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How to Use an Orion Skyquest XT8 IntelliScope

Orion's Skyquest XT8 Intelliscope is a personal telescope for the amateur astronomer. It has a Dobsonian mount, meaning its circular base swivels 360 degrees and its long, wide telescope tube can pivot up to any azimuth. It has the very useful feature of a finder scope to find the target. The scope has a much wider field of vision than the telescope's eyepiece. After calibrating the finder scope, if the target star, planet or nebula is centered in the scope, it will be centered in the telescope eyepiece.

Instructions

- 1
  Focus the eyepiece by first inserting the 25 mm eyepiece and tightening the setscrew. Aim the telescope in the general direction of an object at least one-quarter mile away. Look in the eyepiece and slowly turn one of the focusing knobs until the object is sharply in focus.
- 2
  Align the finder scope by centering an object in the eyepiece that's a least a quarter-mile away. Next, look in the finder scope and locate the target. Use the six adjustment alignment thumbscrews to bring the crosshairs of the finder scope directly over the target. Verify the alignment by repeating the process on a different target and adjust as necessary.
- 3
  Sharpen the focus of the finder scope, if necessary, by loosening the locking ring on it. Slide the objective lens cell back and forth in the finder scope main body until the target is as sharp as possible. Re-tighten the locking ring.
- 4
  Observe celestial objects in your Orion Skyquest XT8 Intelliscope by first finding them with your eyes. Next, swivel and tilt the telescope to center the object in the finder scope. Lastly, look in the telescope's eyepiece.
- 5
  Repeat Step 1 with a more powerful eyepiece, if available and desired, to get a closer look at the star, planet, nebula or galaxy.

Astronomy