Meade 114EQ Instruction manual

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Meade 114EQ Instruction manual | Manualzz
Meade114EQ-AR_030211.qxd
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Page 1
114mm | 4.5" Equatorial Reflecting Telescope
MEADE INSTRUCTION MANUAL
www.meade.com
114EQ-AR
3/3/11
4:02 PM
WARNING!
Page 2
Never use a Meade® Telescope to look at the
Sun! Looking at or near the Sun will cause instant and
irreversible damage to your eye. Eye damage is often
painless, so there is no warning to the observer that
damage has occurred until it is too late. Do not point the
telescope at or near the Sun. Do not look through the
telescope as it is moving. Children should always have
adult supervision while observing.
Meade114EQ-AR_030211.qxd
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The tube has a focal length of 900mm,
and its reflective mirror has a diameter of
114mm. The lens diameter is one of the
most important pieces of information about
the telescope. The size of the primary
mirror determines how much detail you
will be able to see in your telescope. The
focal length information will help later on to
calculate magnification.
The telescope is shipped with the following
parts:
• Optical tube
• Steel tube tripod with an accessory tray
• Two 1.25" eyepieces: MA25mm (36X),
MH9mm (100X)
• Red dot viewfinder with bracket
• Telescope mount
• Hardware used in the assembly:
Your telescope is an excellent beginner’s
instrument, and is designed to observe
objects in the night sky. It can be your
personal window on the universe.
INTRODUCTION
Meade114EQ-AR_030211.qxd
Assemble your tripod
Attach the accessory tray
Attach the red dot viewfinder
Attach the eyepiece
Attach the counterweight
Prepare mount
Attach the optical tube to the mount
Study the the picture on the next page and
become acquainted with the parts of your
telescope. Then proceed to “Assemble
your Tripod.”
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Setting up your telescope involves these
simple steps:
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1
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
17.
18.
19.
20.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
2
42.
39.
40.
41.
38.
37.
35.
36.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
33.
34.
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Eyepiece holder slots (see Inset A)
Right Ascension setting circle
Declination setting circle (see Fig. 4)
Latitude dial
Azimuth adjustment lock (see Fig. 4)
Focus knobs
Azimuth base (see Fig. 4)
Red dot viewfinder alignment
screws (see Inset B)
Azimuth circle (see Fig. 4)
Cradle ring attachment knobs
(2-places)
Tripod leg Phillips-head
bolt (see Fig. 5)
Tripod-legs-to-mount nut
(3-places)
Accessory tray (see Inset A)
Leg brace support (see Inset A)
Sliding leg extension lock
(see Inset C)
Sliding leg extension
(see Inset C)
Figure 1: Meade 114EQ-AR Equatorial Reflecting Telescope
Inset A:
Accessory Tray
Inset B:
Red Dot Viewfinder Assembly
Inset C:
Tripod Leg
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Tripod legs
Equatorial Mount
Right ascension control cable
Declination control cable
Counterweight
Counterweight shaft
Counterweight lock knob
Counterweight safety washer
Latitude adjustment lock
Polar axis (see Fig. 4)
Latitude adjustment knob
Main optical tube (OTA)
Optical tube saddle plate (see Fig. 4)
Cradle ring
Cradle ring lock knob
Red dot viewfinder bracket mounting
thumbscrews (see Inset B)
Focuser
Focuser lock thumbscrew
Eyepiece
Red dot viewfinder bracket
(see Inset B)
Declination axis (see Fig. 4)
Right Ascension lock (see Fig. 4)
Declination lock
Red dot viewfinder
Telescope front dust cover
FIGURE 1
Meade114EQ-AR_030211.qxd
Inset B
Inset A
Inset C
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ATTACH THE LEG BRACE SUPPORT
The leg brace support stabilizes the tripod
and is the base for the accessory tray.
1. Locate leg brace support (40, See Fig. 1,
Inset A) along with the three 1" long bolts
and matching wing nuts. Unfold the
collapsed leg brace supports.
2. Attach the lag brace support to each of
the three mounting points on the legs
you insert the nut in this side and slide
the 2-inch bolt through the other. Keep
finger on the nut as you tighten the bolt
using a Philips/cross headed screw driver.
Secure to finger tight.
5. Attach the remaining two legs to the
mount in the same manner.
6. Spread the legs out evenly apart.
7. Set the height of your tripod:
a. Rotate and loosen the leg lock (41) to
unlock the leg lock.
b. Slide the inner portion of the leg in or
out to the desired length. Repeat for
the other two legs.
c. Rotate and tighten the leg lock to
relock the leg lock.
d. Repeat for the other two legs.
Page 5
Looking at or near the Sun will cause irreversable damage to your eye. Do not point this telescope at or near the Sun. Do not look through the telescope as it is moving.
2. Locate the three (3) 2-inch bolts and
matching nuts.
3. At the top of the legs are holes for which
the 2-inch bolt and matching nut will
pass-through.
4. Note that one side has a molded-in hex
shaped receiver that will capture and lock
the nut for the 2-inch bolt. Make sure that
bolt
Fig. 2
ASSEMBLE YOUR TRIPOD
The tripod is the basic support for your
telescope. Its height may be adjusted so that
you can view comfortably. Note: Number in
brackets, e.g., (3), refer to Fig. 1 unless
noted otherwise.
1. Make sure that as you attach the legs (1)
to the mount that the leg braces (40) are
facing inward.
Meade114EQ-AR_030211.qxd
3
Fig. 3
ATTACH THE ACCESSORY TRAY.
The circular accessory tray is a convenient
holder for eyepieces and Meade accessories
such as the Barlow lens.
1. Locate the circular Accessory Tray (39),
See Fig. 1, Inset A).
2. Position the accessory trays captive
threaded mounting bolt at the center of
the leg brace support and spin-on to
secure the accessory tray. Finger tight
only (do not over tighten).
using the above 1" long bolts and
wing nut. The wing nuts need only
to be "finger-tight". Repeat for the
remaining two fastening points.
