSERVATION LOG  
OBSERVER:  
OBJECT NAME:  
DATE & TIME OBSERVED:  
CONSTELLATION:  
EYEPIECE SIZE:  
SEEING CONDITIONS:  
NOTES:  
EXCELLENT  
GOOD  
POOR  
DRAWING OF IMAGE  
(SAVE ORIGINAL - BE SURE TO MAKE COPIES)  
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Telestar RB-60.qxd 4/11/06 2:04 PM Page 18  
OBSERVATION LOG  
OBSERVER:  
OBJECT NAME:  
DATE & TIME OBSERVED:  
CONSTELLATION:  
EYEPIECE SIZE:  
SEEING CONDITIONS:  
NOTES:  
EXCELLENT  
GOOD  
POOR  
DRAWING OF IMAGE  
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Telestar RB-60.qxd 4/11/06 2:04 PM Page 19  
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Telestar RB-60.qxd 4/11/06 2:04 PM Page 20  
Meade Instruments Corporation  
1-800  
6001 Oak Canyon, Irvine, California  
92618  
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