Celestron National Park Foundation FIRSTSCOPE

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Summary

Whats In The Box

Parts List

Lists all included telescope parts and accessories for verification.

Solar Warning

Crucial safety instructions regarding observing the Sun to prevent permanent eye damage.

Assembling Your Telescope

The Mount & Telescope Tube

Instructions for setting up the telescope mount and tube for use.

The Eyepieces

To Install an Eyepiece

Step-by-step guide on how to attach and secure an eyepiece to the telescope focuser.

Your First Astronomical Observing Session

The Moon

Guidance on how to begin observing celestial objects, starting with the Moon.

Celestron Two Year Limited Warranty

Summary

Whats In The Box

Parts List

Lists all included telescope parts and accessories for verification.

Solar Warning

Crucial safety instructions regarding observing the Sun to prevent permanent eye damage.

Assembling Your Telescope

The Mount & Telescope Tube

Instructions for setting up the telescope mount and tube for use.

The Eyepieces

To Install an Eyepiece

Step-by-step guide on how to attach and secure an eyepiece to the telescope focuser.

Your First Astronomical Observing Session

The Moon

Guidance on how to begin observing celestial objects, starting with the Moon.

Celestron Two Year Limited Warranty

The Celestron FirstScope is a compact and portable altazimuth reflector telescope designed for astronomical observation, particularly for beginners. It is part of a collaboration with the National Park Foundation, supporting their mission to preserve America's national parks.

Function Description:

The FirstScope is an astronomical telescope used to view celestial objects such as the Moon, planets, star clusters, and nebulae. Its altazimuth mount allows for easy movement in up, down, left, and right directions, making it simple to track objects as they appear to drift across the night sky due to Earth's rotation. The telescope is designed for astronomical use, meaning terrestrial objects will appear upside-down, which is normal for this type of instrument.

Important Technical Specifications:

The manual does not explicitly list detailed technical specifications like aperture, focal length, or focal ratio. However, it does specify that the telescope comes with two 1.25" Kellner eyepieces:

20 mm Kellner eyepiece: This provides lower power magnification, ideal for initial object location and wider fields of view.
10 mm Kellner eyepiece: This provides higher power magnification, allowing for more detailed views of celestial objects once they are centered with the lower power eyepiece.

The mount is preassembled with the telescope tube, indicating a fixed configuration. The tension in the up and down direction of the mount is adjustable via a knob. Turning the knob counter-clockwise decreases tension, making movement easier, while turning it clockwise increases tension. This allows users to set a comfortable tension level to prevent the telescope from moving downward due to gravity or eyepiece weight.

Usage Features:

Ease of Assembly: The FirstScope comes fully assembled, requiring only removal from the box and placement on a stable surface.
Eyepiece Installation: To install an eyepiece, users loosen two silver setscrews on the focuser, remove the small plastic dust cap, insert the eyepiece's silver barrel into the focuser, and then tighten the setscrews to secure it.
Focusing: Focusing is achieved by looking through the eyepiece and slowly turning the focusing knobs until the image is sharp.
Observation Procedure:
- Always start with the 20 mm eyepiece for initial setup and object location.
- Roughly point the telescope towards the desired celestial object by sighting down the length of the tube.
- Look through the 20 mm eyepiece and adjust focus.
- Once the object is centered and focused, switch to the 10 mm eyepiece for a more magnified and detailed view, adjusting focus again if necessary.
Tracking: The altazimuth mount allows for manual tracking of celestial objects by gently pushing the telescope in altitude and azimuth directions to keep them centered in the field of view.
Solar Warning: A critical safety feature highlighted is the "SOLAR WARNING." Users are strictly cautioned against looking directly at the Sun with the naked eye or through the telescope without a proper solar filter. The manual explicitly states that permanent and irreversible eye damage can result. It also warns against using the telescope to project an image of the Sun onto any surface, as internal heat build-up can damage the telescope and accessories. Furthermore, it advises against using eyepiece solar filters or Herschel wedges due to the risk of cracking or breaking from internal heat build-up, which could allow unfiltered sunlight to pass through. The telescope should never be left unsupervised, especially around children or adults unfamiliar with its operation.
Observing the Moon: The manual provides a guided first observation session focusing on the Moon. It suggests observing the Moon from two days after a New Moon up to a few days before a Full Moon to see the most detail in craters and lunar mountain ranges.

Maintenance Features:

The manual does not detail specific maintenance procedures for cleaning or upkeep of the telescope. However, it recommends:

Storage: Saving the original telescope box for storage when the telescope is not in use.
Dust Covers: The telescope comes with a large dust cover for the main tube and a small dust cover for the focuser, which should be used to protect the optics from dust and debris when not in use.

Warranty and Support:

Celestron offers a two-year limited warranty on the FirstScope, covering defects in materials and workmanship for customers in the U.S.A. and Canada who purchased from an authorized dealer. Warranty service requires obtaining a Return Authorization Number from Celestron and returning the product with proof of purchase. The warranty explicitly excludes damage from abuse, misuse, mishandling, unauthorized repair, or normal wear and tear. International customers are advised to contact their local Celestron International Distributor or Authorized Dealer for warranty service. Celestron also provides support via telephone and directs users to ExploreTheSky.com for additional astronomical observing tips.