Celestron NexStar 5 User manual

I
IN NS ST TR RU UC CT TI IO ON N M MA AN NU UA AL L

ii
INTRODUCTION................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..4
WARNING ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............. 4
QUICK SETUP................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 5
ASSEMBLING THENEXSTAR ................................ ................................ ................................ ........... 8
Powering the NexStar................................ ................................ ................................ ....................... 8
The Hand Control................................ ................................ ................................ ............................ 9
The Star Diagonal................................ ................................ ................................ ............................ 9
The Eyepiece................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ....9
The Star Pointer Finderscope................................ ................................ ................................ ......... 10
HAND CONTROL................................ ................................ ................................ ............................... 12
HAND CONTROL OPERATION ................................ ................................ ................................ ............... 13
Alignment Procedure................................ ................................ ................................ ...................... 13
OBJECT CATALOG ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................... 15
Selecting an Object................................ ................................ ................................ ......................... 15
Slewing to an Object................................ ................................ ................................ ....................... 16
Finding Planets................................ ................................ ................................ .............................. 16
Tour Mode ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..... 16
DIRECTION BUTTONS ................................ ................................ ................................ .......................... 17
Rate Button................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 17
SETUP PROCEDURES................................ ................................ ................................ ............................ 17
Tracking Mode................................ ................................ ................................ ............................... 17
Tracking Rate................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .18
Date/Time................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 18
User Defined Objects ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................... 18
Get RA/DEC................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...19
Get Alt-Az................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 19
Goto R.A/Dec................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .19
Goto Alt-Az................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 19
UTILITY FEATURES................................ ................................ ................................ .............................. 19
Demo................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............. 19
RS-232................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........... 19
Light Control ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .19
Cord Wrap................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..... 19
Anti-backlash................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .19
Hand Control Command Tree................................ ................................ ................................ .................... 20
TELESCOPE BASICS ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................... 21
IMAGE ORIENTATION ................................ ................................ ................................ .......................... 21
FOCUSING................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........... 22
CALCULATING MAGNIFICATION................................ ................................ ................................ ........... 22
DETERMINING FIELD OF VIEW ................................ ................................ ................................ ............. 22
General Observing Hints................................ ................................ ................................ ................ 23
ASTRONOMY BASICS................................ ................................ ................................ ....................... 24
THE CELESTIAL COORDINATE SYSTEM................................ ................................ ................................ .24
MOTION OF THE STARS................................ ................................ ................................ ........................ 25
POLAR ALIGNMENT (WITH OPTIONAL WEDGE) ................................ ................................ ..................... 26
Finding the North Celestial Pole................................ ................................ ................................ ..... 27
CELESTIAL OBSERVING................................ ................................ ................................ ................. 28

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OBSERVING THE MOON ................................ ................................ ................................ ....................... 28
OBSERVING THE PLANETS................................ ................................ ................................ .................... 28
OBSERVING THE SUN................................ ................................ ................................ ........................... 29
OBSERVING DEEP SKY OBJECTS ................................ ................................ ................................ .......... 29
SEEING CONDITIONS................................ ................................ ................................ ............................ 29
Transparency................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .29
Sky Illumination ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................. 29
Seeing................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............ 30
CELESTIAL PHOTOGRAPHY................................ ................................ ................................ .......... 31
SHORT EXPOSURE PRIME FOCUS PHOTOGRAPHY ................................ ................................ .................. 31
EYEPIECE PROJECTION ................................ ................................ ................................ ........................ 32
LONG EXPOSURE PRIME FOCUS PHOTOGRAPHY................................ ................................ .................... 33
TERRESTRIAL PHOTOGRAPHY ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 35
CCD IMAGING ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 35
TELESCOPE MAINTENANCE................................ ................................ ................................ .......... 36
CARE AND CLEANING OF THE OPTICS................................ ................................ ................................ ... 36
COLLIMATION................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..... 36
OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES................................ ................................ ................................ ............. 38
APPENDIX A - TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS................................ ................................ ............ 41
APPENDIX B - GLOSSARY OF TERMS................................ ................................ ........................... 42
APPENDIX C –LONGITUDES AND LATITUDES................................ ................................ ........... 45
APPENDIX D - RS-232 CONNECTION ................................ ................................ ............................. 50
APPENDIX E – MAPS OFTIME ZONES................................ ................................ .......................... 51
SKY MAPS................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........... 53

