Celestron 21030 User manual

ExloraScope User Guide TL**.qxd 4/9/04 10:00 AM Page 1

Proper Use & Safety
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 leave the telescope
unsupervised, either when
children are present or
adults who may not be
familiar with the correct
operating procedures of
your telescope.
Never touch the lens
in the eyepiece or the
mirrors inside the
telescope.
Never allow objects
or excess moisture
inside the telescope.
Always handle the
eyepiece gently by
the sides.
Always treat your
ExploraScope with
care—it can be
broken if handled
roughly.
CAUTION!
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Welcome 1
Eyepiece
Eyepiece
Dust Cap
Focuser
ExploraScope
Front Cover
Setup & User’s Guide
Reusable
Box
Tripod Adapter
Carrying Strap
Swivel Base
Your New Celestron ExploraScope
Your new ExploraScope is designed for use
by the entire family and works equally well
for celestial (night sky) or terrestrial (land)
observing. The possibilities for fun and
learning are limitless!
Be sure to read this entire manual for the
safest and most rewarding use of your
ExploraScope. Pay special attention to
safety warnings and always supervise small
children.
Your ExploraScope includes:
•ExploraScope telescope & strap
•Swivel base
•44x eyepiece with dust cap
•Protective front cover
•Adjustable focuser
•Tripod adapter
•Reusable storage & carrying box
•Setup & User’s Guide
Optional accessories are also available from
your Authorized Celestron Dealer. See the
inside back cover for more information.
ExploraScope Technical Specifications
Diameter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80 mm
Focal Length . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .550 mm
Eyepiece . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12.5 mm (44x)
Field of View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1°
Near Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 ft.
ExloraScope User Guide TL**.qxd 4/9/04 10:00 AM Page 1

