The ShortTube 80 Telescope: A User's Guide

Description

Welcome to the first comprehensive guide to one of the world’s most popular telescopes: the ShortTube 80 refractor. With its ultra-portability, versatility, and relatively low cost, this telescope continues to delight generations of stargazers. Starting in the field under a dark sky, the author walks the reader through a typical evening of stargazing, where the ShortTube 80 brings many astronomical treasures into focus. From there, he provides an in–depth account of the optical properties of the ShortTube 80 refractor and the accessories and mounting arrangements that maximize its potential both as a spotting ‘scope by day and an astronomical ‘scope by night. The main text discusses how the versatile ShortTube 80 can be used to study deep sky objects, the Sun, the Moon, bright planets and even high-resolution projects, where the instrument's features can be optimized for the observation of tight double and multiple stars. It explores how the ShortTube 80 can image targets using camera phones, DSLRs and dedicated astronomical CCD imagers. Packed with practical advice gained from years of firsthand stargazing experience, this book demonstrates exactly why ShortTube 80 has remained a firm favorite among amateur astronomers for over three decades, and why it is likely to remain popular for many years to come. Front Matter ....Pages i-xii Under a Dark Sky (Neil T. English)....Pages 1-12 The Anatomy of a ShortTube 80 (Neil T. English)....Pages 13-25 Mounting the ShortTube 80 (Neil T. English)....Pages 27-44 Exploring the Deep Sky (Neil T. English)....Pages 45-111 Improving the High-Power Performance of the ShortTube 80 (Neil T. English)....Pages 113-124 Watching the Sun (Neil T. English)....Pages 125-133 Exploring the Moon and the Planets (Neil T. English)....Pages 135-153 Exploring the Realm of the Double Stars (Neil T. English)....Pages 155-182 The Meade ETX 80 (Neil T. English)....Pages 183-190 Imaging with the ShortTube 80 (Neil T. English)....Pages 191-202 Souping Up the ShortTube 80 (Neil T. English)....Pages 203-219 Founding Days (Neil T. English)....Pages 221-236 Afterword: The Little ‘Scope That Could (Neil T. English)....Pages 237-240 Back Matter ....Pages 241-243