Orion StarBlast 6 User manual

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Orion StarBlast 6" Telescope
USER GUIDE
WARNING: Never look directly at the Sun through a
telescope—even for an instant —as permanent
eye damage will result. Do not point the telescope
at the Sun, as parts will melt! Children should use
this telescope only with adult supervision.
The Telescope Lending Program is brought to
you by:
About the SVO Telescope Lending Program

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Stellar Vista Observatory (SVO), a 501c3 nonprofit
based in Kanab, UT, received a grant from the Utah
Governor's Office of Outdoor Recreation with
matching funds from the Kane County Office of
Tourism to launch its Discover the Night Sky
program.
The program encourages and facilitates outdoor
recreation opportunities for children of all ages and
levels of experience to meet growing community
interest in viewing southern Utah's starry skies.
SVO's project is designed to enable residents of
Kane County who may not already own astronomy
equipment to enjoy exploring the night sky.
Our Astronomy kits are maintained in great working
order by SVO members. We hope you enjoy using
them to explore Southern Utah’s amazing dark night
skies! For more information go to the web page
www.stellarvistaobservatory.org/discover-the-night-sky
Discover the Night Sky

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Table of Contents:
Eyepieces …………………………...……….. 4
Telescope Details …...……………………… 6
Setup ………………………………………….. 7
Focusing ……………………………….……... 8
EZ Finder …………………………………..….. 9
Using the EZ Finder ……………………….…. 10
Transporting ……………………….....………. 12
Observation guide ……………………….…. 13
Keeping Equipment Clean ………………… 15
Support ………………………………..……….. 16

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Getting Started
Note: Adult supervision is recommended for all
equipment setup
We suggest reading this user guide and practicing
with the telescope inside before you take it out in
the dark.
Eyepieces:

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This 6” telescope comes with 2 eyepieces (17mm &
25mm) and a Barlow lens. The lower the number on
the eyepiece the higher the power, the Barlow lens
doubles the power of the eyepiece it is used with.
When viewing it is best to use lower power (higher
mm) eyepieces at first, because they offer a wider
field of view making it easier to find objects.
When viewing deep space objects (star clusters
and nebulae) as well as the moon, it is best to use
lower power. When viewing planets or other small
objects you can try higher power eyepieces to
magnify the image more. However, higher power
also magnifies any vibration or poor ‘seeing’
conditions, as well as gathering less light so images
appear dimmer. There is always a tradeoff.

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Set-up: Place the telescope on the table provided.
Put the eyepiece tray in place, and put the
eyepieces in the tray. Put the 25mm eyepiece in
the telescope by removing the dust caps and
placing in the eyepiece receiver. Remove the dust
cap from the front of the telescope tube. You are
now ready to start using the telescope.
This is a “push-to” telescope, meaning that the user
manually points the telescope at the desired target.
The telescope moves on two axes: altitude
(up/down) and azimuth (left/right). To locate an
object, you simply move the telescope manually
until you find what you are looking for. Once you
find an object, you will need to reposition the
telescope occasionally, as objects will drift out of
the “field of view” (what you see through the
eyepiece) due to Earth’s rotation.

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How to Focus: Try out the telescope during the day
when you can see what you’re doing. Aim the
telescope in the general direction of an object on
land (not the Sun) at least ¼ mile away. Look
through the eyepiece and slowly rotate either of
the two focus wheels until the object comes into
sharp focus.
Note: like many reflector telescopes, the image in
the eyepiece will be upside-down!
If you wear glasses, first try using them when you
look into the eyepiece. You may find that you do
not need to use them. People with severe
astigmatism will generally obtain better views while
wearing glasses.

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EZ Finder
A “finder scope” helps you point the scope, rather
like a rifle sight. The EZ Finder works by projecting a
tiny red dot onto a screen mounted in the front of
the unit, so that when you look through the screen,
the red dot will appear to float in space. When the
EZ Finder is properly aligned with the telescope, an
object centered on the EZ Finder’s red dot should
also appear in the center of the telescope’s
eyepiece. If not you may need to re-align the EZ
Finder (Pg. 10).

