Using the Meade ETX: 100 Objects You Can Really See with the Mighty ETX

by Mike Weasner, P.C. Sherrod (Contribution by), R. Seymour (Contribution by)

Overview

In 1996 Meade, the world's largest astronomical telescope manufacturer, introduced the ETX, a low-cost and genuinely portable instrument capable of results close to the theoretical limits of optical performance. Since then several different models have been introduced, most of them controlled by on-board computers that automatically point the telescope at objects selected from a database of 12,000. Unfortunately not all these objects are visible when looking through the ETX! (They are included because they can be imaged with special equipment.) Mike Weasner is a world expert on the ETX range, and describes the "best" 100 objects to start with, and offers hints and tips about using and looking after the telescope to get the best possible results.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781852333515
Publisher:	Springer London
Publication date:	03/22/2002
Series:	The Patrick Moore Practical Astronomy Series
Edition description:	2002
Pages:	210
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.25(h) x 0.36(d)

Table of Contents

1 ETX Basics.- Specifications.- ETX-90RA.- ETX-90EC.- ETX-125EC.- DS Models.- ETX-60AT, ETX-70AT.- LX90 8-inch.- Autostar.- Accessories.- Other Add-ons.- 2 ETX Hints and Tips.- Optical.- Mechanical.- Software.- Other.- 3 Observing Techniques.- Preparation.- Polar vs Alt/Az.- Locating Objects.- Things To Be Aware Of.- Recording What You See.- 4 Objects.- The Moon.- The Sun.- The Planets.- Asteroids.- Comets.- Meteors.- Stars.- Variable Stars.- Double Stars.- Star Clusters.- The Faint Fuzzy Blobs.- Galaxies.- Man-made Satellites.- Terrestrial (Spotting Scope).- 5 Photography.- 35mm Film.- Digital Camera.- Video.- CCD.- Improving the Photos.- 6 ETX Questions and Answers.- Purchasing a Used Telescope.- Telescope Maintenance.- High-Temperature.- Importance of Balance.- Seeing Conditions and Transparency.- Limiting Magnitude Charts.- House Party Observations.- Autostar Objects Database.- Autostar Alignment and High-Precision Use.- Tracking Satellites.- Autostar External Power Source.- Autostar and Drive Motor Failure.- Improving the Performance of your ETX.- Performance Enhancement — Creating the Perfect “GOTO” ETX.- Summary.- Appendix: Resources.- Books.- Magazines.- Web Sites.- Newsgroups.- User Groups and Clubs.- Dealers.- Computer Software.- Biographies.