Looking at or near the Sun will cause instant and irreversible damage to your eye!
12
FIRST STEPS
Collimation screws
Eyepiece
Fig. 14: Viewfinder alignment (MON 2
viewfinder shown)
Holder
Collimation screws
Eyepiece
Fig. 14b: Viewfinder assembly (MON
1 models shown)
Holder
Fig. 14a: LED-reticle as seen
through the MON 2 viewfinder
Messier Tips
Further Study....
This manual gives only the briefest introduction to astronomy. If you are
interested in pursuing further studies in astronomy, a few topics are suggested
below that are worth reading up on. Try looking up some of these in the optional Autostar
glossary.
Also included below is a small sampling of books, magazines, and organizations
that you might find helpful.
Topics
1. How is a star born? How does a solar system form?
2. How is the distance to a star measured? What is a light year? What is red shift and
blue shift?
3. How are the craters on our Moon formed? Is there water under the surface of the
Moon?
4. What is a black hole? A neutron star? A gamma burster? An Einstein lens?
5. What are stars made of? Why are stars different colors? How is the elementa
composition of a star determined? What is an Lyman Alpha forest?
6. What is the difference between a Type 1 and a Type II supernova?
7. What is the importance of studying the composition of comets? Where do comets
come from?
8. How old is our Sun? Will our Sun evolve into a planetary nebula or go supernova?
9. What is the Inflationary Big Bang? What is dark matter? What are MACHO's?
10. How are extrasolar planets discovered? What is an accretion (or protoplanetary) disk?
11. What are the differences between elliptical, spiral, and irregular galaxies? Can
globular clusters be older than the universe itself?
Books
1. The Guide to Amateur Astronomy by Jack Newton and Philip Teece
2. The Sky: A User’s Guide by David Levy
3. Turn Left at Orion by Guy Consolmagno & Dan Davis
4. Astrophotography for the Amateur by Michael Covington
5. Observing for the Fun of It by Melanie Melton
6. Will Black Holes Devour the Universe? and 100 Other Questions about Astronomy by
Melanie Melton
Magazines
1. Sky & Telescope, Box 9111, Belmont, MA 02178
2. Astronomy, Box 1612, Waukesha, WI 53187
Organizations
1. Astronomical League, Executive Secretary, 5675 Real del Norte, Las Cruces, NM 88012
2. The Astronomical Society of the Pacific, 390 Ashton Ave., San Francisco, CA 94112
3. The Planetary Society, 65 North Catalina Ave., Pasadena, CA 91106