5. Repeat with the other two leg braces.
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In order for the telescope to move
smoothly on its mechanical axes, it
must first be balanced as follows:
Note: If the counterweight is
positioned as recommended
previously then the telescope is
already approximately balanced.
BALANCING THE TELESCOPE
Looking at or near the Sun will cause irreversable damage to your eye. Do not point this telescope at or near the Sun. Do not look through the telescope as it is moving.
ATTACH THE COUNTERWEIGHT
1. Slide the MA25mm eyepiece (19) into
eyepiece holder on the focuser (17).
2. Tighten the focuser thumbscrew to
hold the eyepiece securely.
INSERT THE EYEPIECE
Page 6
1. Threading the shaft into the base of
the declination axis (Fig. 4). Be sure
to support the counterweight with
one hand while performing this step.
2. Hold the counterweight (5) firmly
in one hand, slide it onto the
counterweight shaft (6).
3. Slide the counterweight to a
position about 2 inches from the
bottom of the shaft.
4. Secure in place by tightening the
counterweight lock (7).
Note: Make sure the safety washer and
screw (8) always remain in place on
the shaft. This safety feature
prevents the counterweight from
accidently slipping off the shaft.
4:02 PM
ATTACH THE RED DOT
VIEWFINDER
4 An eyepiece (19) has a narrow field
of view. A viewfinder (24) has a
wider field of view, which makes it easier
to locate objects. The red dot viewfinder
has a red dot to make it easier to line up
a target more precisely.
1. Note the two thumbscrews (16, Fig1.
Inset B) thread onto two bolts on the
optical tube. Remove the
thumbscrews from the tube.
2. Line up the two holes on the red dot
viewfinder bracket over the two bolts.
Slide the bracket over the bolts as
shown in Fig 1.
3. Replace the thumbscrews onto the
bolts and tighten to a firm feel.
Meade114EQ-AR_030211.qxd
(on reverse side)
(see p. 2 for feature names)
Fig. 4
(#35 not
shown)
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ALIGN THE RED DOT VIEWFINDER
1. Lay the optical tube (12) with cradle rings
(14) onto the saddle plate (13, Fig. 4).
2. Tighten the Saddle plate attachment lock
knob (36) to a firm feel.
ATTACH THE OPTICAL TUBE TO THE MOUNT
3. Re-tighten the latitude adjustment lock
to secure the mount in place.
SUN WARNING!
NEVER USE YOUR TELESCOPE
TO LOOK AT THE SUN!
LOOKING AT OR NEAR THE SUN WILL
CAUSE INSTANT AND IRREVERSIBLE
DAMAGE TO YOUR EYE. EYE DAMAGE IS
OFTEN PAINLESS, SO THERE IS NO
WARNING TO THE OBSERVER THAT
DAMAGE HAS OCCURRED UNTIL IT IS TOO
LATE. DO NOT POINT THE TELESCOPE OR
ITS VIEWFINDER AT OR NEAR THE SUN. DO
NOT LOOK THROUGH THE TELESCOPE OR
ITS VIEWFINDER AS IT IS MOVING.
CHILDREN SHOULD ALWAYS HAVE ADULT
SUPERVISION WHILE OBSERVING.
Page 7
Looking at or near the Sun will cause irreversable damage to your eye. Do not point this telescope at or near the Sun. Do not look through the telescope as it is moving.
1. Attach the flexible cables (3) and (4).
These cables are secured in place with
a firm tightening of the thumbscrews
located at the attachment ends of
each cable.
2. Loosen the latitude adjustment lock
(9) so you can move the mount to the
desired position: tilt the polar axis of the
telescope to roughly a 45° angle with the
horizon.
PREPARE MOUNT
1. Loosen the right ascension lock (22). The
telescope mount will turn freely about
the polar axis. Rotate the telescope
about the polar axis so that the
counterweight shaft (6) is parallel to the
ground (horizontal).
2. Loosen the counterweight's locking
thumbscrew (7) and slide the
counterweight (5) along the shaft until
the telescope remains in any given
position without tending to drift up or
down around the polar axis. Retighten
the counterweight lock (7).The telescope
is now balanced.
Meade114EQ-AR_030211.qxd
5
Perform the first part of this procedure
during the daytime and the last step at night.
1. Point the telescope at an easy-to-find
land object such as the top of a telephone
pole or a distant mountain or tower. Look
through the eyepiece and turn the focuser
knob (31) until the image is sharply
focused. Center the object precisely in the
eyepiece’s field of view.
Note: You have a reflecting telescope,
objects will appear upside down and
reversed left-for-right. This will not make
a difference when observing astronomical
Fig. 5
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In mapping the surface of the Earth, lines
of longitude are drawn between the North
and South Poles and lines of latitude are
drawn in an East-West direction, parallel
to the Earth's equator. Similarly, imaginary
lines have been drawn to form a latitude
and longitude on the celestial sphere.
These lines are known as Right Ascension
and Declination.
All stars and celestial objects are mapped
onto an imaginary sphere surrounding the
Earth. This mapping system is similar to the
system of latitude and longitude on Earth
surface maps.
Due to the Earth's rotation, celestial bodies
appear to move from East to West in a
curved path through the skies.
UNDERSTANDING HOW CELESTIAL
OBJECTS MOVE
stars and star patterns as "landmarks" in
their search for astronomical objects.
Another technique for locating objects is to
use the setting circles that are provided on
your telescope.
Page 8
Looking at or near the Sun will cause irreversable damage to your eye. Do not point this telescope at or near the Sun. Do not look through the telescope as it is moving.
Understanding where to locate celestial
objects and how those objects move across
the sky is the key to enjoying the hobby of
astronomy. Most amateur astronomers
practice "star-hopping" to locate celestial
objects. They use star charts or
astronomical software to identify bright
UNDERSTANDING CELESTIAL
MOVEMENTS AND COORDINATES
objects, and in fact, all astronomical
telescopes present inverted images. No
6 means of correcting the image is
available for reflecting telescopes—the
image will always appear upside down
and reversed left-for-right.