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Congratulations on your purchase of the Celestron NexStar! The NexStar ushers in a whole new generation of
computer automated technology. Simple and friendly to use, the NexStar is up and running after locating just two
alignment stars. It’s the perfect combination of power and portability. If you are new to astronomy, you may wish to
start off by using the NexStar's built-in SkyTour feature, which commands the NexStar to find the most interesting
objects in the sky and automaticall slews to each one. Or if you are an experienced amateur,you will appreciate the
comprehensive database of over 18,000 objects, including customized lists of all the best deep-sky objects, bright
double stars and variable stars. No matter at what level you are starting out, the NexStar will unfold for you and your
friends all the wonders of the Universe.
Some of the many standard features of the NexStar include:
•Incredible 6°/second (or faster) slew speed.
•Fully enclosed optical encoders for position location.
•Integrated hand controller – built intothe side of the fork arm.
•RS-232 port allows use with a computer and software programs like The Sky for point and click slewing.
•Storage for programmable user defined objects; and
Many other high performance features
The NexStar’s deluxe features combine with Celestron’s legendary Schmidt-Cassegrain opticalsystem to give amateur
astronomers one of the most sophisticated and easy to use telescopes available on the market today.
Take time to read through this manual before embarking on your journey through the Universe. It may take a few
observing sessions to become familiar with your NexStar, so you should keep this manual handy until youhave full
mastered your telescope’s operation. The NexStar hand control has built-in instructions to guide you through all the
alignment procedures needed to have the telescope up and runningin 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.
Your NexStar 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.
Warning

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 ontoany 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. Internal heat build-up inside the telescope can cause these
devices to crack or break, allowing unfiltered sunlight to pass through to the eye.

Never leave the telescope unsupervised, either when children are presentor adults who may not be familiar with
the correct operating procedures of your telescope.

5
3
Press ENTER on the hand control to begin
alignment. Use the Up and Down arrow buttons to
position the tube horizontal to the ground. Attac
the included accessories (star diagonal, eyepiece and
StarPointer finderscope) and remove the front lens
cover. Turn on Star Pointer by rotating the dial on
the side. (For instructions on aligning the Star
Pointer see page 9).
Plug-in the supplied 12v AC adapter* into the jac
at the base of the fork arm and an AC outlet. Power
the NexStar byflipping the "On/Off" switch to th
"On" position.
On / Off Switch
AC Adapter
2
Remove the NexStar from its packaging and place
the base on a sturdy, level surface. Remove the
accessories from their individual boxes.
1
Use the Up and Down scroll buttons to get to the
AutoAlign menu. Press ENTER. Use the direction
arrow keys to level the tube and rotate it towards
North. (See Astronomy Basics for help on finding
North). Input the necessary date and time information
as instructed by the hand control. (See Hand Control
section for com
p
lete instruction on enterin
g
data
)
.
Up and Down
Scroll Buttons
Direction
Buttons
4
*Note: Use only the AC adapter supplied b
Celestron. Using any other adapter may
damage the electronics and will void your
manufacturer's warranty.

6
Alignment Star
Sta
r P
o
in
te
r Fin
de
r
scope
The NexStar will automatically pick an alignment star and slew
the telescope close to that star. Once there, the display will as
you to use the arrow buttons to aimthe Star Pointerat the star. If
the star is not visible (perhaps behind a tree), press UNDO to
select a new star. Next, center the star in the eyepiece and press
ALIGN. Repeat these steps for the second star alignment. When
complete, displaywill read "








 








.
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The first time the NexStaris used, the longitude and latitude
must be entered intothe hand control. When the display reads,
Select Location, use Appendix C to look up the longitude an
latitude of your nearest city and enter it into the hand control.
When askedto Save Location, press ENTER and assign the
number 1 tothe current location. This number can be usedfor
futurealignments. (See page 13 for completealignment
procedures.)
APPENDIX C LONGITUDE LATITUDE
de
g
rees min de
g
rees min
Torrance 118 19.8 33 48
Travis AFB 121 55.8 38 16.2
Tahoe 120 7.8 39 19.2
5
Press the TOUR button on the hand control. Use the Up and
Down scroll keys to select the current month and press
ENTER. The hand control will display the first object that is
visible for that month. Press INFO to read information about
the object displayed. Press the DOWN scroll key to display the
next object. Press ENTER to slew to (go to) the displayed
object.
TOUR Button
Object List
Button
Catalog Keys
7
Use the focus knob to bring objects into a sharp focus.
Use arrowkeys to center objectsin the eyepiece. (See
page 27 for observinghints and techniques).
Focuser Knob
8

7
1Optical Tube 5Focuser Knob
2StarPointerFinderscope 6Battery Compartment
3Eyepiece 7ON/OFF Switch
4Star Diagonal 8Hand Control
9LiquidCrystalDisplay
1
2
3
4
5
8
7
9
6
Figure 1-A - The NexStar

