Meade Scope 80mm User Manual - Page 12

Does one seem brighter than the other? 10 Almost all the stars you can see in the sky are part of our galaxy. A galaxy is a large grouping of stars, containing millions or even billions of stars. Some galaxies form a spiral (like our galaxy, the Milky Way) and other galaxies look more like a large football and are called elliptical galaxies. There are many galaxies that are irregularly shaped and are thought to have been pulled apart because they passed too close to-or even through-a larger galaxy. You may be able to see the Andromeda galaxy and several others in your telescope. They will appear as small, fuzzy clouds. Only very large telescope will reveal spiral or elliptical details. You will also be able to see some nebulas with your scope. Nebula means cloud. Most nebulas are clouds of gas. The two easiest to see in the Northern Hemisphere are the Orion nebula during the winter and the Lagoon nebula during the summer. These are large clouds of gas in which new stars are being born. Some nebulas are the remains of stars exploding. These explosions are called supernovas. When you become an advanced observer you can look for other types of objects such as asteroids, planetary nebula and globular clusters. And if you're lucky, every so often a bright comet appears in the sky, presenting an unforgettable sight. Looking at or near the Sun will cause irreversible damage to your eye. Do not point this telescope at or near the Sun. Do not look through the telescope as it is moving. SOME OBSERVING TIPS Eyepieces: Always begin your observations using the12mm lower-power eyepiece. The 12mm eyepiece delivers a bright, wide field of view and is the best to use for most viewing conditions. Use the higher-power 6mm eyepiece to view details when observing the Moon and planets. If the image become fuzzy, switch back down to a lower power. Changing eyepieces changes the power or magnification of your telescope. Objects move in the eyepiece: If you are observing an astronomical object (the Moon, a planet, star, etc.) you will notice that the object will begin to move slowly through the telescopic field of view. This movement is caused by the rotation of the Earth and makes an object move through the telescope's field of view. To keep astronomical objects centered in the field, simply move the telescope on one or both of its axes vertically and/or horizontally as needed. At higher powers, astronomical