ORION TELESCOPES & BINOCULARS StarBlast 4.5 User manual

Instruction Manual
Orion StarBlast 4.5” Telescope
PO Box 955 |14 Maine St., Suite 215 |Brunswick, ME 04011 www.cornerstonesofscience.org
STAR Program
(Sharing Telescopes and
Astronomical Resources)
Please
read this BEFORE
using telescope.

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Getting Started
This telescope was modified by
The Southern Maine Astronomers
The SMA is a state chartered nonprofit
educational organization, promoting public
awareness of astronomy. We hold public star
parties, demonstrations, presentations and
discussions, all free of charge. Our main
objective is outreach in the community.
Visit: www.southernmaineastronomers.org
for a calendar of events, information and links
to astronomy-related sites.
SMA meets regularly at the Southworth
Planetarium on the USM Campus, on Falmouth
Street in Portland.
The Club provides Cornerstones of Science with
ongoing support in education, modification and
maintenance of the telescope.
We hope you enjoy using it.
Telescope Parts
1. Zoom eyepiece
2. EZ Finder and battery pack
3. Optical Tube Assembly (OTA)
4. Focus Wheels
5. Tube Clamp; loosen to rotate
6. Elevation Knob
7. Mirror Assembly; rear cell
8. Rotating Azimuth Mount
9. Handle
10. Accessory bag
11. Constellations book, headlamp and this
Instruction Manual in the bag
12. Feet on base
Use on a stable, sturdy table.
Do not point the telescope at the
Sun, as parts will melt!
Children should use this telescope
only with adult supervision.
Warning
Never look directly at the Sun
through your telescope or its finder
scope – even for an instant – as
permanent eye damage
could result.
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Getting Started
Getting Started
Now that you have the telescope at home,
please get familiar with the different parts and
functions shown on page 3. The brief explana-
tion at the library should help to get you started.
Practice indoors with the telescope before
going outside and trying to use it in the dark.
When the telescope is not in use, please leave the
eyepiece dust cap and the front cover in place.
Setting up: Set-up the telescope on a stable
surface to help avoid vibrations. Do this while
it is still daylight to make it easy to see and to
allow the mirror to reach ambient temperature.
The image will be much better if you let the
telescope cool down to outside air temperature
before you start observing after dark, and it is
much easier to set-up in daylight, just before
sunset.
Try out the telescope during the day:
DO NOT LOOK AT THE SUN! You will
permanently damage your eyes.
The images will be upside down and backward
when viewing in the eyepiece. When seen at
night, the objects in the sky are light years
away. That they are upside down really doesn’t
matter.
The Zoom eyepiece is permanently mounted
in the focuser. Remove the dust caps from the
eyepiece and front of the telescope tube.
Focusing the Telescope
Always start by using the lowest power. Turn
the body of the Zoom so the pointer is at
21mm, to locate and center the object. Low
magnification shows a larger area of sky in the
eyepiece and makes finding and centering an
object much easier. If conditions permit, zoom
in for a closer look. 7mm is about 65X power of
magnification. The Zoom in the image below is
shown at 9mm.
With the eyepiece adjusted for low power
(21mm), practice aiming the telescope in the
general direction of an object at least 1/4-mile
away. Use a steeple, utility pole, or a chimney.
Slowly rotate the Focus Wheels until the object
comes into sharp focus. Go a little bit beyond
sharp focus until the image starts to blur again,
then reverse the rotation of the wheels to make
sure you’ve hit the exact focus point. Use this
same technique at night when focusing on
objects in the sky.
In the EyepieceNormal
Eyepiece with Zoom set at 9 mm.
Focus Wheels
Getting Started