8
Figure 3-1: The NexStar can be powered by either an ACadapter or with AA batteries.
The NexStar comes completely pre-assembled and can be operational in a matter of minutes. The NexStar is convenientl
packaged in one reusable shipping carton that contains all of the following accessories
•25mmPlosslEyepiece – 1¼"
•1¼" Star Diagonal
•Star Pointer Finderscope and Mounting Bracket
•1¼" Visual Back (attached to the optical tube)
•AC adapter
A
As ss se em mb bl li in ng g t th he e N Ne ex xS St ta ar r
Startbyremoving the telescope from its shipping carton and setting the round base on a flat table or surface. It is best to
carry the telescope by holding it from the lower portion of the fork arm and from the bottom of the base. Do not try to move
the optical tube at this time. It should remain facing down until the telescope is powered up . Remove all of the
accessories 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 positioned horizontal to the ground. To do
this, the telescope needs to be powered up and the optical tube must be moved remotely with the hand control.
P
Po ow we er ri in ng g t th he e N Ne ex xS St ta ar r
The NexStar can be powered by the supplied 12v AC adapter or eight AA batteries (not included). Batteries should only
be used when using the telescope out in the field, where AC power is not available. The battery compartment is located in
the center of the telescope's base (see figure 3-1). Before the battery compartment can be removed, the telescope tube must
first be moved into a horizontal position. Read the Hand Control section below before installing batteries.
To power the NexStar with the 12v AC adapter, simply plugthe round post into the 12v outlet on the side of the fork arm
and plug the adapter into any wall outlet.
To install the batteries:
1. Remove the battery cover from the center of the baseby gently lifting up on the round portion of the cover.
2. Insert thebatteries into the battery compartment of the base.
3. Reattach the battery compartment doorby gently pushing down on the cover until it snaps into place.
4. Turn on the power to the NexStar by flipping the switch, located nextto the 12v outlet, tothe "On" position.
On/Off Switch
Battery Compartment

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Figure 3-2- The visual accessories
Eyepiece
Visual
Back
Star
Dia
g
onal
T
Th he e H Ha an nd d C Co on nt tr ro ol l
The hand control is located on the side of the fork arm andcan be removed and used remotely or used while attached to the
fork. The hand control attaches tothe fork arm by resting on two posts, located on the bottom of the hand control cradle,
and a clip insidethe fork arm. To remove the hand control from the fork arm cradle, gently lift the hand control upwards
and pull out. To return the hand control into the fork arm, lower the hand control into the cradle sothat the two holes in the
bottom of the hand control go over the posts on the bottom of the cradle, andthe opening inthe back of the hand control
slides over the clip inside the fork arm.
Once the telescope is powered up, use the hand control to move the optical tubeto the horizontal position
•Press UNDO. This will bypass the normal alignment procedures and will still allow you to control the telescope.
•Use the Up arrow directional button to move the telescope tube until it is roughly parallel to the ground. This will
make it more convenient to attach the necessary accessories as well as remove the front lens cover and install batteries
when they are needed.
You are now ready toattach the included visual accessories ontothe telescope optical tube.
T
Th he e S St ta ar r D Di ia ag go on na al l
The star diagonal diverts the light at a right angle from the lightpath 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:
1. Turn the thumbscrew on the visual back until its tip no longer extends
into(i.e., obstructs) the inner diameter of the visual back.
2. Slide the chrome portion of thestar diagonal into the visual back.
3. Tighten the thumbscrew on the visual back to hold the star diagonal in
place.
If you wish to change the orientation of the star diagonal, loosen the
thumbscrew on the visual back until the star diagonal rotates freely
Rotate the diagonal to the desired position and tighten the thumbscrew.
T
Th he e E Ey ye ep pi ie ec ce e
The eyepiece, or ocular, is the optical element that magnifies the image
focused by the telescope. Theeyepiece fits intoeitherthe visual back
directly or the star diagonal. To install the eyepiece
1. Loosen the thumbscrewon the star diagonal so it does not obstructthe inner diameter of the eyepiece end of the diagonal.
2. Slide the chrome portion of the eyepiece into thestar diagonal.
3. Tighten the thumbscrew to hold the eyepiece in place.
To remove the eyepiece, loosen the thumbscrew on the star diagonal and slidethe eyepiece out.
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 number) 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.”
Barrel diameter is the diameter of the barrel that slides into the star diagonal or visual back. The NexStar uses eyepieces
with a standard 1-1/4" barrel diameter.