2. Look through the red dot viewfinder.
Turn one or more of the viewfinder’s
alignment screws (34, Inset B) until the
red dot is precisely over the same object
as you centered in the eyepiece.
3. Check this alignment at night on a
celestial object, such as the Moon or
a bright star, and use the viewfinder’s
alignment screws to make any
necessary refinements.
Meade114EQ-AR_030211.qxd
So just as an object's position on the Earth's
surface can be located by its latitude and
longitude, celestial objects may also be
The celestial map also contains two poles
and an equator just like a map of the Earth.
The celestial poles are defined as those two
points where the Earth's North and South
poles, if extended to infinity, would cross the
celestial sphere. Thus, the North Celestial
Pole is that point in the sky where the North
Pole crosses the celestial sphere. The North
Star, Polaris, is located very near the North
Celestial Pole.
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20
21
15
South
Celestial
Pole
16
23
Rotation
of the
Earth
13
Right
Ascension
22
14
0
-90 Dec.
12
+90 Déc.
1
11
2
10
8
4
3
0 Dec.
9
Star
6
5
7
Fig. 7
All celestial objects therefore may be
located with their celestial coordinates of
Right Ascension and Declination.
of hours (hr), minutes (min), and seconds
(sec) on a 24 hour "clock" (similar to how
Earth's time zones ar determined by
longitude lines). The "zero" line was
chosen to pass through the constellation
Pegasus, a sort of cosmic Greenwich
meridian. R.A. coordinates range from
0hr 0min 0sec to 23hr 59min 59sec.
There are 24 primary lines of R.A., located
at 15-degree intervals along the celestial
equator. Objects located further and
further East of the zero R.A. grid line (0hr
0min 0sec) carry higher R.A. coordinates.
• Declination (Dec.): This celestial version
of latitude is measured in degrees, arcminutes, and arc-seconds (e.g., 15° 27'
33"). Dec. locations North of the celestial
equator are indicated with a plus (+) sign
(e.g., the Dec. of the North celestial pole
is +90°). Any point on the celestial equator
(such as thee constellations of Orion,
Virgo, and Aquarius) is said to have a
Declination of zero, shown as 0° 0' 0".
Page 9
Looking at or near the Sun will cause irreversable damage to your eye. Do not point this telescope at or near the Sun. Do not look through the telescope as it is moving.
17
18
19
Celestial
Equator
North
Celestial
Pole
(Vicinity of
Polaris)
located using Right Ascension and
Declination. For example: You can locate
Los Angeles, California, by its latitude
(+34°) and longitude (118°). Similarly, you
can locate the Ring Nebula (also known as
"M57") by its Right Ascension (18hr) and
its Declination (+33°).
• RIGHT ASCENSION (R.A.): This Celestial
version of longitude is measured in units
Meade114EQ-AR_030211.qxd
ation
clin
De
7
If the telescope is reasonably well aligned
with the pole very little use of the
telescope's Declination flexible cable control
is necessary. Virtually all of the required
telescope tracking will be in Right
Ascension. For the purposes of casual visual
telescopic observations, lining up the
telescope's polar axis to within a degree or
two of the pole is more than sufficient: with
this level of pointing accuracy, the telescope
can track accurately by the user slowly
Objects in the sky appear to revolve
around the celestial pole. (Actually,
celestial objects are essentially "fixed" and
their apparent motion is caused by Earth's
rotation). During any 24 hour period, stars
make one complete revolution about the
pole, circling with the pole at the center. By
lining up the telescope's polar axis with the
North Celestial Pole (or for observers
located in Earth's Southern Hemisphere with
the South Celestial Pole), astronomical
objects may be followed, or "tracked," by
moving the telescope about one axis, the
polar axis.
LINING UP WITH THE CELESTIAL
POLE
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Can you ever have too much power? If the type of
power you’re referring to is eyepiece magnification,
yes you can! The most common mistake of the
beginning observer is to “overpower” a telescope by
using high magnifications which the telescope’s
aperture and atmospheric conditions cannot
reasonably support. Keep in mind that a smaller,
but bright and well-resolved image is far superior
to one that is larger, but dim and poorly resolved.
Powers above 400x should be employed only under
the steadiest atmospheric conditions.
TOO MUCH POWER?
Once the mount has been polar-aligned as
described above, the latitude angle need
not be adjusted again, unless you move to
a different geographical location (i.e. a
different latitude). The only polar
alignment procedure that you need to
perform each time you use the telescope is
to point the polar axis due North, as
4. If the above steps (1-3) were
performed with reasonable accuracy,
your telescope is now sufficiently wellaligned to the North Celestial Pole for
visual observations.
lock.
Page 10
Looking at or near the Sun will cause irreversable damage to your eye. Do not point this telescope at or near the Sun. Do not look through the telescope as it is moving.
3. Determine the latitude of your observing
location by checking a road map or
atlas. Release the latitude lock (9) and
tilt the telescope mount so that the star
"Polaris" is centered in the telescope's
viewfinder, then re-tighten the latitude
2. Level the mount with the horizon, if
necessary, by adjusting the heights of the
three tripod legs.
1. Release the Azimuth lock (30) of the
Azimuth base, so that the entire
telescope-with-mounting may be rotated
in a horizontal direction. Rotate the
telescope until it points due North. Use a
compass or locate Polaris, the North Star,
as an accurate reference to North (See
Fig. 7). Now retighten the Azimuth lock.
To line up the Meade 114 EQ-AR with the
pole, follow this procedure:
POLAR ALIGNMENT OF THE EQUATORIAL
MOUNT
8
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turning the telescope's R.A. flexible
cable control and keep objects in the
telescopic field of view for perhaps 20
to 30 minutes.
Meade114EQ-AR_030211.qxd
Cassiopeia
Polaris
You will enjoy your telescope even more as
you learn more about it. But don’t be scared
Have a good time when you’re observing. You
may not know everything that there is to
know about a telescope or what all the
sights in the universe are, but that’s OK. Just
point and observe at first.
Have Fun!
