CELESTRON 22100-CT-DS Explorascope 60AZ Refractor Telescope Instruction Manual

: June 3, 2024
: Celestron

Table of Contents

WHAT’S IN THE BOX
- PARTS LIST
ASSEMBLING YOUR TELESCOPE
ALIGNING THE FINDERSCOPE
YOUR FIRST ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVING SESSION
BATTERY ACCESS INSTRUCTIONS
BONUS SOFTWARE INCLUDED
References
Read User Manual Online (PDF format)
Download This Manual (PDF format)

CELESTRON 22100-CT-DS Explorascope 60AZ Refractor Telescope

WHAT’S IN THE BOX

We recommend saving your telescope box so it can be used to store the telescope when it is not in use. Unpack the box carefully as some parts are small. Use the parts list below to verify that all parts and accessories are present.

PARTS LIST

INCLUDED BUT NOT PICTURED

(1) 4 mm Eyepiece
(1) 3x Barlow Lens
(1) Insert card with a download code for the FREE Celestron Starry Night Software
(1) Insert with information about the FREE Celestron Sky Portal app for your smartphone or tablet.

SOLAR WARNING

Never look directly at the Sun with the naked eye or with a telescope unless you have the proper solar filter. Permanent and irreversible eye damage may result.
Never use your telescope to project an image of the Sun onto any surface. Internal heat build-up can damage the telescope and any accessories attached to it.
Never use an eyepiece solar filter or a Herschel wedge. Internal heat build-up inside the telescope can cause these devices to crack or break, allowing unfiltered sunlight to pass through to the eye.
Do not leave the telescope unsupervised, especially when children or adults unfamiliar with the correctoperating procedures of your telescope are present.

ASSEMBLING YOUR TELESCOPE

THE MOUNT

The ExploraScope mount and tripod come fully assembled, so setting it up is easy.

Remove the tripod and mount from the box.
Loosen the hand knobs at the bottom of each leg and extend the inner section of the leg to the desired length. Tighten the knobs to secure the legs, being careful not to over tighten.
Stand the tripod upright and pull the tripod legs apart until the center brace snaps
into place.
Place the threaded post on the bottom of the accessory tray over the hole in the middle of the leg support bracket and turn the entire tray clockwise until the tray sits firmly against the leg brace (Fig. 1).
Make sure the leg hinge bolts are secure by snugging down the black thumbnuts at the top of each leg.

THE TELESCOPE TUBE

To attach the telescope tube to your tripod and mount:

Locate the slow motion rod guide on the side of the U-shaped mount. Loosen the set screw in the guide until the hole through the guide is unobstructed.
Holding the telescope tube above the mount, slide the slow motion rod through the guide on the mount and gently lower the hinges on the sides of the telescope tube into the cradles at the top of the U-shaped mount (Fig. 2).
Tighten the set screw on the guide to hold the telescope in place
Insert the two telescope tube mounting bolts through the tops of the U-shaped mount and into the hinges on the sides of the telescopetube. Do not over tighten (Fig. 3).
NOTE: The 70mm refractor is shown, but the 114 mm Newtonian attaches to the mount in the same exact way

THE STAR DIAGONAL

The star diagonal attaches to the back of a refracting telescope that contains a small mirror that reflects the light at a 90° angle, providing a more comfortable viewing position. It also gives you a 100% correctly oriented image allowing you toeasily use this telescope for daytime terrestrial observing.

Remove the caps from both sides of the diagonal.
Loosen the setscrews on the back of the focuser and pull out the small dust cap.
Insert the smaller tube on the diagonal into the back of the focuser and secure it by tightening the setscrews (Fig. 4). You can rotate the diagonal to any position by loosening the setscrews.

THE EYEPIECES

Your telescope comes with two eyepieces, a low power (20 mm eyepiece) and a higher power eyepiece (4 mm eyepiece). Whenever you set up your telescope, always start with the 20 mm eyepiece. Once you have your target centered in the 20 mm eyepiece, you can switch to your higher power 4 mm eyepiece to get a more detailed view

To install an eyepiece:

Loosen the setscrews on the open end of the star diagonal.
Insert the silver barrel of the 20 mm eyepiece into the star diagonal (Fig. 5).
Tighten the setscrews to secure the eyepiece
To see the sharpest image possible, you need to focus by looking through the eyepiece and slowly turning the focusing knobs until you find the sharpest image.

THE STARPOINTERTM RED DOT FINDERSCOPE

The ExploraScope comes with a StarPointer finderscope that you will use as a sighting tool when aiming the telescope at a target.

To install your StarPointer finderscope:

Remove the two silver nuts from the threaded posts at the top of the tube, near the focuser.
Place the two holes in the base of the finderscope over the threaded posts so the finderscope base sits flush on the telescope tube. Make sure that the round window on the finderscope is pointed toward the end of the telescope that you will point at your target.
Thread the two nuts back onto the threaded posts (Fig. 6)
There is a small clear plastic tab inserted between the battery and the contact. This was included to prevent the battery from discharging during shipment. Pull this out to allow your battery to work.

