Locating Objects Using SynScan® hand controller

Locating Messier Objects

A. Choosing an object

1. Press the M shortcut key on the hand control, which will display ‘Messier catalog/Messier =“ to wait for your input of the three digits of the Messier index number

2. Use the number keys to enter the number and press Enter

B. Viewing information on the object

If the selected object is below the horizon the handset will tell you, otherwise it will display the objects current azimuth and altitude. You can browse the following information about the object using the scroll keys:

Current celestial coordinates

J2000 celestial coordinates

Magnitude

Rising time

Transit time

Setting time

Size

Associated constellation

Common name of the object

Press Enter to proceed to the next step

C. Locating the object

The screen will display “View object?’ Press Enter to have the mount move to the object and automatically start tracking the object. Press Esc to stop the mount.

Locating NGC and IC Objects

Locating these objects is similar to locating Messier objects as above.

1. Press the NGC (New General Catalogue of Nebulae and Clusters of Stars) key to access the NGC catalogue which has 7840 objects within it.

2. Press the IC (Index catalogues) key to access the IC catalogue which has 5386 objects within it.

Locating Planets and the Moon

1. Press the Planet key and the screen will display ‘Solar System’. Use the scrolling keys to locate the object you want. Press Enter to select your target. If your object is below the horizon it will tell you, otherwise it will display the objects current azimuth and altitude.

You can browse the following information about the object using the scroll keys:

Current celestial coordinates

Rising time

Transit time

Setting time

Common name of the object

Press Enter to proceed to the next step

1. The screen will display “View object?’ Press Enter to have the mount move to the object and automatically start tracking the object. Press Esc to stop the mount.

Locating Caldwell Objects

A. Choosing an object

1. Press the Object shortcut key on the hand control, which will display ‘Object List’

2. Use the scroll keys to browse the list until ‘Caldwell Catalog’ is displayed and press Enter

3. The screen displays ‘Caldwell Catalog/Cald. #=‘ so that you can enter the 3 digit Caldwell index number between 1 and 109

B. Viewing information on the object

If the selected object is below the horizon the handset will tell you, otherwise it will display the objects current azimuth and altitude. You can browse the following information about the object using the scroll keys:

Current celestial coordinates

J2000 celestial coordinates

Magnitude

Rising time

Transit time

Setting time

Size

Associated constellation

Common name of the object

Press Enter to proceed to the next step

C. Locating the object

The screen will display “View object?’ Press Enter to have the mount move to the object and automatically start tracking the object. Press Esc to stop the mount.

Locating SAO (Smithsonian Astrological Observatory Star Catalogue) Stars

A. Choosing an object

1. Press the Object shortcut key on the hand control, which will display ‘Object List’

2. Use the scroll keys to browse the list until ‘SAO Catalog’ is displayed and press Enter

3. The screen displays ‘SAO Catalog/SAO 0000xx’ so that you can enter the 4 digits from the SAO catalogue to replace the zeros

4. Use the scroll keys to change the last 2 digits until the screen displays your desired SAO index number

B. Viewing information on the object

1. If the selected object is below the horizon the handset will tell you, otherwise it will display the objects current azimuth and altitude. You can browse the following information about the object using the scroll keys:

Current celestial coordinates

J2000 celestial coordinates

Magnitude

Rising time

Transit time

Setting time

Size

Associated constellation

Common name of the object

Press Enter to proceed to the next step

C. Locating the object

The screen will display “View object?’ Press Enter to have the mount move to the object and automatically start tracking the object. Press Esc to stop the mount.

Locating Named Stars, Double Stars and Variable Stars

1. Press the ‘Object’ shortcut key to see the object list and browse this using the scroll keys to find ‘Named Star’, ‘Double Stars’, or ‘Variable Stars’ and press Enter to make your selection

2. Use the 2 scroll keys to find your desired object in the list of names. Press Enter to select

For Named Stars the SynScan handset can display the common name or the Bayer Designation depending on how you have it set up.

1. If the selected object is below the horizon the handset will tell you, otherwise it will display the objects current azimuth and altitude. You can browse the following information about the star using the scroll keys:

Current celestial coordinates

J2000 celestial coordinates

Magnitude

Rising time

Transit time

Setting time

Size

Associated constellation

Common name of the object

Also:

For Named Stars - distance to Earth in light years; spectral type; Bayer designated name; and the catalogue number

For both Double and Variable Stars - the separation angle; and the position angle

C. Locating the object

The screen will display “View object?’ Press Enter to have the mount move to the object and automatically start tracking the object. Press Esc to stop the mount.

Deep Sky Tour

The SynScan hand control can generate a list of the most famous deep sky objects in the current sky, which you can select one by one and the hand control can point the telescope to them for observing automatically.

Choosing an Object

1. Press the ‘Tour’ shortcut key leading to the screen displaying ‘Deep Sky Tour’

2. Browse through the list of names using the scroll keys and press Enter to select one

View information on the object

The screen displays the catalogue to which the object belongs as well as its object number in the top line, with the object’s azimuth and altitude will be displayed in the bottom line.

1. Use the scroll keys to browse the object’s:

J2000 celestial coordinates

Magnitude

Rise time

Transit time

Set time

Size

Associated constellation

1. Press Enter to proceed to the next step

2. The screen will display “View object?’ Press Enter to have the mount move to the object and automatically start tracking the object. Press Esc to stop the mount.

User Defined Objects

You can define upto 25 objects for observing.

Defining New Objects

1. Press the ‘User’ shortcut key and screen will display ‘User Object’

2. Press the scroll keys until ‘New Object’ is displayed on the screen. Press Enter

3. This leads to ‘Coord. Type 1)RA-Dec 2)Mount’.

Press ‘1’ to enter RA/Dec. Coordinates for a celestial object - the screen displays the coordinates that your telescope is pointing to at that moment

Press ‘2’ to enter coordinates for a land object - the screen will display the coordinates of the mounts two axes. The first number is the coordinates of the RA/azimuth axis and the second of the Dec./altitude axis.

1. Use the left and right direction keys to move the cursor and the numeric keys to edit the coordinates. Pressing Enter after editing leads to the screen displaying ‘Save?’. Press Esc to proceed without saving and Enter to save the coordinates.

2. The screen now displays ‘View Object?’. Press Enter to move the mount to the coordinates or Esc to exit without moving the mount.

Recalling User Defined Objects

1. Press the ‘User’ shortcut key and the screen will display ‘User Object/Recall Object’. Press Enter

2. Browse using the scroll keys and press Enter to proceed when the object’s coordinates are displayed

3. ‘View Object’ is displayed. Press Enter to move the mount towards the object, or Esc to exit