10
T
Th he e S St ta ar r P Po oi in nt te er r F Fi in nd de er rs sc co op pe e
The Star Pointer is the quickest and easiest way to point your telescope exactly at a desired object in thesky. It's like having
a laser pointer that youcan shinedirectly onto the night sky. The Star Pointer is a zero magnification pointing tool that uses
a coated glass window to superimpose the imageof 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 withyour unaided eye. The red dot is produced by a light-emittingdiode (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 two quick-release dovetail mounting brackets (one for the NexStar telescope and one for mounting
the Star Pointer on other sized telescopes). Before the Star Pointer is ready to be used, it must be attached to the telescope
tube and properly aligned
Star Pointer Installation
1. First, remove the two 8-32 x ¼" screws located on the top portion of the telescope's rear cell.
2. Locate the square dovetailbracketthat has the proper curvature for the NexStar tube and align the holes withthe two
holes inthe telescope body.
3. Use the two 8-32 x ¼" screws to tighten down the bracket to the rear cell.
4. Once the bracket is mounted, slide the mounting track at the bottomof the Star Pointer over the dovetail portion of the
bracket. It may be necessary to loosen the two screws on the side of the mounting track before sliding it over the
dovetail. The end of the Star Pointerwith the glass window should be facing out towards the front of the telescope.
5. Tightenthe two screws on the side of the mounting track to secure the Star Pointer to the dovetail bracket.
Star Pointer Operation
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 asimple process using the azimuth and altitude control knobs located on the side and bottom of the Star Pointer. The
alignment procedure is best done at night since the LEDdot will be difficult to see during the day.
1. To turn on the Star Pointer, rotate the variable brightness control (see figure 3-3) clockwise until you here a "click". To
increase the brightness level of thered dot, continue rotating the control knob about 180º until it stops.
Azimuth Control
Knob
Dovetail Mounting Bracket
Mounting Track
ON/OFF
Variable Brightness
Control
Altitude Control
Knob
Figure 3-3: The StarPointerFinderscopewith Mounting Bracket
Glass Window

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2. Locate a bright star or planet and center it in a low power eyepiece in the maintelescope.
3. With both eyes open, look through the glass window at the alignment star.
4. 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.
5. Without movingthe main telescope, turn the Star Pointer's azimuth and altitude alignment controls until the red dot is
directly over the alignment star.
If theLED dot is brighter than the alignment star, itmay make it difficult to see the star. Turn the variable brightness
control counterclockwise, until thered dot is the same brightnessas the alignment star. This willmake it easier to get an
accurate alignment. The Star Pointer is now ready to beused . Remember to always turn the power offafter you have
found an object. This will extend the life of both the battery and the LED.

12
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
11
12
9
10
The NexStar has aremovable hand controller built into the side of the fork arm designedto give you instant access to all the
functions the NexStar has to offer. With automatic slewing to over 18,000 objects, and common sense menu descriptions,
even a beginner can master its varietyof features in just a few observing sessions. Below is a brief description of the
individual components of the NexStar hand controller:
1. LiquidCrystal Display (LCD) Window: Has a dual-line, 16 character display screen that is backlit for comfortable
viewing oftelescope information and scrolling text.
2. Align: Instructs the NexStar to use a selected star or object as an alignment position.
3. Direction Keys: Allows complete control of the NexStar in any direction. Use the directionkeys to move the
telescope to the initial alignment stars or for centering objects in the eyepiece.
4. Catalog Keys: The NexStar has keys on the hand control to allow direct access to each of the catalogs in its 18,000+
object database. The NexStar contains the following catalogs in its database
Figure 4-1
The NexStar Hand Control

