S t a r – Nexstar SynScan User Manual

Page 6

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S t a r

In order for the

to correctly point to objects in the sky, it must first be aligned to one to three

known positions (stars) in the sky. As the Earth rotates on its axis every 24 hours, astronomical objects

appear to move through the sky following an arc.

the supplied information, the telescope can

replicate a model of the sky and the movements of astronomical objects. Star alignment can be done
anytime during the observing session by choosing Alignment under SETUP MODE, in the Main Menu.

There are three ways to align the

depending on your demand for accuracy. If you are using the

for the first time, we recommend that you begin with the Three Star Alignment. In most cases,

this produces the most accurate alignment among the three methods. Before performing any of the

alignment methods, be sure that your finderscope is well aligned with the telescope tube. See the next
page for tips on how to choose the alignment stars. Below describes a step-by-step procedure on how to
perform the Three Star Alignment:

Three-Star Alignment

1. In the alignment screen, select

using the scroll keys. Press

ENTER to confirm.

2.

The SynScan

TM

will provide a list of stars available in your current sky for you to choose as the first

alignment star. Using the scroll keys, choose an appropriate star from the list provided and press
ENTER. The telescope will start slewing towards it. When the telescope stops slewing, adjust its
position with the directional keys until the star is centered on the crosshairs in the finder scope.
Now look through the eyepiece and adjust the telescope so that the object is centered in the field
of view of the eyepiece. Press

ENTER to confirm.

The slewing speed can be adjusted by pressing on the

RATE

button. Then choose a

number between (slowest)

-

(fastest).

will

once when it has finished

to an object. Do not try to

adjust the telescope before you hear the beep.

will only respond

to the

key while slewing.

will provide a list of objects for the second alignment star. Choose a star using the scoll

keys and press

ENTER. Repeat the centering procedure for the second star and press ENTER to

confirm.

will once again provide a list of objects for the third alignment star. Choose a star from

the list and press

ENTER. Once again, repeat the centering procedure for the third alignment star.

5. If appropriate stars have been chosen and aligned to, the

hand control will display

"Alignment Successful". Otherwise, the warning "Alignment Failed" will show and the alignment
will have to be done again.

Two-Star Alignment

Two-Star Alignment requires only two alignment stars but, without Cone Error Calibration (see Appendix
A), it may produce lesser pointing accuracy than the Three-Star Alignment. Below describes a step-by-
step procedure on how to perform the Two-Star Alignment:

1. In the alignment screen, select 2-Star Align using the scroll keys. Press

ENTER to confirm.

2.

The

will provide a list of stars available in your current sky for you to choose as the first

alignment star. Using the scroll keys, choose a star you are most familiar with and press

ENTER.

The telescope will start slewing towards it. When the telescope stops slewing, adjust its position
with the directional keys until the star is centered on the crosshairs in the finder scope. Now look
through the eyepiece and adjust the telescope so that the object is centered in the field of view of
the eyepiece. Press

ENTER to confirm.

will provide a list of objects for the second alignment star. Choose a star using the scoll

keys and press

ENTER. Repeat the centering procedure for the second star and press ENTER to

confirm.

4.

If appropriate stars have been chosen and aligned to, the

hand control will display

"Alignment Successful". Otherwise, the warning "Alignment Failed" will show and the alignment
will have to be done again.

3.

4.

3.

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