1. Skywizard menu overview Menu system for general session POWER on MODE CATALOG (lookup/set current object) FIND (slew to current object) IDENTIFY (unknown object in eye-p) RA DEC (display coordinates) SYNC (tune wizard w/ object) TIMER (time astrophotograph) POWER off ENTER Process

2. Analogy to physical circles – Direct indexing Two methods of finding - Direct indexing Physical circlesDigital circles - Skywizard Point the telescope at a bright alignment star. Slip the hour and declination circles to correspond to catalogue RA and Dec of the alignment star. “Direct index” slew to target star’s RA and Dec. MODE RA DEC ENTER Display coordinates Drawing from Edmund Mag. 5 Star Atlas (12 th ed 1994) Do power-up two-star alignment. POWE R Slew to Star 1 ENTER Go into RA Dec Mode. “Direct index” slew to target star’s RA and Dec.

3. Analogy to the physical circles – Indirect indexing Two methods of finding - Indirect indexing Physical circles Digital circles - Skywizard Point to a waypoint bright star. On star chart, measure RA and Dec change to the target. Drawings from Edmund Mag. 5 Star Atlas (12 th ed 1994) Slip the hour and declination circles equal to that change. “Indirect index” to the target. Enter Find mode Slew to waypoint star using Find On star chart, measure RA and Dec change to the target. Still in Find mode, slew indirect index distance to target. MODE CATALOG ENTER Que pre-programmed waypoint star in Catalogue mode FIND ENTER MODE

4. Relationship of local sidereal time, target right ascension (RA) and meridian swap Meridian 08 00 LST 02 00 RA 03 30 RA 14 00 RA 10 00 RA Local sidereal time measures the position of the meridian on your star charts. On the observing night, keep an extra watch set to local sidereal time (LST). Obtain LST from - >http://tycho.usno.navy.mil/sidereal.html A meridian swap will be needed if: RA current target > Local sidereal time > RA Desired target - or RA current target < Local sidereal time < RA Desired target A meridian swap is not needed if: RA current target & RA Desired target > Local sidereal time - or RA current target & RA Desired target < Local sidereal time Looking south Zenith 13 00 RA

5. Power on – One star startup alignment 1 - Ealing On startup [POWER] For pre-“perfectly aligned German Equatorial” install mode, the startup routine skips several complicated steps and goes immediately to startup alignment using two stars. One star orientation-alignment Select one star in eastern sky based on 24 pre-selected stars above Dec. -30°. See Navigational Bright Star Chart and Table of 24 Alignment Stars by name and right ascension. In practice, find one bright star of the 24 listed stars more than 30° of the meridian and near the celestial equator. Following selection of star the “Warp” measurement will always display “0” and is meaningless in this context.

6. Power on – One star startup alignment 2 – Ealing One star alignment process POWE R Slew to Star 1 ENTER War p =0 Warp result No

7. RA DEC – display current coordinates MODE RA DEC ENTER Display coordinates

8. Catalogue – lookup/set current object Star MESSIER NGC IC UGC PLANETS MODE CATALOG ENTER Object no. display 0000 0…9 ENTER Planet name Display object coordinates ENTER

9. Find – slew to current object MODE FIND ENTER Do CATALOGUE process Slew telescope towards object MODE Set current object Display coordinates At target ? Yes No If 10°> displays“10” If 10°<“1.0”

10. Identify – Unknown object in eyepiece IDENT ANY MAG 10 Any type of object IDENT ST MAG 10 Any star IDENT GC MAG 10 Any globular cluster IDENT OC MAG 10 Any open cluster IDENT GX MAG 10 Any galaxy IDENT PN MAG 10 Any planetary nebula IDENT NB MAG 10 Any nebula IDENT 2* MAG 10 Any double star IDENT R* MAG 10 Any red star MODE IDENT ENTER Magnitude set display 00 0…9 ENTER At target ? Yes No Display object info Display 1 st catalogue object

11. Sync – Fine tune digital circle setting with current object MODE Do FIND process Uses CATALOGUE process SYNC Found object centered in eyepiece MODE

12. Timer – Time astrophotograph exposure MODE ENTER Timer display reset 00:00:00 Timer display start ENTER Timer display stop MODE TIMER

13. Other use notes  Because of a friction belt in the digital to analogue encoders, slowly slew the scope.  The more rough slews, the more position error the friction encoders will accumulate.  Plan your observations to include stops at the 24 alignment stars through the evening. Re-SYNC the digital setting circle frequently.