
9
B. The Planets
The planets don’t stay put like the stars, so to find them you 
should refer to the monthly star charts at OrionTelescopes.
com, or to charts published monthly in Astronomy, Sky & 
Telescope,  or  other  astronomy  magazines.  Venus,  Mars, 
Jupiter, and Saturn are the brightest objects in the sky after the 
Sun and the Moon. Other planets may be visible but will likely 
appear star-like. Because planets are quite small in apparent 
size, optional higher-power eyepieces or a Barlow lens are 
recommended and often needed for detailed observations.
B. The Sun
You can change your nighttime telescope into a daytime Sun 
viewer by installing an optional full-aperture solar filter over the 
front opening of the telescope. The primary attraction is sun-
spots, which change shape, appearance, and location daily. 
Sunspots are directly related to magnetic activity in the Sun. 
Many observers like to make drawings of sunspots to monitor 
how the Sun is changing from day to day. 
Important Note: Do not look at the Sun with any optical 
instrument without a professionally made solar filter, or per-
manent eye damage could result.
D. The Stars
Stars will appear like twinkling points of light. Even powerful 
telescopes cannot magnify stars 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. 
The famous “Double-Double” in the constellation Lyra and the 
gorgeous two-color double star Albireo in Cygnus are favor-
ites. Defocusing a star slightly can help bring out its color.
E. Deep-Sky Objects
Under dark skies, you can observe a wealth of fascinating 
deep-sky objects, including gaseous nebulas, open and glob-
ular star clusters, and different types of galaxies. Most deep-
sky objects are very faint, so it is important you find an observ-
ing site well away from light pollution. 
To find deep-sky objects with your telescope, you first need 
to become reasonably familiar with the night sky. Unless you 
know how to recognize the constellation Orion, for instance, 
you won’t have much luck locating the Orion Nebula. A simple 
planisphere, or star wheel, can be a valuable tool for learning 
the constellations and seeing which ones are visible in the sky 
on a given night. Once you have identified a few constella-
tions, a good star chart, atlas, or astronomy app will come in 
handy for helping locate interesting deep-sky objects to view 
within the constellations. 
Do not expect these objects to appear like the photographs 
you see in books and on the internet; most will look like dim 
gray smudges. Our eyes are not sensitive enough to see color 
in deep-sky objects except in a few of the brightest ones. But 
as you become more experienced and your observing skills 
get sharper, you will be able to ferret out more and more subtle 
details and structure. 
5. Worthwhile Optional 
Accessories
• Moon Filter – A 1.25" Moon filter will cut down the strong 
glare of sunlight reflected from the Moon, making Moon 
viewing more comfortable and revealing more surface 
detail. The filter threads into the bottom of the Kellner eye-
pieces that came with your telescope (Figure 13).
• Barlow Lens – A 2x Barlow lens doubles the magnify-
ing power of any eyepiece it’s used with, giving you a big 
power boost to get in closer to your target object. You just 
insert it between the diagonal and the eyepiece. 
• Correct-Image Diagonal – Also  called  an  “erect-
image” diagonal, this accessory will provide a correctly ori-
ented view through the telescope, which is recommended 
for daytime terrestrial viewing. 
• Planisphere – A nifty “star wheel” that shows what stars 
and constellations are visible in the sky at any time of any 
night. Just set the date and time see a mini representation 
of your local night sky. Great for identifying what you see 
and planning an evening’s observing session.
• Star Map – More detailed than a planisphere, a star 
map is essential for locating interesting celestial objects 
to observe with your telescope. Nowadays many mobile 
astronomy apps feature customizable star maps that you 
can access on your smartphone or tablet while you’re at 
the telescope. 
6. Telescope Care and 
Maintenance
If you give your telescope reasonable care, it will last a lifetime. 
Store it in a clean, dry, dust-free place, safe from rapid changes in 
temperature and humidity. Do not store the telescope outdoors, 
although storage in a garage or shed is OK. Small components 
like eyepieces and other accessories should be kept in a protec-
tive box or storage case. Keep the dust cover on the front of the 
telescope when it is not in use.
Your refractor telescope requires very little mechanical mainte-
nance. The optical tube has a smooth painted finish that is fairly 
scratch-resistant. If a scratch does appear on the tube, it will not 
harm the telescope. If you wish, you may apply some auto touch-
up paint to the scratch. Smudges on the tube can be wiped off 
with a soft cloth and household cleaning fluid.
Cleaning Optics
Any quality optical lens cleaning tissue and optical lens clean-
ing fluid specifically designed for multi-coated optics can be used 
to clean the lenses of your telescope and eyepieces. Never use 
regular glass cleaner or cleaning fluid designed for eyeglasses. 
Before cleaning, remove any loose particles or dust from the lens 
with a blower bulb or soft brush. Then apply some cleaning fluid 
to a tissue, never directly on the optics. Wipe the lens gently in 
a circular motion, then remove any excess fluid with a fresh lens 
tissue. Oily fingerprints and smudges may be removed using this 
method. Use caution; rubbing too hard may scratch the lens. On