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Messier – Complete list of all Messier objects.
NGC – Complete list of all the deep-sky objects in theRevised New General Catalog.
Caldwell – A combination of the best NGC andIC objects.
Planets - All 8 planets in our Solar System plus the Sun.
Stars – A compiled list of the brightest stars from the SAO catalog.
List – For quick access, all of the best and most popular objects in the NexStar database have been broken
down into lists based on their type and/or common name
Alignment Stars Common name listing of the brightest stars inthe sky.
Named Objects Alphabetical listing of over 50 of the most popular deep
sky objects.
Double Stars Numeric-alphabetical listing of the most visually stunning
double, triple and quadruple stars in the sky.
Variable Stars Select list of the brightest variable stars with the shortest
period of changing magnitude.
Asterisms A unique list of some of the most recognizable star
patternsin the sky.
5. Info:Displayscoordinates and useful information about objects selected from the NexStar database.
6. Tour: Activates the tour mode, which seeks out all the best objects for a given month and automaticall slews the
NexStar tothose objects.
7. Enter: Pressing Enter allows you to selects any of the NexStar functions and accept entered parameters.
8. Undo: Undo will take you out of the current menu and display the previous level of the menu path. Press Undo
repeatedly toget back to a main menu or useit toerase data entered by mistake.
9. Menu: Displays the many setup and utilities functions such astracking rate and user defined objectsand many others.
10. Scroll Keys: Used to scroll up and down within any of the menulists. A double-arrowwill appear on the right side of
the LCD when there are sub-menus below the displayed menu. Using thesekeys will scroll through those sub-menus.
11. Rate: Instantly changes the rate of speed of the motors whenthe direction buttons are pressed.
12. RS-232 Jack: Allows usewith a computerand software programs like The Sky for point and click slewing.
H
Ha an nd d C Co on nt tr ro ol l O Op pe er ra at ti io on n
This section describes the basic hand control procedures needed to operate the NexStar. These procedures are grouped into
three categories: Alignment, Setup and Utilities. The alignment section deals with the initial telescope alignment as well as
finding objects in the sk ; the setup section discusses changing parameters such as tracking mode and trackingrate; finally,
the last section reviews all of the utilities functions such as the RS-232 connection, activating the cord wrap feature and
backlash compensation.
A
Al li ig gn nm me en nt t P Pr ro oc ce ed du ur re e
In order for the NexStar to accurately point to objects in the sky, it must first be aligned to two 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
coordinates. There are two ways to align the NexStar with the sky depending on what information the user is able to
provide. If you know the names of two bright, visible stars in the sky, you can use the two-star alignment method; if you
do not know the names of two stars in the sky, you can enter the longitude and latitude (provided in Appendix C) of your
observing location and NexStar will auto-align itself to twostars in the sky for you.
T
Tw wo o S St ta ar r A Al li ig gn nm me en nt t
With the two-star alignment method, the NexStar requires the user to know the positions of only two bright stars in order to
accurately align the telescope with the sky and begin finding objects. Once the telescope is powered on, the LCD displa
will guide you through all the steps to align the telescope properly. Before the telescope is ready to be aligned, it should be
set up in an outside location with all accessories(eyepiece, diagonal and Star Pointer) attached and lens cover removed as
describedin the Assembly section of the manual. Here is an overview of the alignment procedure
1. Once the NexStar is powered on , Press ENTE to begin alignment.
2. Use the Up and Down scroll keys toselect 

 

 

 




, and press ENTER.
3. The NexStar display will ask you to move the telescope tube until it is horizontal to the ground. To do this, use the
direction keys (3) to move the telescope until it is roughly level with the ground. Press ENTER.

14
4. The 

















 


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.
5. NexStar thenasks you to center in the eyepiece the alignment star you selected. Use the direction buttons to slew the
telescope tothe alignment star.
In order to accurately center the alignment star in the eyepiece, it will be necessary to decrease the slew rate of the
motors for fine centering. This is done bypressing the RATE key (11) on the hand controller then selecting the number
that corresponds tothe speed you desire. (9 = fastest , 1= slowest).
5. Once the alignment star iscentered in the field of view of the eyepiece, press the ALIGNkey (2) to accept this position.
6. NexStar will then ask you to select and center a second alignment star and press the ALIGNkey. It is best to choose
alignment stars that are a good distanceaway from one another. Stars that are atleast 40º to 60º apart from each other
will give you a more accurate alignment than stars that are close to each other.
Once the second star alignment is completed properly, the display will read








 




, and you will hear the
tracking motors turn-on and begin to track.
A
Au ut to o- -A Al li ig gn n
Alternatively, ifyou do notknow the names of two bright stars, you can align the telescope by entering the longitude and
latitude of your observing location, and the NexStar will automatically choose two stars for alignment and roughly center
the stars in the field of view of the Star Pointer. Once again the telescope should be set up outsidewith all accessories
attached and the lens cover removed.
1. Once the NexStar is powered on , Press ENTE to begin alignment.
2. Use the Up and Down scroll keys toselect AutoAlign if it is not already displayed, and press ENTER.
3. The telescope will then ask you to use the arrow keys (10) to level the telescope tube and point the front of the
telescope towards north. North can be found by finding the direction of the North Star (Polaris) or by using a compass.
You do not need to point at the North Star, only the north horizon. For help finding the direction of the North Star, see
the Astronomy Basics section of the manual. Alignment only needs to be approximate, however a close alignment will
make the auto alignmentmore accurate.
4. The hand control display will then ask for the following information
Date - Enter the month, dayand year of your observingsession. The display will read

Time - Enter the current local time for your area.You can enter either the local time (i.e.
 ), or you can
enter military time (i.e.  ).
•Select PM or AM. If military time was entered, the hand control will bypass this step.
•Choose between Standard time or Daylight Savings time. Use the Up and Down scroll buttons (10) to toggle
between options.
•Select the time zone that you are observingfrom. Again, use the Up and Down buttons (10) to scroll through
the choices.
Finally, you must enter the longitude and latitude of the location of your observing site. The coordinates can be obtained
from a listing in the appendixof this manual. These coordinates can be saved so that the longitude and latitude only has to be
entered once from any given location.
1. Press ENTER at the 

























 display
2. Use the Up and Down scroll keys toselect 

























 , if it is not already displayed.
3. Use the table in Appendix C to locate the closest longitude and latitude for your current observing location and enter
those numbers when asked inthe hand control, pressing ENTER after each entre.
The displaywill then ask if you would like to save these coordinates for future use. If you press "Yes", the next time you
AutoAlign the telescope, you can choose !
!!
!