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Using the EZ Finder:
Turn the dimmer switch to the ON position. Then,
with your eye positioned near the rear of the
telescope, look through the EZ Finder with both eyes
open to see the red dot. This dot shows you where
in the sky the telescope is pointing. Move the scope
so the red dot is on the object you want to view,
then the object should appear in the eyepiece.
Note: If you cannot find the red dot in bright
daylight it may be necessary to turn the dimmer to
a brighter setting.
Adjusting the EZ Finder: Rarely necessary if
telescope is handled gently
Checking the alignment of the EZ Finder is easiest
during daylight. Aim the telescope at a distant
object, such as the top of a telephone pole or
chimney and center it in the telescope’s eyepiece.
Now, turn the EZ Finder on and look through it. The
object should appear near or under the red dot. If
it does not, without moving the telescope, use the
two adjustment knobs (Vertical & Horizontal) on the
EZ Finder to position the red dot on the object you
have centered in the eyepiece. Once the red dot is
centered on the object in the eyepiece, you’re
done!

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Remember to turn EZ Finder OFF once the object
appears in the eyepiece

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Transporting the Telescope
To carry the telescope, simply grab the carrying
handle while placing your other forearm under the
telescope tube to provide support, then lift.
When transporting the telescope in a car, place the
scope on a seat and use a seatbelt to secure it. The
lap belt goes across the base and the chest belt
should cross the tube.

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When and where to observe
Before you head out in the dark be sure to have
everything you will need.
#Plan for what to observe
#Know where objects are in the sky
#Telescope
#Black accessory bag
#Table
#Be sure weather conditions are suitable
Note: Please do not use SVO equipment in rain,
snow or windy conditions
Letting the telescope cool down outside for 20 minutes can
improve image quality.
When: Observing bright objects like planets and
stars can be done on any clear evening. But if you
want to observe star clusters, galaxies, or other
deep-sky objects, selecting a night with no moon is
essential.
Atmospheric conditions also vary significantly from
night to night. “Seeing” refers to the steadiness of
the Earth’s atmosphere at a given time. In
conditions of poor seeing, atmospheric turbulence
causes objects viewed through the telescope to
“boil.”When seeing is good, star twinkling is minimal
and images appear steady in the eyepiece. Seeing
is always best directly overhead, and worst at the
horizon.

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Our FAQs provide daily astronomical weather forecasts.
www.stellarvistaobservatory.org/discover-the-night-sky/#faq
Where: Southern Utah is famous for its dark night
skies. But, if your home is surrounded by bright lights,
you might need to drive a little bit to find them. For
example, Dark skies are not required if you just want
to look at the moon or planets, but important for
most other celestial objects. For those living in
Kanab, the boat ramp at Jackson Flat Reservoir
(with some ambient light) or BLM campgrounds on
Hancock Road, BLM trailheads off US 89 and
Johnson Canyon Road offer very dark skies almost
totally free of light pollution.
For a current map of light pollution, visit:
https://cires.colorado.edu/Artificial-light
Dark Adaptation: It takes 20-30 minutes for our eyes
to adapt to the dark. Don’t expect to take your
telescope out into your backyard and see
everything if you’ve just been inside under bright
lights all evening. If you live in a city, true dark
adaptation may be impossible unless you take the
telescope to a darker location. Use the included
red LED flashlight when observing to preserve your
night vision. Red lights do not inhibit our night vision
as much as white lights or your cell phone screen.

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Observing the Moon:
When viewing the moon, it can be too bright,
temporarily destroying your night vision as well as
washing out the details of the moon’s surface. To
correct this, you can use the moon filter by putting
the telescope tube cover in place and sliding the
filter aside to allow the correct amount of light into
the telescope. This can bring an enormous change
to the image seen through the eyepiece.
Keeping Equipment Clean
Cleaning the mirrors and eyepiece:
Please DO NOT touch or attempt to clean or align
the mirrors inside the telescope. Let the caretaker
know if they seem dirty.
To prevent dirt and dust build-up, always put the
dust caps back on the eyepiece and telescope
tube at the end of your observing session! Always
store the telescope with all the dust caps on and
the dust cover over the telescope.

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One more time:
WARNING: Never look directly at the Sun through a
telescope—even for an instant —as permanent
eye damage will result. Do not point the telescope
at the Sun, as parts will melt! Children should use
this telescope only with adult supervision.
Support
SVO provides technical support from Noon to
7:00 PM daily. If you have any setup or
observational issues, questions or believe
equipment maintenance is needed, call 435-
644-3735.
Please take care of the telescope as if it were your
own! The cost to replace this kit can be as much as
$450! By treating the equipment gently and
returning all pieces intact, others will be able to use
it to observe the night sky well into the future!