We have one very important rule that
you should always follow when using
your telescope:
THE MOST IMPORTANT RULE
described in step 1 above.
Big Dipper
Little Dipper
Fig. 8
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4:02 PM
Unlock the lock knobs: To move the
Pick out an easy object to observe: A
distant mountain, a large tree, a lighthouse
or skyscraper make excellent targets. Point
the optical tube so it lines up with your
object. Objects will appear upside down and
backwards in this model telescope.
Observe during the daytime: Try out your
telescope during the daytime at first. It is
easier to learn how it operates and how to
observe when it is light.
OBSERVING
You will begin to grow and learn more about
astronomy the more you observe. Go to the
library and read some books about the stars
and planets. Read about astronomers of old.
Many of them had telescope no bigger than
the one you are using right now. Galileo,
who is one of the first astronomers to use
a telescope, discovered four of the moons
of Jupiter with a telescope about the same
size as yours (and his didn’t even focus
very well!).
off by difficult terms or complicated
procedures. Don’t panic! Just relax and enjoy
your scope.
Meade114EQ-AR_030211.qxd
Try out the slow-motion flexible cable
control: Practice using the right ascension
control cable (3) and declination control
Focus: Look through the eyepiece and
practice focusing on the object you
have chosen.
Look through the eyepiece: Once you have
the object lined up in the viewfinder, look
through the optical tube’s eyepiece. If you
have aligned your viewfinder, you will you
see the object in your eyepiece. Always begin
viewing an object using the 25mm eyepiece,
since it provides a wider field of view.
Use the red dot viewfinder: If you have not
done so, align the viewfinder (24) with the
telescope’s eyepiece (19) as described
earlier. Look through the red dot viewfinder
until you can see the object. It will be easier
to locate an object using the red dot
viewfinder rather than locating with the
eyepiece. Line up the object using the
viewfinders red dot.
telescope, you will need to unlock the Right
Ascension (22, Fig. 4) and Declination (23,
Fig. 4) lock knobs (just rotate to unlock or
lock; when locking, only tighten to a “firm
feel,” do not overtighten).
Page 11
9
Look for different features on the Moon. The
Observe the Moon: When you feel
comfortable with the viewfinder, the
eyepieces, the locks and the adjustment
controls, you will be ready to try out the
telescope at night. The Moon is the best
object to observe the first time you go
out at night. Pick a night when the Moon
is a crescent. No shadows are seen during a
full Moon, making it appear flat and
uninteresting.
cable (4) to move the telescope. These
can come in very handy, especially
when you wish to move the telescope in
very small (fine control) steps.
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4:02 PM
Beyond the planets are clouds of comets, icy
planetoids and other debris left over from
the birth of our sun. Recently astronomers
have found large objects in this area and
they may increase the number of planets in
our solar system.
Nine planets (maybe more!) travel in a fairly
circular pattern around our Sun. Any system
of planets orbiting one or more stars is
called a solar system. Our Sun, by the way,
is a single, yellow dwarf star. It is average as
far as stars go and is a middle aged star.
Observe the Solar System: After observing
the Moon, you are ready to step up to the
next level of observation, the planets.
There are four planets that you can easily
observe in your telescope: Venus, Mars,
Jupiter and Saturn.
Spend several nights observing the Moon.
Some nights, the Moon is so bright that it
makes other objects in the sky difficult to
see. These are nights that are excellent for
lunar observation.
enhance contrast to improve your
observation of lunar features.
Page 12
Looking at or near the Sun will cause irreversable damage to your eye. Do not point this telescope at or near the Sun. Do not look through the telescope as it is moving.
Use a neutral density filter (often called a
“moon filter”) when observing the Moon.
Neutral density filters are available from
Meade as an optional accessory and
most obvious features are craters. In
fact you can see craters within craters.
10 Some craters have bright lines about
them. These are called rays and are the
result of material thrown out of the crater
when it was struck by a colliding object. The
dark areas on the Moon are called maria and
are composed of lava from the period when
the Moon still had volcanic activity. You can
also see mountain ranges and fault lines on
the Moon.
Meade114EQ-AR_030211.qxd
When Mars is close to the Earth, you can see
some details on Mars, and sometimes even
Mars’ polar caps. But quite often, Mars is
further away and just appears as a red dot
Venus is seen before dawn or after sunset,
because it is close to the Sun. You can
observe Venus going through crescent
phases. But you cannot see any surface
detail on Venus because it has a very thick
atmosphere of gas.
The four planets closest to the Sun are rocky
and are called the inner planets. Mercury,
Venus, Earth and Mars comprise the inner
planets. Venus and Mars can be easily seen
in your telescope.
Fig. 9
Saturn is not the only planet that has rings,
but it is the only set of rings that can be
seen with a small telescope. Jupiter’s rings
cannot be seen from Earth at all—the
Voyager spacecraft discovered the ring after
it passed Jupiter and looked back at it. It
turns out, only with the sunlight shining
through them, can the rings be seen. Uranus
and Neptune also have faint rings.
Probably the most memorable sight you will
see in your telescope is Saturn. Although you
may not see many features on the surface of
Saturn, its ring structure will steal your
breath away. You will probably be able to see
a black opening in the rings, known as the
Cassini band.
Looking at or near the Sun will cause irreversable damage to your eye. Do not point this telescope at or near the Sun. Do not look through the telescope as it is moving.
One of the most fascinating sights of Jupiter
are its moons. The four largest moons are
called the Galilean moons, after the
astronomer Galileo, who observed them for
the first time. If you’ve never watched the
Galilean moons in your telescope before,
you’re missing a real treat! Each night, the
moons appear in different positions around
the Jovian sky. This is sometimes called the
Galilean dance. On any given night, you
might be able to see the shadow of a moon
on the face of Jupiter, see one moon eclipse
another or even see a moon emerge from
behind Jupiter’s giant disk. Drawing the
positions of the moons each night is an
Jupiter is quite interesting to observe. You
can see bands across the face of Jupiter. The
more time you spend observing these bands,
the more details you will be able to see.