"
""
"







 instead of the 





















 , and enter the number for that
observing location. To save the entered longitude and latitude, simply press "Yes" and enter a number from 0-9. Pressing
ENTER will assign that number to your current position.
Based on this information, the NexStarwill automatically select a bright star that is abovethe horizon and slew towardsit. At
this point the telescope is only roughly aligned, so the alignment star should only be close to the field of view of the Star
Pointer finder. Once finished slewing, the display will ask you to use the arrow buttons to center the selected star with the red
dot in the center of the Star Pointer. If for some reason the chosen star is not visible (perhaps behind a tree or building) you
can press UNDO to select and slew to a different star. 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
Helpfu
Hint

15
as an alignment star. (There is no need to adjust the slewing rate of the motors after each alignment step. The NexStar
automatically selects the best slewing rate for aligning objects in both the Star Pointer and the eyepiece). After the first
alignment star has been entered the NexStar will automaticallyslew to a second alignment star and have you repeat this
procedure for that star. When the telescope has been aligned to both stars the display will read " 


















 , and you are now ready to find your first object.
If the wrong star was centered and aligned to, the NexStar display will read Bad Alignment. Should this occur, the displa
will automatically ask you to re-center the last alignment star and press ALIGN. If you believe that the wrong star may have
beencentered (remember the alignment star will always be the brightest star nearest the field of view of the finder), then re-
centerthe star and pressALIGN. If you wish to try aligning on a different star, press UNDO and the NexStar will select two
new alignment stars and automatically slew tothe first star.
T
Th hi ir rd d S St ta ar r
A
Al li ig gn nm me en nt t
The NexStar has a third star alignment feature which allows you to replace either of thetwo original
alignment stars with a new star. This can be useful in several situations:
•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 15ºevery hour). Aligning on a ne
star that is in the eastern part of the sky will improve your pointing accuracy, especially on objects in that part of the
sky.
•When trying to locate a very faint or small object that may be difficult to find in the eyepiece, you can improve your
pointing accuracy by aligning to a third star that is nearest to the object you are trying to find.
To replace an existing alignment star with a new alignment star
1. Locate and center thedesired star in the eyepiece.
2. Press the ALIGN key on the hand control.
3. The display will then ask you which alignment star you want to replace.
4. Use the UP and Down scroll keys to select the alignment star to be replaced. It is usually best to replace the star closest
to the new star. Thiswill space out your alignment stars acrossthesky.
5. Press ENTER to make the change.
O
Ob bj je ec ct t C Ca at ta al lo og g
S
Se el le ec ct ti in ng g a an n O Ob bj je ec ct t
Now that the telescope is properly aligned,you can choose an object fromany of the catalogs in the NexStar's extensive
database. The hand control has a key (4) designated for each of the catalogs in its database. There are two ways toselect
objects fromthe database: scrolling through the named object lists and entering object numbers.
1. Pressing the LIST key on the hand control will access all objects in the database that have common names or types.
Each list isbroken down into the following categories: Named Stars, Named Object, Double Stars, Variable Stars and
Asterisms. Selecting any one of these options will display a numeric-alphabetical 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.
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.
2. Pressing any of the other 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 findthe Orion Nebula, press the "M" key and enter "042".
Helpful
Hint
Trouble
Shooting

16
S
Sl le ew wi in ng g t to o a an n O Ob bj je ec ct t
Once the desired object is displayed in the hand control screen, you have two options
1. Press the INFO Key. This will give you useful information about the selected object such as R.A. and declination,
magnitude and most importantly, altitude above the horizon. (If a star alignment has not yet been performed, the
altitude will not be displayed).
2. Press the ENTER Key. This will automatically slew the telescope tothecoordinates of the object.
Caution: Never slew the telescope when someone is looking into the eyepiece. The telescope can move at very fast
slew speeds and may hit anobserverin the eye.
Object information can be obtained withouthaving to do a star alignment. After the telescopeis powered on, press the
UNDOkey. Pressing any of the catalog keys allows you to scroll through object lists or enter catalog numbers as described
above. However, information such as R.A. and declination of planets and altitude above the horizon will not bedisplayed
unless the telescope is first properly aligned.
There are two special object catalogs which require the inputof additional information before the NexStar can slew to the
object; they are Planet and Tour:
F
Fi in nd di in ng g P Pl la an ne et ts s
Since the planets are not fixed points in the sky, but rather appear to move relative to the background stars, the NexStar
needs to have time and date information before it can go to any solar system object. To locate the planets, press the
PLANET key on the handcontrol. The on screen display will ask for the following information
Date - Enter the month, dayand year of your observingsession.
Time - Enter the current local time for your area.
Select PM or AM.
Choose between Standardtime orDaylight Savings time.
Select the time zone that you are observingfrom.
Once this information is entered, use the Up and Down keys to select the Planet that you wish to observe. Press
ENTER.
If AutoAlign was used to align the telescope, all the necessary information has already been entered into the hand
control and you are ready to select a planet to observe.
T
To ou ur r M Mo od de e
The NexStarincludes a tour feature which automatically allows the user to choose from a list of interesting objects based on
the month in which you are observing. The Tour mode is activated by pressing the TOUR key (6) on the hand control. Once
activated, simply use the scroll keys to select the current month and press ENTER. The NexStar will display from a list of
the best objects to observe based on the month entered.
•To see information and data about the displayed object, press the INFO key.
•To slew tothe object displayed, press ENTER.
•To see the next tour object, press the Up key
When going through any of the object catalogs in the database, you can easily find out which objects are above the horizon
and visible simply by pressing the INFO button when the desired object is displayed. This will display the objects altitude
above the horizon based on the date and time entered. Pressingthe UP button once will display any scrolling text associated
withthat object. The scrolling text can be viewed even if a star alignment has not been performed.
Observing
Tip

