Meade Instruments LX600 - Manual (Page 31)

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AutoStar II Operation
Autostar II libraries. See CREATING USER OBJECTS, page 38,
for more information.
Identify: An exciting feature for an observer who wants to scan
the night sky and start exploring. After the telescope has been
properly aligned, use the Autostar II Arrow keys to move about in
the sky. Then follow this procedure:
Important Note: Only use the Arrow keys to move the
telescope during the Identify procedure. Do not loosen the
telescope locks or move the base or alignment is lost.
1. When a desired object is visible in the eyepiece,
keep pressing MODE until the “Select Item:
Object” menu is displayed. Press ENTER to select
this menu.
2. Scroll through the Object menu options until the
“Object: Identify” screen appears.
3. Press ENTER. Autostar II searches the libraries
for the identity of the object being observed.
4. If the telescope is not directly on an Autostar II
library object, the nearest library object is located
and displayed on the screen. Press GO TO and
the telescope slews to that object.
Browse: Allows you to search the library for objects with certain
parameters, much like a search engine. “Edit Parameters” lets
you set various parameters for the search, such as: Object
Type, Minimum Elevation, Largest, etc. Once you have set the
parameters of the search, select “Start Search” and press
ENTER. Autostar II will display the results of the search. To learn
more about the browse menu, see page 41.
Event Menu
The Event menu provides access to dates and times of
astronomical events. The Event database includes:
Sunrise, Sun Transit, and Sunset: Calculate the time of Sun rise,
Sun transit, or Sun set on the current date. Find rise and set
times for other dates by entering a new date into the “Setup:
Date” menu.
Moonrise, Moon Transit, and Moonset: Calculate the time of
Moon rise, Moon transit, or Moon set on the current date. Find
rise and set times for other dates by entering a new date into the
“Setup: Date” menu.
Moon Phases: Displays the date and time of the next Full, New,
1st Quarter, and 3rd Quarter Moon.
Meteor Showers: Provides information on upcoming meteor
showers, such as the Perseids, the Leonids, etc. Also lists the
dates of the showers and when they reach maximum.
Note: Meteors are fast moving objects that cover large areas
of the sky and are usually best observed with the naked eye.
Solar Eclipse: Lists upcoming Solar Eclipses, including the date
and type (total, annular, or partial) of eclipse. Use the Scroll
Up and Down keys to display the available data. This option is
dependent on your location. WARNING: NEVER USE A MEADE
LX600 TELESCOPE TO LOOK AT THE SUN! Looking at or near the
sun will cause instant and irreversible eye damage.
Lunar Eclipse: Lists upcoming Lunar Eclipses, including the date
and type (total, partial, penumbral) of eclipse. Use the Scroll Up
and Down keys to display the available data.
Min. (Minimum) of Algol: Displays the minimum brightness of
the dramatic eclipsing binary star system, Algol. It is relatively
close at a distance of 100 light years. Every 2.8 days during a
10-hour period, Algol undergoes a major change in apparent
magnitude as one of the two stars passes behind the other. The
combined magnitude of the two stars thus dips from +2.1 to a
minimum of +3.4 halfway through the eclipse as the second star
is hidden. Autostar II calculates minimum magnitude time at mid-
eclipse.
Autumn and Vernal Equinox: Calculate the time and date of the
fall or spring equinox of the current year.
Winter and Summer Solstice: Calculate the time and date of
the winter or summer solstice of the current year.
Glossary Menu
The Glossary menu provides an alphabetical listing of defi nitions
and descriptions for common astronomical terms and Autostar II
functions. Access directly through the Glossary menu or through
hypertext words embedded in Autostar II. A hypertext word is
any word in [brackets], usually found when using the Autostar II
Help function or when reading a scrolling message such as a
description of a planet or star. Press ENTER whenever a hypertext
word is on screen and Autostar II goes to the glossary entry for
that word.
To access directly from within the Glossary menu, use the Scroll
keys to scroll through the alphabet. Press ENTER on the desired
letter. Scroll to the desired entry and then press ENTER to read
the description.