How to use a telescope properly

It's wonderful that you have taken an interest in Astronomy, and you're no doubt thinking of buying a telescope, or maybe you already have one.

You already have an idea how telescopes work, but you have to know how to use a telescope too. There are a few things you need to know to make sure youget the maximum enjoymet from your telescope.

Here are the guidelines to follow to make sure you're are using your telescope properly.

• The first step is to find the best place in your home to put your telescope. I recommend that you place your telescope near a window on the top floor of your home. Make sure that you have a clear and unobstructed view of the sky from this window.
• Make sure that your telescope is stable and on a flat surface.
• Try to become as familiar as you can with the different parts of your telescope. Practice makes perfect as they say. Practice making adjustments to your telescope and moving it around until you are comfortable with the different parts.
• Your telescope should come with different eyepieces, so try each one out to get a feel for them. The smaller the eyepiece, the more detail you will see in the image. The smaller eyepieces are for objects closer to the Earth, like the moon and the planets. Larger eyepieces are for more distant objects.
• Remember to use a solar filter when viewing the Sun, and a moon filter when looking at the moon! This is very important because the Sun and moon are bright enough to damage your eye without the filter.
• When you set up your telescope, don't forget to remove the lens cap. Put your preferred eyepiece in plce and tighten it with the finger screws.
• Loosen the pivot joints on your telescope, so you can point in in the direction of the object you want to view. Locate the object you want to see with the spotting scope and center it in the crosshairs. When the object is centered, tighten the pivot joints, so your telescope doesn't move.
• look through the eyepiece and center the object in your field of vision. Finally, bring the image into focus with the focus knob.

  If you follow these simple gidelines, you'll be teaching other people how to use a telescope in no time!

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