How to Use a Refractor Telescope

Extend the three legs on the tripod mount the same length. Tighten the thumbscrews on each leg to lock it in place. Stand the tripod upright and verify that mount is level. Attach the accessory tray below the mount and between the tripod legs.

Loosen the locking knob on the mounting bracket. Slide the telescope tube's dovetail mounting plate into the mounting bracket. Tighten the locking knob to secure the telescope to the mount.

Remove the dust cover from the front of the telescope. Remove the dust cap from the telescope's focuser. Insert the mirror diagonal into the focuser and tighten the set screw to secure it. The mirror diagonal reflects the light captured by the telescope at a 90-degree angle, making it easier to look through the telescope when observing an object overhead.

Insert a low-power magnifying eyepiece into the diagonal, and then tighten the set screw to hold it in place. Begin with an eyepiece that provides 50X power or less and then increase the magnification after you've located an observing target.

Point the telescope at a bright astronomical target such as the moon. Raise or lower the telescope tube and move it left or right until you have it aimed in the general direction of the object. Look through the finder scope mounted on the side of the telescope. Use the slow-motion knobs on the tripod mount to fine-tune the telescope's orientation until you have the target centered in the finder scope.

Look through the eyepiece. Use the slow-motion knobs to center the object if it's not centered in the field of view. Turn the focus knob on the telescope's focuser until the object appears sharp in the eyepiece.

Remove the low-power eyepiece and insert one with higher magnifying power to study the object in detail. You may have to re-center the object in the eyepiece to compensate for the Earth's rotation. The higher the magnifying power, the quicker an object will drift out of the field of view.