Ultima 9
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must be taken when observing our star so as not to damage your eyes or your telescope.
Never project an image of the Sun through the telescope. Because of the folded optical design, tremendous heat
build-up will result inside the optical tube. This can damage the telescope and/or any accessories attached to the
telescope.
For safe solar viewing, use a Celestron solar filter. This filter reduces the intensity of the Sun's light, making it safe
to view. With this filter you can see sunspots as they move across the solar disk and faculae, which are bright
patches seen near the Sun's edge. Be sure to cover the lens of the finder or completely remove the finderscope when
observing the Sun. This will ensure that the finderscope itself is not damaged and that no one looks through it
inadvertently.
Solar Observing Hints
• The best time to observe the Sun is in the early morning or late afternoon when the air is cooler.
• To locate the Sun without a finder, watch the shadow of the telescope tube until it forms a circular shadow.
• To ensure accurate tracking, be sure to select solar tracking rate.
OBSERVING DEEP SKY OBJECTS
Deep-sky objects are simply those objects outside the boundaries of our solar system. They include star clusters,
planetary nebulae, diffuse nebulae, double stars and other galaxies outside our own Milky Way. Unlike the Sun,
Moon, and five major planets, most deep sky objects are not visible to the naked eye. Finding them requires using
your setting circles or star hopping to them. The Celestron Sky Map (#93722) can help you locate the brightest
deep-sky objects.
Most deep-sky objects have a large angular size. Therefore, low-to-moderate power is all you need to see them.
Visually, they are too faint to reveal any of the color seen in long exposure photographs. Instead, they appear black
and white. And, because of their low surface brightness, they should be observed from a dark-sky location. Light
pollution around large urban areas washes out most nebulae making them difficult, if not impossible, to observe.
Light Pollution Reduction filters help reduce the background sky brightness, thus increasing contrast.
Using the Setting Circles
Once the telescope is polar aligned (read the “Polar Alignment” section in this manual) and the R.A. setting circle is
aligned, you can use the setting circles to find any objects with known coordinates. To do so:
1. Select an object to observe. Use a seasonal star chart or planisphere to make sure the object you chose is
above the horizon. As you become more familiar with the night sky, this will no longer be necessary.
2. Look up the object's coordinates in an atlas or reference book.
3. Move the telescope in declination until the indicator points at the correct declination coordinate.
4. Move the telescope in R.A. until the indicator points to the correct coordinate (do NOT move the R.A.
circle).
5. Look through the finder to see if you have located the object.
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