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Getting Started
Getting Started
Focusing may be difficult when viewing at night
using high power, if the air is turbulent. Zoom
down for a clear, sharp image. Better to be small
and clearly see Saturn’s rings than a fuzzy ball.
Once you’ve centered an object in the eyepiece,
you can zoom to a higher magnification by
rotating the eyepiece barrel. This is recom-
mended for small and bright objects, like planets
and double stars. You may have to refocus
slightly, after changing the Zoom setting.
If you find that it’s awkward to put your eye up
to the eyepiece, you can rotate the tube by
loosening the Tube Rotation screw on the Tube
Clamp and rotate the tube until the focuser is
in a convenient position. Be sure to tighten it
again. Great for kids!
You may find the telescope is either too hard
to move up or down or does not stay in place.
Use the Elevation Knob, (it holds the telescope
to the upright part of the base), to find the right
level of tension.
Rotate the telescope on the base to the north
or south direction (Azimuth) you want to look
toward.
Operating the EZ Finder
This is not a LASER and it will not hurt your
eyes. The EZ Finder helps you find things.
It’s like a sight on a rifle. The EZ Finder works
by projecting a tiny red dot from a red LED
onto a lens mounted in the front of the unit, so
that when you look at the lens, the red dot will
appear to float in space. Turn the power knob
clockwise until you hear a click indicating the
power is ON. Rotate clockwise to increase the
intensity of the red dot to be brighter during
the day. Remember to rotate the switch to OFF
(white dots aligned) when you are finished
observing.
Adjusting the EZ Finder
Refer to figures on pages 6 and 7 for Elevation &
Azimuth adjustments on the tube and EZ Finder.
Set the Zoom eyepiece to 21mm for a wide field
of view. Look for an insulator or large bolt on a
distant utility pole and center it in the eyepiece.
Tighten the Elevation Knob on the Rotating
Azimuth Mount to keep the telescope from
moving up and down. With the object centered in
the eyepiece, turn the EZ Side Adjust Azimuth
Side Adjust
Azimuth
On / Off
Elevation

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Getting Started
Getting Started
left or right to place the red dot in line with the
object. Check the eyepiece to keep the object
centered. Turn the EZ Elevation adjustment up
or down to place the red dot on the object.
Re-check the eyepiece for the centered object
and fine adjust the red dot on the object. To
make this more accurate, find Polaris at night.
Center Polaris in the eyepiece and fine adjust
the red dot to Polaris. Repeat with a higher
power setting (7mm) for greater accuracy.
This will be very accurate. Place the red dot
on an object such as Mars, and it should be in
the eyepiece.
Warning: Never look directly at the
Sun through your telescope or its finder
scope – even for an instant – as permanent
eye damage could result. Do not point the
telescope at the Sun, as parts will melt!
Children should use this telescope only
with adult supervision.
Care of the Telescope
Store the telescope with the dust caps on and
in a clean, dry, dust-free place, safe from rapid
temperature changes and humidity. Do not
store the telescope outdoors. Please keep the
dust cover and eye piece cap on the telescope
when it’s not in use. Keeping the telescope dry
is most important.
Fog on the mirrors and eyepiece: Please do
not wipe the eyepiece with a tissue or cloth.
One of the odd things that happens during
stargazing is that dew forms on almost every-
thing (and everyone). The big mirror is down at
the bottom of the telescope and it does not get
much dew. Eyepieces, however, often have dew
form on them, making them useless until they
warm up and dry. If dew is settling, it is best
to take the telescope inside to warm up and
dry off. The eyepiece has special coatings that
could be damaged if it is rubbed or scratched.
Please ask people to not touch the glass on the
eyepiece.
Please don’t clean or adjust the lenses or
mirrors. Let the librarian know if the lenses
seem dirty. The main mirror can be quite dusty
before anyone would notice the image becoming
poor. Eyepieces, however, can get dirty fairly
quickly, particularly when poked with fingers.
If it happens, let the librarian know and she or
he will have it cleaned. It is very easy to scratch
and damage the coating on the lenses!
Please try not to touch the glass.

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How to Stargaze
How to Stargaze
When in view, planets will look small, but you
might be able to see a bright Venus, cloud
bands on Jupiter, the rings of Saturn, a dusty
red Mars and a blue Uranus and Neptune. The
waxing and waning of Venus should be visible
and many bright deep sky objects will fill the
eyepiece. Craters on the Moon will be clear
and numerous.
Don’t expect to see color as you do in profes-
sional photographs. Our eyes are not sensitive
enough to see color at night except for planets
and some bright stars.
Amazingly, the light you are seeing from the
Andromeda Galaxy, over 2.5 million light years
away, left there 2.5 million years ago. Yet, you
can see this light with your own eyes!
Each session with your telescope will be a
learning experience. It will get easier to use
and stellar objects will become easier to find.
Go to www.skymaps.com to download The
Evening Sky Map for the current month and
learn the night sky. Page two of the map will
describe the objects you could see with your
eyes with binoculars and other objects where
you need a telescope. Many will be too faint
to see unless you have very dark skies and
conditions are perfect…which is seldom.
Please don’t be disappointed as there are
many wonderful objects you can find without
an observatory and perfect sky conditions.
Observing the Night Sky

