CELESTRON CI-700 / CM-1100 / CM-1400 INSTRUCTION MANUAL Models #91525 / #11055 / #11065 T h e C e l e s t r o n C M- 1 1 00/1400 Copyright © 1998 Celestron International 2835 Columbia Street Torrance, CA 90503 (310) 328-9560 No part of this manual may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from Celestron International. Celestron International provides this manual "as is" without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, including but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. Celestron may make modifications to this manual and/or the products described herein at any time without notice or obligation. ii · Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 2 2 3 v INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................. How to Use this Manual ..................................................................................................................... A Word of Caution ............................................................................................................................. The Schmidt-Cassegrain Optical System .......................................................................................... v ASSEMBLING YOUR CELESTRON CM-1100 ...................................................................................... 4 Unpacking Your Celestron CM-1100 .................................................................................................. 4 Setting Up the Tripod ......................................................................................................................... 6 Attaching the Center Leg Brace ........................................................................................................ 7 Attaching the Central Column ............................................................................................................ 7 Attaching the Equatorial Mount .......................................................................................................... 8 Installing the Counterweight Bar ........................................................................................................ 9 Installing the Counterweight ............................................................................................................... 9 Attaching the Celestron CM-1100 to the Mount ................................................................................ 10 Attaching the Visual Back ................................................................................................................11 Installing the Star Diagonal ...............................................................................................................11 Installing the Eyepiece .....................................................................................................................12 Installing the Finder .......................................................................................................................... 13 Installing the Polar Axis Finder .........................................................................................................14 Moving the Telescope in R.A. and DEC ............................................................................................ 15 Using the Slow Motion Controls ........................................................................................................ 15 Adjusting the Mount .........................................................................................................................16 Balancing the Mount in R.A. .............................................................................................................17 Balancing the Mount in DEC .............................................................................................................18 Transporting Your Celestron CM-1100 ..............................................................................................19 Storing Your Celestron CM-1100 ......................................................................................................19 Technical Specifications ...................................................................................................................20 v TELESCOPE BASICS .........................................................................................................................22 Image Orientation ............................................................................................................................. 22 Focusing ..........................................................................................................................................23 General Photography Hints ...............................................................................................................24 Aligning the Finder ............................................................................................................................24 Your First Look .................................................................................................................................25 Daytime Observing .....................................................................................................................25 Nighttime Observing ...................................................................................................................26 Calculating Magnification ..................................................................................................................27 Determining Field of View ................................................................................................................. 27 v ASTRONOMY BASICS ....................................................................................................................... 28 The Celestial Coordinate System ......................................................................................................28 Motion of the Stars ...........................................................................................................................29 Polar Alignment ................................................................................................................................ 30 Finding the Pole ...............................................................................................................................31 Latitude Scales .......................................................................................................................... 32 Pointing at Polaris ......................................................................................................................33 The Polar Axis Finder ................................................................................................................. 34 Declination Drift .......................................................................................................................... 35 Aligning the Setting Circles .............................................................................................................36 Table of Contents · iii v USING THE DRIVE ............................................................................................................................. 37 Powering Up the Drive ......................................................................................................................37 Guide Speed ....................................................................................................................................38 Tracking Rate Selection.................................................................................................................... 38 BC -Backlash Correction ..................................................................................................................39 Periodic Error Correction ..................................................................................................................39 HC/CCD ...........................................................................................................................................40 12 V DC ...........................................................................................................................................40 Northern/Southern Hemisphere Operation ......................................................................................... 41 Using the Hand Controller ................................................................................................................. 41 R.A./DEC Reverse ............................................................................................................................42 Autoguiding ...................................................................................................................................... 42 v CELESTIAL OBSERVING ...................................................................................................................43 Observing the Moon .......................................................................................................................... 43 Observing the Planets ......................................................................................................................43 Observing the Sun ............................................................................................................................44 Observing Deep-Sky Objects ............................................................................................................45 Using the Setting Circles ........................................................................................................... 45 Star Hopping ..............................................................................................................................46 Viewing Conditions ...........................................................................................................................48 Transparency ............................................................................................................................. 48 Sky Illumination .........................................................................................................................48 Seeing .......................................................................................................................................48 v CELESTIAL PHOTOGRAPHY .............................................................................................................50 Short Exposure Prime Focus ........................................................................................................... 51 Piggyback ........................................................................................................................................53 Eyepiece Projection .........................................................................................................................55 Long Exposure Prime Focus ............................................................................................................57 CCD Imaging ....................................................................................................................................59 Description of F-Numbers ............................................................................................................60 Fastar Configuration ...................................................................................................................60 Imaging at f/2.1 .......................................................................................................................... 61 Imaging at f/7 ............................................................................................................................. 61 Imaging at f/11 ...........................................................................................................................61 Imaging at f/22 ...........................................................................................................................62 v TELESCOPE MAINTENANCE .............................................................................................................63 Care and Cleaning of the Optics .......................................................................................................63 Collimation .......................................................................................................................................63 v OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES ................................................................................................................66 v THE MESSIER CATALOG .......................................... ...