Any small telescope can see the four
Galilean moons of Jupiter (Fig. 9), plus a few
others, but how many moons does Jupiter
actually have? No one knows for sure! Nor
are we sure how many Saturn has either. At
last count, Jupiter had over 60 moons, and
held a small lead over Saturn. Most of these
moons are very small and can only be seen
with very large telescopes.
Page 13
excellent exercise for novice astronomers.
4:02 PM
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto
comprise the outer planets. These planets,
except for Pluto, are made mostly of gases
and are sometimes called gas giants. If they
had grown much bigger, they may have
become stars. Pluto is made mostly of ice.
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with some dark lines crisscrossing it.
Meade114EQ-AR_030211.qxd
11
•
•
•
•
•
•
The Meade 4M Community:
http://www.meade4m.com
Sky & Telescope:
http://www.skyandtelescope.com
Astronomy:
http://www.astronomy.com
Astronomy Picture of the Day:
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.goc/apod
Photographic Atlas of the Moon:
http://www.lpi.ursa.edu/research/lunar_orbiter
Hubble Space Telescope Public Pictures:
http://oposite.stsci.edu/pubinfo/pictures.html
SURF THE WEB
You can observe thousands of stars with
your telescope. At first, you may think stars
are just pinpoints of light and aren’t very
interesting. But look again. There is much
information that is revealed in stars.
What’s Next? Beyond the Solar System:
Once you have observed our own system of
planets, it’s time to really travel far from
home and look at stars and other objects.
Optional color filters help bring out
detail and contrast of the planets.
Meade offers a line of inexpensive
color filters.
3/3/11
4:02 PM
Use a compass to make a circle, or trace
The more you learn about objects in the
sky, the more you will learn to appreciate
the sights you see in your telescope. Start
a notebook and write down the observations
you make each night. Note the time and
the date.
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.
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
Triffid 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.
They will appear as small, fuzzy clouds. Only
very large telescope will reveal spiral or
elliptical details.
Page 14
Looking at or near the Sun will cause irreversable damage to your eye. Do not point this telescope at or near the Sun. Do not look through the telescope as it is moving.
You may be able to see the Andromeda
galaxy and several others in your telescope.
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.
Other stars to look for are multiple stars.
Very often, you can find double (or binary)
stars, stars that are very close together.
These stars orbit each other. What do you
notice about these stars? Are they different
colors? Does one seem brighter than the
other?
The first thing you will notice is that not
all stars are the same colors. See if you
12 can find blue, orange, yellow, white and
red stars. The color of stars sometimes
can tell you about the age of a star and the
temperature that they burn at.
Meade114EQ-AR_030211.qxd
barlow
eyepiece
Fig. 10
Go your library or check out the internet for
more information about astronomy. Learn
about the basics: light years, orbits, star
colors, how stars and planets are formed,
red shift, the big bang, what are the different
around the lid of a jar. Draw what you see in
your eyepiece inside the circle. The best
exercise for drawing is to observe the moons
of Jupiter every night or so. Try to make
Jupiter and the moons approximately the
same size as they look in your eyepiece. You
will see that the moons are in a different
position every night. As you get better at
drawing, try more challenging sights, like a
crater system on the moon or even a nebula.
3/3/11
4:02 PM
Place the object to be viewed at the edge
of the field and, without touching the
telescope, watch it drift through the field to
the other side before repositioning the
telescope so that the object to be viewed is
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—try
using the telescopes coarse and fine
adjustment controls. At higher powers,
astronomical objects will seem to move
through the field of view of the eyepiece
more rapidly.
Meade offers a complete line of eyepieces
for your telescope. Most astronomers have
four or five low-power and high power
eyepieces to view different objects and to
cope with different viewing conditions.
Page 15
Looking at or near the Sun will cause irreversable damage to your eye. Do not point this telescope at or near the Sun. Do not look through the telescope as it is moving.
Optional Accessory Barlow lens: You can
also change magnification by using a Barlow
lens. The Barlow lens doubles the power of
your telescope (See Fig. 10).
By the way, you might have noticed
something strange when you looked through
your eyepiece. The image is upside down and
reversed. That means reading words can be
a problem. But it has no affect on
astronomical objects.
Eyepieces: Always begin your observations
using the 25mm low-power eyepiece. The
25mm eyepiece delivers a bright, wide field
of view and is the best to use for most
viewing conditions. Use the high-power 9mm
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.
SOME OBSERVING TIPS
kinds of nebula, what are comets, asteroids
and meteors and what is a black hole. The
more you learn about astronomy, the more
fun, and the more rewarding your telescope
will become.
Meade114EQ-AR_030211.qxd
Astronomy and Sky and Telescope magazines print star
charts each month for up-to-the-minute maps of the
heavens.
A wide variety of star charts are available in books, in
magazines, on the internet and on CD Roms. Meade
offers AutoStar SuiteTM software. Contact your local
Meade dealer or Meade’s Customer Service department
for more information.
Star charts and planispheres are useful for a variety of
reasons. In particular, they are a great aid in planning a
night of celestial viewing.
STAR CHARTS
Let your eyes “dark-adapt:” Allow five or
ten minutes for your eyes to become “dark
adapted” before observing. Use a redfiltered flashlight to protect your night vision
13
Vibrations: Avoid touching the
eyepiece while observing through the
telescope. Vibrations resulting from such
contact will cause the image to move. Avoid
observing sites where vibrations cause
image movement (for example, near railroad
tracks). Viewing from the upper floors of a
building may also cause image movement.
again placed at the edge of the field,
ready
to be further observed.
3/3/11
4:02 PM
Know your observing site: If possible, know
the location where you will be observing. Pay
attention to holes in the ground and other
obstacles. Is it a location where wild
animals, such as skunks, snakes, etc., may
appear? Are there viewing obstructions such
as tall trees, street lights, headlights and so
forth? The best locations are dark locations,
the darker the better. Deep space objects
Dress Warm: Even on summer nights, the
air can feel cool or cold as the night wears
on. It is important to dress warm or to have
a sweater, jacket, gloves, etc., nearby.