ALIGNING THE FINDERSCOPE

The finder is one of the most important parts of your telescope. It helps you locate objects and center them in the eyepiece. The first time you assemble your telescope, you need to align the finder to the telescope’s main optics. It’s best to do this during the day*.

*SOLAR WARNING! Never attempt to view the Sun through any telescope without a proper solar filter!

CHOOSE A TARGET
Take the telescope outside during the day and find an easily recognizable object, such as a streetlight, car license plate or sign. The object should be as far away as possible, but at least a quarter mile away
CENTER THE TARGET IN THE EYEPIECE
Look through the telescope using your lower powered eyepiece. Move the telescope until the object you chose lies in the center of the view. If the image is blurry, gently turn the focus knobs on either side of the telescope until it comes into sharp focus. NOTE: The image in your telescope may appear inverted. This is perfectly normal in an astronomical telescope.
LOOK THROUGH FINDERSCOPE
Once the object is centered in your 20mm eyepiece, look through the finderscope and locate the red dot.
ADJUST THE FINDERSCOPE
Without moving the telescope, use the two adjustment knobs to move the finder around until the red dot appears over the same object you are observing in the telescope’s 20mm eyepiece.
YOUR FINDERSCOPE IS NOW ALIGNED!
It should not require realignment unless it is bumped or dropped.

YOUR FIRST ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVING SESSION

The best and easiest target for you to try to view first is the Moon. Try observing the Moon at different points in its phase cycle. The best time to view the Moon is from two days after a New Moon up to a few days before a Full Moon. During this period, you will be able to see the most detail in the craters and lunar mountain ranges.

With the Moon visible in the sky, set up your telescope with the 20mm eyepiece installed. Move the telescope so that it is roughly pointing toward the Moon.
Look through the finderscope and locate the crosshair reticle. Continue moving the telescope until the crosshair appears over the Moon.
Look through the telescope’s 20mm eyepiece. Gently turn the focus knobs to adjust the sharpness of the image.
CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE NOW OBSERVED YOUR FIRST CELESTIAL OBJECT!
To get a closer view of the Moon, loosen the set screws on the focuser and remove the 20mm eyepiece. Replace it with your 4mm eyepiece and tighten the set screws to secure it in place. The 4mm eyepiece will give you significantly more magnification, making the Moon appear much larger. NOTE: You may need to adjust the focus knobs when you change eyepieces, so make sure you are getting the sharpest image possible.
You can view many other celestial objects, such as planets, star clusters and nebulae using this same technique if you know where to find them in the night sky.

Celestron’s free SkyPortal app for iOS and Android can help you locate and identify a wide array of celestial objects quickly and easily.

BATTERY ACCESS INSTRUCTIONS

The StarPointer finderscope is powered by a long life 3V lithium battery (#CR2032) located directly under the StarPointer’s front end To access the battery compartment, use a Phillips head screwdriver to loosen the screw and lift up the battery cover. When replacing the battery, make sure to install the new battery with its positive terminal (+) facing outward. If the telescope will not be in use for a long period of time, it is recommended to remove the battery from the StarPointer.

WARNING: KEEP BATTERIES OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN.

Examine devices and make sure the battery compartment is correctly secured, e.g. that the screw or other mechanical fastener is tightened.
Do not use if compartment is not secure.
Dispose of used button batteries immediately and safely. Flat batteries can still be dangerous.
Tell others about the risk associated with button batteries and how to keep their children safe.

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Never look directly at the Sun with the naked eye or with a telescope unless you have the proper solar filter. Permanent and irreversible eye damage may result.
Never use your telescope to project an image of the Sun onto any surface. Internal heat build-up can damage the telescope and any accessories attached to it.
Never use an eyepiece solar filter or a Herschel wedge. Internal heat build-up inside the telescope can cause these devices to crack or break, allowing unfiltered sunlight to pass through to the eye.
Do not leave the telescope unsupervised, especially when children or adults unfamiliar with the correct operating procedures of your telescope are present.

BONUS SOFTWARE INCLUDED

Enhance your astronomy experience by downloading our free software for PC and Mac plus our free SkyPortal planetarium app for iOS and Android.

MINIMUM SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Windows:
– Windows 7 or higher
– 500 MHz or higher processor
– 128 MB RAM
– 850 MB of hard disk space
– 32 MB OpenGL capable graphics card
– Minimum recommended monitor resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels. Mac:
– Universal Binary (PPC/Intel compatible)
– OS X 10.4 or higher (10.5 or higher)
– G3 450 MHz or higher processor
– 128 MB RAM
– 850 MB of hard disk space
– 32 MB OpenGL capable graphics card
bMinimum recommended monitor resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels

celestron.com/pages/warranty

FCC NOTE: This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation
Product design and specifications are subject to change without prior notification. This product is designed and intended for use by those 14 years of age and older.