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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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