When to observe: Planets and other
objects viewed low on the horizon often lack
sharp-ness—the same object, when
observed higher in the sky, will appear
sharper and have greater contrast. Try
reducing power (change your eyepiece) if
your image is fuzzy or shimmers. Keep in
mind that a bright, clear, but smaller image
is more interesting than a larger, dimmer,
fuzzy one. Using too high a power eyepiece is
one of the most common mistakes made by
new astronomers.
starting an observing session.
Page 16
Looking at or near the Sun will cause irreversable damage to your eye. Do not point this telescope at or near the Sun. Do not look through the telescope as it is moving.
Viewing through windows: Avoid setting up
the telescope inside a room and observing
through an opened or closed window pane.
Images may appear blurred or distorted due
to temperature differences between inside
and outside air. Also, it is a good idea to
allow your telescope to reach the ambient
(surrounding) outside temperature before
when reading star maps, or inspecting
the telescope. Do not use use a regular
14 flash-light or turn on other lights when
observing with a group of other
astronomers. You can make your own red
filtered flashlight by taping red cellophane
over a flashlight lens.
Meade114EQ-AR_030211.qxd
Many groups also hold regularly scheduled Star Parties
at which you can check out and observe with many
different telescopes and other pieces of astronomical
equipment. Magazines such as Sky and Telescope and
Astronomy print schedules for many popular Star
Parties around the United States and Canada.
One of the best ways to increase your knowledge of
astronomy is to join an astronomy club. Check your
local newspaper, school, library, or telescope dealer/
store to find out if there’s a club in your area.
JOIN AN ASTRONOMY CLUB, ATTEND A STAR PARTY
HAVE A GOOD TIME,
ASTRONOMY IS FUN!
Surf the Web and visit your local library:
The internet contains a huge amount of
astronomical information, both for children
and adults. Check out astronomy books from
your library. Look for star charts—these are
available on a monthly basis in Astronomy
and Sky and Telescope magazines.
are easiest to see under dark skies. But it is
still possible to observe even in a city.
•
•
•
•
The power of a telescope is how much it
magnifies objects. Your 25mm eyepiece
magnifies an object 36 times. Your 9mm
eyepiece magnifies objects 100 times.But if
USE THE SPECIFICATIONS TO CALCULATE
THE MAGNIFICATION OF YOUR EYEPIECE
The focal ratio helps determine how fast the
photographic speed of a telescope is. The
lower the focal ratio number, the faster the
exposure. f/5 is faster than f/10. The faster
the ratio, the faster exposure time is needed
when a camera is hooked up to the
telescope. Your telescope has slower focal
ratio at f/8. Sometimes, astronomers use
focal reducers to make slow exposure
telescopes have faster focal ratios.
Looking at or near the Sun will cause irreversable damage to your eye. Do not point this telescope at or near the Sun. Do not look through the telescope as it is moving.
Astronomical League
Executive Secretary
5675 Real del Norte, Las Cruces, NM 88012
The Astronomical Society of the Pacific
390 Ashton Ave., San Francisco, CA 94112
The Planetary Society
65 North Catalina Ave, Pasadena, CA 91106
International Dark-Sky Association, Inc.
3225 N. First Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85719-2103
ASTRONOMY RESOURCES
Optical tube focal length is simply a
measurement of the length of the optical
tube. In other words, this is the distance
light travels in the telescope before being
brought to focus in you eyepiece. Your tube is
What do the specifications mean?
Mounting type. . . . . . . . . . . Equatorial
Focal ratio. . . . . . . . . . . . . . f/8
Primary mirror diameter . 114mm (4.5 inch)
Primary diameter is how big the mirror is on
your scope. Telescopes are always described
by how large their primary mirror is. Your
telescope is 114mm or 4.5 inches. Other
telescopes are 90mm, 8 inches, 16 inches, or
even 3 feet in diameter. The Hubble
Telescope’s objective mirror has a diameter
of 2.4 meters (that’s 7.8 feet across!).
Page 17
900mm long.
4:02 PM
Optical tube focal length . . 900mm
3/3/11
SPECIFICATIONS
Meade114EQ-AR_030211.qxd
15
If you use a Barlow lens with one of your
eyepieces, it doubles the magnification of
your eyepiece. Other types of Barlows can
triple or further increase the power of an
eyepiece. To find out how much your
magnification is when you use a Barlow,
Look at the specifications. You will see that
the focal length of your scope is 900mm.
Let’s say that you have obtained a 13mm
eyepiece. You can tell that what the focal
length of your eyepiece is as it is always
printed on the side or top of an eyepiece.
Divide: 900 ÷ 13, which equals 69.2. Round
this off to the nearest whole number and
your new eyepiece magnifies objects 69
times.
Focal Length of the Telescope
÷
Focal Length of the Eyepiece
=
Magnification
you obtain other eyepieces, you can
calculate how much magnification they
have with your telescope. Just divide
the focal length of the telescope by the
focal length of the eyepiece.
Focused Image
Diagonal Mirror
• As with any quality instrument, lens or
mirror surfaces should be cleaned as
infrequently as possible. Front surface
aluminized mirrors, in particular, should
be cleaned only when absolutely
necessary. In all cases avoid touching any
mirror surface. A little dust on the surface
of a mirror or lens causes negligible loss
of performance and
should not be
considered reason to clean the surface.
When lens or mirror cleaning does
rewarding viewing. It will rarely, if ever,
require factory servicing or maintenance.
Follow these guidelines to keep your
telescope in the best condition:
• Fingerprints and organic materials
on the lens or mirror may be removed
with a solution of 3 parts distilled water
to 1 part isopropyl alcohol. You may also
add 1 drop of biodegradable
dishwashing soap per pint of solution.
Use soft, white facial tissues and make
short, gentle strokes. Change tissues
often.
become necessary, use a camel's hair
brush or compressed air gently to
remove dust. If the telescope's dust
cover is replaced after each observing
session, cleaning of the optics will
rarely be required.
