Celestron C4.5 User Manual

Figure 6-3
Although the Ring Nebula
lies between two naked eye
stars, it may take a little
time to locate since it is not
visible in the finder. Note
that the scale for this star
chart is different from the
one on the previous page
which shows several con-
stellations including Pe-
gasus, Triangulum, and
Andromeda.
Star hopping may take some getting used to since you can see more stars
through the finder than you can see with the naked eye. And, some objects
are not visible in the finder. One such object is M57, the famed Ring Nebula.
Here’s how to find it:
1. Find the constellation of Lyra, a small parallelogram visible in the
summer and fall months. Lyra is easy to pick out because it contains the
bright star Vega.
2. Start at the star Vega — Alpha (a) Lyrae — and move a few degrees
southeast to find the parallelogram. The four stars that make up this
geometric shape are all similar in brightness making them easy to see.
3. Locate the two southern most stars that make up the parallelogram —
Beta (B) and Gamma (y) Lyrae (see figure 6-3).
4. Point the finder half way between these two stars.
5. Move about 1/2° toward Beta (D) Lyrae, but remaining on a line that
connects the two stars.
6. Look through the telescope and the Ring Nebula should be in the
telescope. Its angular size is quite small and, therefore, not visible in the
finder.
Because the Ring Nebula is rather faint, you may need to use averted vision
to see it. Averted vision is the act of looking slightly away from the object
you are observing. So, if you are observing the Ring Nebula, center it in the
field of view and then look off toward the side. In this manner, light from
the object is falling on the black and white sensitive rods as opposed to the
color sensitive cones. These two examples should give you an idea of how to
star hop to deep sky objects. To use this method on other objects, consult the
Celestron Sky Maps (#93722) or any of the various star atlases and star hop
to the object of your choice using naked eye stars.
Celestial Observing * 37

Celestron C4.5 Specifications

General

Brand	Celestron
Model	C4.5
Category	Telescope
Language	English