17
D
Di ir re ec ct ti io on n B Bu ut tt to on ns s
The NexStar has four direction buttons in the center of the hand control which control the telescope motion in altitude (up
and down) and azimuth (left and right). The telescope can be controlled at nine different speed rates.
R
Ra at te e B Bu ut tt to on n
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 (6ºper second, depending onpower source) and is usedfor slewing between objects and locating alignment
stars. The number 1on the hand control is the slowest rate (1x sidereal) and can be used for accurate centering of objects in
the eyepiece and photographic guiding. To change the speed rate of the motors
•Press the RATE key on the hand control. TheLCD will display the current speed rate.
•Press the number on the hand control thatcorresponds to the desired speed. The LCD will display "NexStar
Read " indicating that therate has been changed.
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 slew rate to
approximately 1.5ºper second (equal to rate 7 on the hand control). This feature will not function if the telescope is
currently set at a speed rate of 8 or 9.
The slower slew rates (6 and lower) move the motors in the opposite direction than the faster slew rates (8 and 9). This is
done so that an object will move in the appropriate direction when looking into the eyepiece (i.e. pressing the right arrow
button will move the star towards the right 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.
1 = 1x (sidereal) 6 = 128x
2 = 2x 7 = 1.5º/ sec
3 = 8x 8 = 3º/ sec
4 = 16x 9 = 6.5º/ sec
5 = 64x
S
Se et tu up p P Pr ro oc ce ed du ur re es s
The NexStar contains many user defined setup functions designed to give the user control over the telescope's man
advanced features. All of the setupand utility features can be accessed by pressing the MENUkey and scrolling through the
options
Tracking Mode This allows you to change the way the telescope tracks depending on the type of mount
being used to support the telescope. The NexStar has three different tracking modes
Alt-Az This is the default tracking rate and is used when the telescope is placed on
a flat surface or tripod without the use of an equatorial wedge. The
telescope must be aligned with two stars before it can track in Alt-Az.
Nine available slew speeds

18
EQ North Used to track the sky when the telescope is polar aligned using an
equatorial wedge in the Northern Hemisphere.
EQ South Used to track the sky when the telescope is polar aligned using an
equatorial wedge inthe Southern Hemisphere.
Off When using the telescope for terrestrial (land) observation, the tracking
can be turned off so that the telescope never moves.
Tracking Rate In addition to being able to move the telescope with the hand control buttons, the NexStar
will continually track a celestial object as it moves across the nightsky. 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 the telescope is polar aligned, this can be accomplished
by moving the telescope in Right Ascension only. When mounted in Alt-
Az mode, the telescope must make corrections in both R.A. and
declination.
Lunar Usedfor trackingthe moon when observing the lunar landscape.
Solar Used for trackingthe Sun when solar observing.
King As light passes through our atmosphere,atmospheric refraction affects the
apparent motion of objects across the sky. The King rate takes this into
account and compensates for the refraction of the atmosphere.
Date/Time - Allows you to update both the date and the time to improve pointingaccuracy on many objects.
User Defined Objects The NexStar can store up to 25 different user defined objects in its memory. The objects can
be daytime land objects or an interestingcelestial object that you discover that is not included
in the regular database. There are several ways to save an object to memory depending on
what type of object it is
.
Save Sky Object: The NexStar stores celestial objects to its databasebysaving 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 " 