Assembling the ExploraScope
2
Assembly
Assembling your ExploraScope is simple and
should only take a few moments. Familiarize
yourself with the parts of your telescope first,
then follow the instructions below.
Remove the eyepiece dust cap.
Remove front cover and set it aside.
Always use the front cover to protect the
ExploraScope’s internal components when
not in use.
Place the ExploraScope on its base. You have
the option of using the scope with or without
the base or with a tripod (see step 5).
Turn the focuser to adjust the focus of
objects being viewed as described in
“Using Your ExploraScope.”
To use a standard camera tripod with your
ExploraScope you must first attach the
tripod adapter. Align the adapter screw
and pin with the holes in the base of the
scope and tighten. The ExploraScope is
ready to be attached to a standard photo
tripod.
That’s all there is to it! If you are using the
base or a tripod you will want to find a steady
surface to set up on before observing. Use the
carrying strap or shipping box to make
transporting your ExploraScope safer and
easier.
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Observing Tips 3
How the ExploraScope Works
The ExploraScope is a reflector type telescope, using two mirrors
to gather and focus light at the eyepiece. This type of telescope
has the advantage of a more compact size for a given aperture.
The diameter of a telescope’s aperture, or opening, is what
determines its ability to see faint objects far away. Magnification
power is determined by the eyepiece. Celestron offers other
eyepieces for your ExploraScope to increase the magnification or
increase the field of view at lower magnifications. Please see the
optional accessories section.
To remove the eyepiece, rotate the focuser clockwise until the
eyepiece is fully extended. Rotate the chrome eyepiece barrel
counterclockwise until the eyepiece is removed.
Using Your ExploraScope
You may set the ExploraScope and observe by swiveling it on its
base, or you can attach it to a tripod using the included tripod
adapter. You may also simply hold the scope by the handles in
your hands or on your lap. For celestial viewing, the stability
provided by the base or a tripod are helpful since distant stars
and planets can take time to locate and can move easily out of
the field of view. For terrestrial observations holding the scope
may work better since you can more easily point to the horizon
and follow moving objects.
To view an object, simply point and look through the eyepiece.
To focus, slowly rotate the focuser until the image in the eyepiece
is clear and sharp. To focus on an object that is closer than your
current target, turn the focusing knob clockwise. For more
distant objects, turn the focusing knob counter clockwise.
Eyepiece
Aperture
Incoming
Light
Magnified Image
Primary
Mirror
Secondary
Mirror
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Observing Tips
4
Terrestrial objects must be at least fifty feet away to be
viewed clearly. You may view objects in the daytime sky such
as aircraft and birds, but be careful never to view the sun
with your ExploraScope or any other telescope without using
the proper filtering equipment.
When working with any optical instrument, there are a few
things to remember to ensure you get the best possible image.
If you wear corrective lenses (specifically glasses), you may
want to remove them when observing with an eyepiece
attached to the telescope. If you have astigmatism, corrective
lenses must be worn at all times.
Hazy skies, fog, and mist can make it difficult to focus
when viewing terrestrially. The amount of detail seen
under these conditions is greatly reduced.
Never look across or over objects that are producing heat
waves. This includes cars and asphalt parking lots on hot
summer days or building rooftops. Heat waves will
distort the atmosphere and affect your view in many of
the same ways as uneven window glass.
Never look through window glass. Glass found in
household windows is optically imperfect. This
inconsistency can and will distort images and affect your
ability to focus the telescope. In most cases you will not
be able to achieve a truly sharp image, while in some
cases you may actually see double.
Avoid hazy skies
and fog
Avoid looking
over rooftops
Avoid looking
through window
glass
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Star Hopping 5
Star Hopping
One way to find celestial objects is to use a process called "star
hopping." Star hopping is done by using bright stars to "guide" you to
an object. For successful star hopping it is helpful to know the field
of view of your telescope. Your ExploraScope has a field of view of
approximately 1°. Therefore, if you know an object is 3° away from
your present location, you just need to move 3 fields of view towards
the desired object. Let's try a popular example: The Andromeda
Galaxy, also known as M31.
To find M31:
Locate the constellation of Pegasus, a large square visible in the
fall in the eastern sky, moving toward a point overhead, and in
winter months it's overhead moving toward the west.
Start at the star in the northeast corner—Alpha (α)
Andromedae.
OMEDA
GREAT NEBULA
M31
M32 GLORIA FREDERIKA
NGC7662
NGC7
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Star Hopping
6
Finding M31 continued...
Move northeast approximately 7° (seven fields of view). There
you will find two stars of equal brightness—Delta (δ) and Pi (π)
Andromeda—about 3° apart.
Continue in the same direction another 8°. There you will find
two stars—Beta (β) and Mu (µ) Andromedae—also about 3°
apart.
Move 3° northwest—the same distance between the two stars—
to the Andromeda galaxy.
Star hopping to the Andromeda Galaxy (M31) is a snap, since all the
stars needed to do so are visible to the naked eye. Using this
technique you can locate many objects in the sky.
NGC752
ANDROMEDA
GREAT NEBULA
M31
M32
CA
N
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Collimation Adjustment
Collimation is the optical alignment of your telescope’s mirrors.
Your ExploraScope was collimated at the factory and should never
need to be adjusted. If for some reason the telescope is dropped or
damaged it may be necessary to adjust the alignment of the mirrors.
Do not alter the collimation unless it’s necessary.
Checking the Collimation
Remove the eyepiece: rotate the focuser clockwise until the
eyepiece is fully extended. Rotate the chrome eyepiece barrel
counterclockwise until the eyepiece is removed.
With the eyepiece removed, look down the focuser and you will
see an image of the secondary mirror reflected back in the
primary mirror.
If the secondary mirror is not perfectly centered in the primary
mirror then your telescope is out of alignment. To correct this,
you must adjust the primary collimation screws located at the
rear of the tube.
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1
2
1
2
Primary
Mirror
Secondary
Mirror
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8Collimation Adjustment
Correcting the Collimation
The ExploraScope has three holes at the rear of the tube for
accessing collimaton adjustments. Each hole has a alignment screw
that will tilt the mirror when tightened or loosened. The center screw
is not related to collimation and should not be adjusted. To align
your ExploraScope:
Remove the caps covering each of the three collimation screws.
Do not remove the cap in the center of the tube.
Using a Phillips screw driver, adjust the collimation screws until
the image of the secondary mirror moves towards the center of
the primary mirror. In order to tighten a screw, it may be
necessary to slightly loosen the remaining screws.
With both mirrors aligned you should see the silhouette of the
secondary mirror positioned in the center of the primary mirror.
Carefully replace the rubber protective covers over the
adjustment holes and replace the eyepiece
To make collimation easier and more precise, Celestron offers an
optional Collimation Tool (#94183) that aides in aligning your eye to
the center of the optical path.
Primary
Mirror
Secondary
Mirror
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