All Meade 114 EQ-AR telescopes are
optically aligned at the factory prior to
shipment. It is unlikely that you will need to
align, or collimate, the optics after receipt of
the instrument. However, if the telescope
COLLIMATION (ALIGNMENT) OF OPTICS
CAUTION: Do not use scented
or
lotioned tissues or damage
could
result to the optics. DO NOT use a
commercial photographic lens cleaner.
Fig. 11
Primary Mirror-Tilt
Screws
Primary Mirror
Looking at or near the Sun will cause irreversable damage to your eye. Do not point this telescope at or near the Sun. Do not look through the telescope as it is moving.
Your telescope is a precision optical
instrument designed for a lifetime of
TAKING CARE OF YOUR TELESCOPE
Page 18
The Newtonian Reflecting Telescope
Diagonal
Assembly
4:02 PM
It’s worth repeating: Keep in mind that a
bright, clear, but smaller image is more
interesting than a larger, dimmer, fuzzy one.
Using too high a power eyepiece is one of
the most common mistakes made by new
astronomers. So don’t think that higher
magnification is necessarily better—quite
often the best view is with lower
magnification value!
Magnification with a 2X Barlow
lens
=
Eyepiece’s magnification x 2
Your 25mm low-power
eyepiece magnifies an object
36 times. Multiply 36 by 2 and you
get 72 times magnification with a
Barlow.
16
3/3/11
multiply your eyepiece’s
magnification by two.
Meade114EQ-AR_030211.qxd
3/3/11
4:02 PM
5
1
3
2
Fig. 14
mirror clips (2, Fig.
14), the diagonal
mirror (3, Fig. 14),
the spider vanes (4,
Fig. 14), and your
eye (5, Fig. 14).
Properly aligned, all
of these reflections
will appear
concentric (i.e.,
centered) as
If the diagonal mirror (1, Fig. 15) is centered
in the drawtube (2, Fig. 15), but the primary
mirror is only partially visible in the
reflection (3, Fig. 15), the 3 Phillips-head
diagonal tilt screws must be unthreaded
slightly to the point of where you can tilt the
diagonal holder from side-to-side by
grasping the diagonal holder with your hand
and tilt until you see the primary mirror
B. DIAGONAL HOLDER ADJUSTMENTS
Any deviation from the concentric reflections
will require adjustments to the diagonal
assembly and/or the primary mirror cell
(Fig. 11).
illustrated in Fig. 14.
Correct Collimation
4
2
Page 19
Looking at or near the Sun will cause irreversable damage to your eye. Do not point this telescope at or near the Sun. Do not look through the telescope as it is moving.
To inspect the view of the mirror collimation,
look down the focuser drawtube with the
eyepiece removed. The edge of the focuser
drawtube (1, Fig. 14), will frame the
reflections of the primary mirror with the 3
The properly collimated (aligned) mirror
system in the Meade 114 EQ-AR assures
the sharpest images possible. This occurs
when the primary mirror and diagonal
mirror are tilted so that the focused image
falls directly through the center of the
focuser drawtube. These mirror tilt
adjustments are made with the diagonal
assembly and the primary mirror cell (Fig.
11) and will be discussed later.
received unusually rough handling in
shipment, it is possible that the optics must
be re aligned for best optical performance.
In any case this alignment procedure is
simple, and requires only a few minutes the
very first time the telescope is used. Take
the time to familiarize yourself with the
following collimation procedure, so that you
will recognize a properly collimated
instrument and can adjust the collimation
yourself, if necessary.
A. CORRECT COLLIMATION
Meade114EQ-AR_030211.qxd
become as
centered in the
17
reflection of
1
3
the diagonal
mirror as possible.
Once you are at the
best position,
thread in the 3
2
Phillips-head
Diagonal Mirror Misalignment diagonal tilt screws
to lock the rotational position. Then, if
necessary, make adjustments to these 3
Phillips-head
Fig. 12
screws to refine the
tilt-angle of the
diagonal mirror
until the entire
primary mirror can
be seen centered
2
within the diagonal
mirror reflecting.
When the diagonal
mirror is correctly
Diagonal Assembly
aligned, it will look
like Fig. 15 (Note:
The primary mirror is shown out of
alignment).
Fig. 15
3/3/11
4:02 PM
• Bring the star
Collimation
With the collimation performed, you will
want to test the accuracy of the alignment
on a star. Use the 25mm eyepiece and point
the telescope at a
moderately bright
(second or third
magnitude) star, then
center the star image
in the telescope's
field-of-view. With the
star centered follow
A
the method below:
D. STAR TESTING THE COLLIMATION
mirror tilt screws, first unscrew several
turns, the 3 hex-head primary mirror cell
locking screws (2, Fig. 13) that are next to
each primary mirror tilt Phillips-head screw.
Then by trial-and-error, turn the primary
mirror tilt Phillips-head screws (3, Fig. 13)
until you develop a feel for which way to turn
each screw to center the reflection of your
eye. Once centered, as in Fig. 14, turn the 3
hex-head primary mirror cell locking screws
(2, Fig. 13) to relock the tilt-angle
adjustment.
Page 20
Looking at or near the Sun will cause irreversable damage to your eye. Do not point this telescope at or near the Sun. Do not look through the telescope as it is moving.
Primary Mirror Cell
diagonal mirror (1, Fig. 16) and
18 Ifthethereflection
of the primary
Fig. 16
mirror (2, Fig.
16) appear centered
1
within the drawtube
(3, Fig. 16), but the
2
reflection of your eye
and the reflection of
3
4
the diagonal mirror
(4, Fig. 16) appear off
Primary Mirror Misalignment
center, you will need
to adjust the primary mirror tilt Phillipshead screws of the primary mirror
cell (3, Fig. 13). These primary tilt
Fig. 13
screws are
located
behind the
2
3
primary
mirror, at
the lower
end of the
main tube.
To adjust
the
primary
C. PRIMARY MIRROR ADJUSTMENTS
Meade114EQ-AR_030211.qxd
B
C
Fig. 17
•
To adjust the
primary mirror tilt
screws (3, Fig. 13),
first unscrew several
turns the 3 hex-head
primary mirror cell
locking screws (2, Fig.