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How to Stargaze
How to Stargaze
Stargazing Checklist
Wait for a night that is clear and dark as
you can see more stars when the Moon is not
shining brightly. Get away from streetlights.
Give your eyes about 20 minutes to adjust to
the dark.
Lawn chair and or blanket
A sturdy table or box to put under the
telescope (to avoid vibrations)
www.skymaps.com for a chart
Warm clothing
Bug spray or hand warmers (in season)
Warm boots or sneakers (season)
Red flashlight (red cellophane)
Observing log to help you keep track of
the objects you see in the night sky.
Plan a break for food and drink, indoors,
away from the telescope
If you go to www.southernmaineastronomers.
org you will find on the home page a link to the
SMA Clear Sky Clock. The chart is a time line
for weather. If you click on the center of the
chart, you will find detailed explanations. On
the Clear Sky Chart home page, you will find a
link to other charts. Find the closest one to you
for local weather conditions.
For example, let’s use the SMA chart below:
The first 4 bars are the most important: Is it
cloudy? How clear is the sky? What is the seeing
and finally, how dark is it? The deeper blue the
squares are, the better. The chart below shows
acceptable nights for seeing. Light blue boxes
could indicate some jet stream turbulence.
SMA Clear Sky Clock found at: www.southernmaineastronomers.org

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How to Stargaze
How to Stargaze
The Planets do not stay at fixed locations
like the stars do. To find them you can refer
to What’s In The Sky This Month (www.
telescope.com), or charts published monthly
in Astronomy and Sky & Telescope magazines.
Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn are the brightest
objects in the sky after the Sun and the Moon.
The monthly star chart at www.skymaps.com
(see page 10) will show the position of the
planets.
Stars: Even powerful telescopes cannot magnify
a star to appear as more than a point of light.
You can, however, enjoy the different colors
of the stars and locate many pretty double and
multiple stars. Look at the middle star in the
handle of the Big Dipper. It is really two stars
very close together, Mizar and Alcor. Being able
to separate the two stars is called star splitting.
The beautiful two-color double star, Albireo,
in Cygnus, is a favorite and is sometimes
referred to as the Scout Star because it is blue
and gold like the Cub Scouts colors. Defocusing
a star slightly can help bring out its color.
Deep Sky Objects: Under dark skies, you
can see lots of fascinating deep sky objects,
including nebulae, star clusters and a variety
of different types of galaxies.
Most deep sky objects are very faint, so it is
important that you find an observing site well
away from light pollution. Take plenty of time
to let your eyes adjust to the darkness. Do
not expect these objects to appear like the
photographs you see in books and magazines;
many will look like dim gray smudges. As you
become more experienced and your observing
skills increase, you will be able to define more
and more subtle details and structure of these
objects.
Objects to Observe
The Moon is one of the easiest and most
interesting targets to view with your telescope.
Lunar craters, seas, and even mountain ranges
can all be clearly seen from a distance of
238,000 miles!
With its ever-changing phases, you’ll get a
new view of the Moon each night. Make sure
to observe the Moon when it is well above the
horizon to get the sharpest images. The best time
to observe is during a partial phase—that is,
when the Moon is not full.
During partial phases, shadows are cast on the
surface which reveals more detail, especially
right along the border between the dark and
light portions of the disk (called the terminator).
Use the map on the telescope tube to find the
major craters and features.
The Moon map below is oriented as you would
see it in the eyepiece…upside down and flipped.