#
##
#



$
$$
$


%
%%
%&
&&
&'
''
'

 command and press ENTER. The display will askyou to enter a number between 1-20
to identify the object. Press ENTER again to save this object to the database.
Save LandObject: The NexStar can also be used as a spotting scope on terrestrial objects. Fixed land objects
can be storedbysaving 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, the
are only valid for that exact location. To save land objects, once again center the desired
object in the eyepiece. Scroll down to the " 

#
##
# 



%
%%
%&'
&'&'
&' " command and press
ENTER. The display will ask you to enter a number between 21-25 to identify the object.
Press ENTER again to save this object to the database.
Enter R.A. - Dec: You can also store a specific set of coordinates for an object just by entering the R.A. and
declination for that object. Scroll to the " 



 

 ("
("("
("

 

 command and press ENTER.
The displaywill then ask you to enter first the R.A. and then the declination of the desired
object.
GoToObject: To go to any of the user defined objects stored in the database, scroll down to " )
))
)



%
%%
%&'
&'&'
&' "
and enter the number of the object you wish to select and press ENTER. NexStar will
automatically retrieve the coordinates and slew to the object.

19
To replace the contents of any of the user defined objects, simply save a new object using one of the existing identification
numbers; NexStar will replace the previous user defined object with the current one.
Get RA/DEC- Displays the right ascension and declination for the current position of the telescope.
Get Alt-A - Displaysthe relative altitude and azimuth for the current position of the telescope.
Goto R.A/ Dec - Allowsyou to input a specific R.A. and declination and slew to it.
Goto Alt-A - Allows you to enter a specificaltitudeand azimuth position and slew to it.
To store a set of coordinates (R.A./Dec) permanently into the NexStar database, save it as a User Defined Object as
described above.
U
Ut ti il li it ty y F Fe ea at tu ur re es s
Scrolling through the MENU options will also provide access to several advanced utility functions within the NexStar such
as; motor demo, RS-232 interface, key pad light control, cord wrap and anti-backlash.
Demo - This feature will test both the altitude and azimuth motors by slewing to randomly chosen coordinates in the sky.
RS-232 –The NexStar has an RS-232 port allowing it to communicatewith many astronomy computer programs (such as
The Sky by Software Bisque). Before attempting to create a link with a computer or laptop, go to the RS-232 option and
press ENTER. Follow the connection procedures outlined by your software instructions.
Light Control –This feature allows you to turn off both the red key pad light andLCDdisplay for daytime use to
conserve power and to help preserve your night vision.
Cord Wra –Cord wrap safeguards against the telescope slewing more than 360ºin azimuth and wrapping the power
cord around the base of the telescope. By default, the cord wrap feature is active when the telescope is powered on. Cord
wrap should be turned off when powering the NexStar with batteries.
Anti-backlash–Allmechanical 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 NexStar's anti-backlash features allows the user to compensate for backlash by inputting a value
which quicklyrewinds the motors just enough to eliminate 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 compensation will have to be set higher. Youwill 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.
To set the anti-backlash value, scroll down to the anti-backlash option and press ENTER. Enter a value from 0-
100 for both azimuth and altitude and press ENTER after each one to save these values. NexStar will remember these
values and use them each time it is turned on until they are changed.
For the best possible pointing accuracy, always center the alignment stars using the up arrow button and the right arrow
button. Approaching thestar from this direction when looking through theeyepiece will eliminate much of the backlash
between the gears and assure the most accurate alignment possible.
Observing
T
Ti ip p
Helpful
Hint

20
ALT-AZ
EQ NORTH
EQ SOUTH
OFF
TRACKING MODE
SIDEREAL
SOLAR
LUNAR
KING
TRACKING RATE
GET RA-DEC
GET ALT-AZ
GOTO RA-DEC
GOTO ALT-AZ
DEMO
RS 232
GOTO OBJECT
SAVE LAND OBJ
SAVE SKY OBJ
ENTER RA / DEC
USER OBJECTS
DATE & TIME
DISPLAY OFF
DISPLAY ON
KEY PAD OFF
KEY PAD ON
LIGHTS ON/OFF
POWER CORD
BATTERY
CORD WRAP
ANTI-BACKLASH
MENU
MM/DD/YY
...
...
...
ENTER LONG
ENTER LAT
SAVE LOCATION
ENTER LONG / LAT
ENTER SAVED LOCATION
USER DEFINED
SELECT LOCATION
POINT TUBE NORTH & LEVEL
AUTO ALIGN
CENTER STAR 1
SELECT STAR 1
CENTER STAR 2
SELECT STAR 2
LEVEL TUBE
TWO-STAR ALIGNMENT
ALIGNMENT
NAMED STAR
NAMED OBJECT
DOUBLE STAR
VARIABLE STAR
ASTERISM
TOUR
PLANETS
LIST
NexStar Ready
NexStar Menu Tree:
The following figure is a menu tree showing the sub-menus associated with the
primary command functions