13), to allow free
turning movement of
the tilt knobs.
• If the out-of-focus star disk appears
elongated (Fig. 17A), you will need to
adjust the primary mirror Phillips-head
tilt screws of the primary mirror cell (3,
Fig. 13)
image slowly out of focus until one or
more rings are visible around the central
disc. If the collimation was performed
correctly, the central star disk and rings
will be concentric circles, with a dark spot
dead center within the out-of-focus star
disk (this is the shadow of the secondary
mirror), as shown in Fig. 17C. (An
improperly aligned telescope will reveal
elongated circles (Fig. 17A), with an offcenter dark shadow.)
3/3/11
4:02 PM
• With the star testing of the collimation
complete, tighten the 3 hex-head primary
mirror locking screws (2, Fig. 13)
• If any further adjustments are necessary,
repeat this process as many times as
needed until the out-of-focus star disk
appears as in Fig. 17C, when the star disk
image is in the center of the eyepiece
field.
• As you make adjustments to the primary
mirror tilt screws (3, Fig. 13), you will
notice that the out-of-focus star disk
image will move across the eyepiece field.
Choose one of the 3 primary mirror tilt
screws and slightly move the shadow to
the center of the disk. Then slightly move
the telescope using the flexible cable
controls to center the star disk image in
the center of the eyepiece.
• Using the flexible cable controls move the
telescope until the star image is at the
edge of the field-of-view in the eyepiece,
as in Fig. 17B.
Meade114EQ-AR_030211.qxd
Additional Eyepieces (1.25" barrel
diameter): For higher or lower
magnifications with the
telescopes that
accommodate 1.25"
eyepieces, Meade
Series 4000 Super
Plössl eyepieces,
available in a
wide variety of
sizes, provide a
high level of
image
resolution and
color
correction at an
economical
price. Contact
your Meade
Dealer or see the
Meade catalog for
more information.
Visit us on the web at
www.meade.com.
OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES
Page 21
19
3/3/11
4:02 PM
MEADE LIMITED WARRANTY
Every Telestar telescope, spotting scope, and
telescope accessory is warranted by Meade
Instruments Corporation (“Meade”) to be
free of defects in materials and
workmanship for a of ONE YEAR from the
date of original purchase in the U.S.A.
Meade will repair or replace a product, or
part thereof, found by Meade to be defective,
provided the defective part is returned to
MEADE CONSUMER SOLUTIONS
If you have a question concerning your
20 telescope, call Meade Instruments
Consumer Solutions Department at
(800) 626-3233. Consumer Solutions
Department hours are 8:00AM to 5:00PM,
Pacific Time, Monday through Friday. Write
or call the Meade Consumer Solutions
Department first, before returning the
telescope to the factory, giving full
particulars as to the nature of the problem,
as well as your name, address, and daytime
telephone number. The great majority of
servicing issues can be resolved by
telephone, avoiding return of the telescope
to the factory.
Meade114EQ-AR_030211.qxd
RGA Number Required: Prior to the return
of any product or part, a Return Goods
Authorization (RGA) number must be
obtained from Meade by writing, or by
calling (800) 626-3233. Each returned part or
product must include a written statement
detailing the nature of the claimed defect, as
well as the owner’s name, address, and
phone number.
This warranty is not valid in cases where the
product has been abused or mishandled,
where unauthorized repairs have been
attempted or performed, or where
depreciation of the product is due to normal
wear-and-tear. Meade specifically disclaims
special, indirect, or consequential damages
or lost profit which may result from a breach
of this warranty. Any implied warranties
Meade, freight-prepaid, with proof of
purchase. This warranty applies to the
original purchaser only and is nontransferable. Meade products purchased
outside North America are not included in
this warranty, but are covered under
separate warranties issued by Meade
international distributors.
Page 22
©2011 MEADE INSTRUMENTS CORPORATION
This warranty supersedes all previous
Meade product warranties.
Meade reserves the right to change product
specifications or to discontinue products
without notice.
This warranty gives you specific rights. You
may have other rights which vary from state
to state.
which cannot be disclaimed are hereby
limited to a term of one year from the date
of original retail purchase.
NOTES:
SEEING CONDITIONS:
EYEPIECE SIZE:
CONSTELLATION:
DATE & TIME OBSERVED:
OBJECT NAME:
OBSERVER:
Meade114EQ-AR_030211.qxd
4:02 PM
Page 23
EXCELLENT
GOOD
OBSERVATION LOG
3/3/11
POOR
DRAWING OF IMAGE
NOTES:
SEEING CONDITIONS:
EYEPIECE SIZE:
CONSTELLATION:
DATE & TIME OBSERVED:
OBJECT NAME:
OBSERVER:
Meade114EQ-AR_030211.qxd
4:02 PM
Page 24
EXCELLENT
GOOD
OBSERVATION LOG
3/3/11
POOR
DRAWING OF IMAGE
NOTES:
SEEING CONDITIONS:
EYEPIECE SIZE:
CONSTELLATION:
DATE & TIME OBSERVED:
OBJECT NAME:
OBSERVER:
Meade114EQ-AR_030211.qxd
Page 25
GOOD
OBSERVATION LOG
4:02 PM
EXCELLENT
3/3/11
POOR
DRAWING OF IMAGE
NOTES:
SEEING CONDITIONS:
EYEPIECE SIZE:
CONSTELLATION:
DATE & TIME OBSERVED:
OBJECT NAME:
OBSERVER:
Meade114EQ-AR_030211.qxd
Page 26
GOOD
OBSERVATION LOG
4:02 PM
EXCELLENT
3/3/11
POOR
DRAWING OF IMAGE
Meade114EQ-AR_030211.qxd
3/3/11
4:02 PM
Page 27
3/3/11
4:02 PM
1-800
Meade114EQ-AR_030211.qxd
Page 28
626-3233
Meade Instruments Corporation
27 Hubble, Irvine, California
92618
www.meade.com

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