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How to Stargaze
How to Stargaze
With the right atmospheric conditions, you can see all of these objects with this telescope!
The collage on page 16 shows some of what
you can view in this telescope at different times
of the year. Deep sky objects, also referred to
as dim-fuzzies, are often hard to find. They are
worth the effort, being some of most wonderful
sights in the night sky. To find a deep sky object,
look at the monthly Evening Sky Map (www.
skymaps.com) to see what constellations are
visible this month. Use the National Audubon
Society Constellations Pocket Guide and locate
a visible constellation. They are listed alpha-
betically and have a detailed description of the
constellation and note if there are any deep sky
objects within. Many constellations have hidden
objects within them that are only visible with a
telescope or binoculars. Pay particular attention
to objects with a Messier Number, such as the
Orion Nebula (M-42) and the Andromeda Galaxy
(M-31). First published in 1774, Charles Messier
made this list to help observers identify objects
that might be mistaken for comets. The list of
110 Messier objects includes some of the
brightest and most attractive deep sky objects
observable from the northern hemisphere.
Star clusters are particularly pretty, usually
bright and easy to see. Note that some Messier
objects are very faint, and will take a while to
find and see. A few are very dim, but may seem
to appear like magic when you look at them out
of the corner of your eye. This is called “averted
vision” and works well when looking at very
dim objects in a telescope or binoculars.
You can also try a low-power (21mm) scan
of the Milky Way. Just cruise through the star
clouds of our galaxy. You’ll be amazed at the
rich fields of stars and objects you’ll see!

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How to Stargaze
How to Stargaze
Conditions for Observing
Seeing and Transparency: Atmospheric
conditions vary significantly from night to night,
caused mostly by the jet stream flowing west
to east and over us in Maine. There are times
when the jet stream is NOT over us and condi-
tions can vary from good to excellent, but this is
rare. Most of the time, conditions are typically
fair to good, as shown in the star image below.
Seeing refers to the steadiness of the Earth’s
atmosphere. In conditions of poor seeing,
atmospheric turbulence causes objects viewed
through the telescope to look fuzzy and hard to
focus. If you cannot focus on a star or anything
else, pack up and go have a cup of hot chocolate,
tea or coffee and watch Cosmos.
Transparency refers to clarity of the air. Is it
dry or are there high thin clouds that will affect
transparency? If it’s not too bad, you can still
have a decent time observing.
In conditions of good seeing, star twinkling
is minimal and images appear steady in the
eyepiece. Seeing is best overhead, distorted at
the horizon. Good transparency is especially
important for observing faint objects. Transpar-
ency is judged by the magnitude of the faintest
stars you can see with the unaided eye. Mag. 1
is very bright, 2 is dimmer, and so on… 4th
magnitude or fainter is desirable.
Looking at the Little Dipper will show you how
good the viewing is. If you can see all the stars,
you are doing pretty well. Be sure to wait until
your eyes adapt to the dark. This can normally
take 15 to 20 minutes. Once adapted, you’ll be
surprised at how well you can see.
The Little Dipper
Conditions for Seeing and Transparency.
Warning: Never look directly at the
Sun through your telescope or its finder
scope – even for an instant – as permanent
eye damage could result. Do not point the
telescope at the Sun, as parts will melt!
Children should use this telescope only
with adult supervision.

Getting Started
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Resources
Astronomy Clubs in Maine
Acadia Astronomical Society:
[email protected]
Astronomical Society of Northern New
England (Kennebunk area): www.asnne.org
Celestial Observers Guild (Skowhegan
area): www.cogastronomy.org and
www.facebook.com/pages/Celestial-
Observers-Guild/189330281140020
Central Maine Astronomers (Mid-coast
and Central Maine): www.maineastro.com
Downeast Amateur Astronomers (Calais-
Pembroke area): www.downeastaa.com
Southern Maine Astronomers (Portland area):
www.southernmaineastronomers.org
Penobscot Valley Star Gazers (Hampden
area): www.gazers.org
Additional Information
www.cornerstonesofscience.org/videos
www.spaceweather.com
www.kidsastronomy.com
www.eyesonthesky.com
Books
Nightwatch, by Terrence Dickinson
Constellations of the Night Sky, by Bruce
LaFontaine, a Dover Coloring Book
Stars of the First People, by Dorcas Miller
The Stars, A New Way to See, by H. A. Rey
They Dance in the Sky, by Monroe and
Williamson
Resources