Owner manual

INDEX
AutoStar #497 HANDBOX
27
AUTOSTAR #497 MENU OPTIONS
27
of eclipse. Use the Scroll Up and Down keys to display
the available data.
Min. (Minimum) of Algol is the minimum brightness
of the dramatic eclipsing binary star system, Algol. It is
relatively close at a distance of 100 light years. Every
2.8 days during a 10 hour period, Algol undergoes a
major change in apparent magnitude as one of the
two stars passes behind the other. The combined
magnitude of the two stars thus dips from +2.1 to a
minimum of +3.4 halfway through the eclipse as the
second star is hidden. LT Series calculates minimum
magnitude time at mid-eclipse.
Autumn and Vernal Equinox calculates the time and
date of the fall or spring equinox of the current year.
Winter and Summer Solstice calculates the time
and date of the winter or summer solstice of the
current year.
Glossary Menu
The Glossary menu provides an alphabetical listing of
defi nitions and descriptions for common astronomical
terms and AutoStar functions. Access directly through
the Glossary menu or through hypertext words
embedded in AutoStar. A hypertext word is any word
in [brackets], usually found when using the AutoStar
Help function or when reading a scrolling message
such as a description of a planet or star. Press ENTER
whenever a hypertext word is on screen and AutoStar
goes to the glossary entry for that word.
To access directly from the Glossary menu, use the
Scroll keys to scroll through the alphabet. Press
ENTER on the desired letter. Scroll to the desired entry
and then press ENTER to read the description.
Utilities Menu
The Utilities menu provides access to several extra
features within AutoStar, including a countdown timer
and an alarm. The Utilities functions include:
Timer selects a countdown timer. This feature is useful
for functions such as astrophotography and tracking
satellites. See OBSERVING Satellites, page 32. To
use the Timer, press ENTER, then choose “Set” or
“Start/Stop.”
• Set: Enter the time to be counted down, in hours,
minutes, and seconds, then press ENTER.
• Start/Stop: Activates the timer set previously.
Use the Scroll keys to toggle between ON and
OFF. When ON is displayed, press ENTER to
activate the timer. When the timer runs out, four
beeps sound and the timer is deactivated.
Alarm selects a time for an alarm signal as a reminder.
To use the Alarm, press ENTER, then choose “Set” or
“Start/Stop”.
• Set: Enter the time of day for the alarm to
sound, in hours, minutes, and seconds, then
press ENTER.
• Start/Stop: Activates the alarm set previously.
Use the Scroll keys to toggle between ON and
OFF. When ON is displayed, press ENTER to
activate the alarm. When the alarm time arrives,
AutoStar beeps. Press ENTER to deactivate
the alarm.
Eyepiece Calc calculates information about an
eyepiece for the specifi c telescope to which AutoStar
is connected.
• Field of View: Scroll through a list of available
eyepieces. When an eyepiece is selected, the
fi eld of view is calculated.
• Magnifi cation: Scroll through a list of available
eyepieces. When an eyepiece is selected, the
magnifi cation is calculated.
• Suggest: AutoStar calculates and suggests
the best eyepiece for viewing, based on the
telescope and the object being viewed.
Brightness Adj adjusts the brightness of the display
using the Scroll keys. When complete, press ENTER.
Contrast Adj adjusts the contrast of the display using
the Scroll keys. When complete, press ENTER.
Note: This feature is usually only required in very cold
weather.
Landmark Survey automatically slews the telescope
to all user-defi ned landmarks with a short pause at
each location. Press ENTER to start the survey. While
a slew is in progress, press any key to skip that object
and go to the next landmark on the list. To observe
a landmark for a longer period, press MODE when
paused on the object to stop the survey. Press ENTER
to restart the survey at the fi rst object on the list. See
Landmarks, page 37.