Skywizard menu overview

1
Skywizard menu overview

• Menu system for general session
• POWER on
• MODE
• CATALOG (lookup/set current object)
• FIND (slew to current object)
• IDENTIFY (unknown object in eye-p)
• RA DEC (display coordinates)
• SYNC (tune wizard w/ object)
• TIMER (time astrophotograph)
• POWER off

ENTER
Process
2
Analogy to physical circles Direct indexing
Two methods of finding - Direct
indexing Physical circles Digital circles -
Skywizard
Slew to Star1
POWER
ENTER

• Do power-up two-star alignment.

RA DEC
MODE
ENTER
Display coordinates

• Point the telescope at a bright alignment star.
• Slip the hour and declination circles to
  correspond to catalogue RA and Dec of the
  alignment star.
• Direct index slew to target stars RA and Dec.

• Go into RA Dec Mode.
• Direct index slew to target stars RA and Dec.

Drawing from Edmund Mag. 5 Star Atlas (12th ed
1994)
3
Analogy to the physical circles Indirect
indexing
Two methods of finding - Indirect
indexing Physical circles Digital circles -
Skywizard

• Point to a waypoint bright star.
• On star chart, measure RA and Dec change to the
  target.

CATALOG
ENTER
MODE

• Que pre-programmed waypoint star in Catalogue
  mode

FIND
ENTER
MODE

• Enter Find mode
• Slew to waypoint star using Find
• On star chart, measure RA and Dec change to the
  target.
• Still in Find mode, slew indirect index distance
  to target.

• Slip the hour and declination circles equal to
  that change.
• Indirect index to the target.

Drawings from Edmund Mag. 5 Star Atlas (12th ed
1994)
4
Relationship of local sidereal time, target right
ascension (RA) and meridian swap

• Local sidereal time measures the position of the
  meridian on your star charts.
• On the observing night, keep an extra watch set
  to local sidereal time (LST). Obtain LST from -
• A meridian swap will be needed if
• RA current target Local sidereal time RA
  Desired target - or
• RA current target Desired target
• A meridian swap is not needed if
• RA current target RA Desired target Local
  sidereal time - or
• RA current target RA Desired target sidereal time

Zenith
Meridian
10 00 RA
08 00 LST
03 30 RA
13 00 RA
14 00 RA
02 00 RA
Looking south
5
Power on One star startup alignment 1 - Ealing

• On startup POWER
• For pre-perfectly aligned German Equatorial
  install mode, the startup routine skips several
  complicated steps and goes immediately to startup
  alignment using two stars.
• One star orientation-alignment
• Select one star in eastern sky based on 24
  pre-selected stars above Dec. -30. See
  Navigational Bright Star Chart and Table of 24
  Alignment Stars by name and right ascension.
• In practice, find one bright star of the 24
  listed stars more than 30 of the meridian and
  near the celestial equator.
• Following selection of star the Warp
  measurement will always display 0 and is
  meaningless in this context.

6
Power on One star startup alignment 2 Ealing

• One star alignment process

Slew to Star1
POWER
ENTER
Warp 0
Warp result
No
7
RA DEC display current coordinates
Display coordinates
RA DEC
MODE
ENTER
8
Catalogue lookup/set current object
CATALOG
ENTER
MODE
ENTER

• Star
• MESSIER
• NGC
• IC
• UGC
• PLANETS

Object no. display 0000
ENTER
09
ENTER
ENTER
Planet name
Display object coordinates
9
Find slew to current object
Set current object
Do CATALOGUE process
If 10 displays10 If 10MODE
Slew telescope towards object
Display coordinates
FIND
ENTER
MODE
At target?
No
Yes
10
Identify Unknown object in eyepiece
Magnitude set display 00
IDENT
09
MODE
ENTER
ENTER

• IDENT ANY MAG 10 Any type of object
• IDENT ST MAG 10 Any star
• IDENT GC MAG 10 Any globular cluster
• IDENT OC MAG 10 Any open cluster
• IDENT GX MAG 10 Any galaxy
• IDENT PN MAG 10 Any planetary nebula
• IDENT NB MAG 10 Any nebula
• IDENT 2 MAG 10 Any double star
• IDENT R MAG 10 Any red star

ENTER
At target?
Display 1st catalogue object
No
Yes
Display object info
11
Sync Fine tune digital circle setting with
current object
Found object centered in eyepiece
Do FIND process
MODE
SYNC
MODE
Uses CATALOGUE process
12
Timer Time astrophotograph exposure
Timer display start
MODE
ENTER
TIMER
ENTER
Timer display stop
Timer display reset 000000
ENTER
MODE
13
Other use notes

• Because of a friction belt in the digital to
  analogue encoders, slowly slew the scope.
• The more rough slews, the more position error
  the friction encoders will accumulate.
• Plan your observations to include stops at the
  24 alignment stars through the evening. Re-SYNC
  the digital setting circle frequently.