This is one of the most significant advances in telescope controls in the last 25 years.
Connect the Meade AutoStar to one of the ETX-EC models and you can search for thousands of celestial objects from your telescope. This means that you can observe objects immediately without any prior knowledge. The AutoStar handbox is simply plugged into the base instead of the EC handbox that comes with the ETX as standard equipment. You will then be guided through a simple, short initialisation procedure (takes less than a minute). Once initialisation is complete, over 30,000 objects are immediately available to you! Simply enter the desired object on the AutoStar handbox, press GoTo, and watch as the ETX starts moving and brings the object into the field of view of your telescope in a matter of seconds!
It's that easy, even for beginners, to observe dozens of celestial objects that are difficult to find without AutoStar on your very first night, such as the Ring Nebula in the Lyra (M57), the spiral galaxy M33 in the constellation Triangulum or the Sombrero Galaxy M94 in the constellation Virgo. Even objects that are at the limit of human perception, such as the diffuse nebula NGC 6559 in Sagittarius, the star cluster NGC 1778 in Auriga or the spiral galaxy NGC 3310 in Ursa Major, are unerringly located by AutoStar and can thus be observed more easily than if you are unsure of their position after a laborious manual and visual search. The AutoStar database contains objects of all categories and so many objects that you will be busy for many, many evenings and nights! Each of the more than 30,000 objects can be selected from the catalogues in seconds. Then simply press the GoTo button on the handbox, and the telescope immediately starts moving and locates the desired object. AutoStar makes it possible for you to observe a wide variety of celestial objects that were previously reserved for the most die-hard amateur astronomers.
It is no exaggeration to say that the Meade AutoStar heralds a new era in astronomical observation for beginners. Most AutoStar owners observe more objects on their first night with the ETX than a typical beginner with their first telescope without AutoStar would in many years!
Object database:This extensive database will keep even the most dedicated amateur astronomer busy for years to come: every object listed in the database can be selected and positioned by entering it on the handbox or selecting it from the menu and then pressing the GoTo button. Within seconds, the ETX centres the desired object in the eyepiece with unprecedented precision. Objects are called up on the handbox by selecting them from the corresponding AutoStar menus. For example, to call up NGC 6960, part of the famous Cirrus Nebula in the constellation Cygnus, press the menus OBJECT - DEEP SKY - NGC OBJECTS - 6 - 9 - 6 - 0 in sequence. After pressing the GoTo button, the ETX moves to the object at 5°/sec. simultaneously in both axes.
Additional features of the AutoStar #497: In addition to object positioning, the AutoStar can do much more: GoTo function for any celestial object with known coordinates (RA and DEC). In the unlikely event that an object is not included in the AutoStar catalogues, you can simply enter its sky coordinates RA and DEC (these could be found in an almanac or magazine, for example). Then simply press the GoTo button, and the telescope will bring this object into view in the eyepiece! This is usually necessary when comets are newly discovered and are not yet included in the AutoStar list (remember that you can download updated object lists from the Internet and feed them into the AutoStar using the optional cable). Display of the current sky coordinates of the telescope (RA and DEC). Precise tracking of all celestial objects at star speed in both azimuth and parallactic (equatorial) mode. Once an object has been centred by the AutoStar, it immediately takes over the correct tracking (compensating for the Earth's rotation) so that the object remains in the eyepiece field of view.
200 user-defined objects: You can add up to 200 of your own objects to the AutoStar database. These remain permanently stored and, like all other 30,000 objects, can be called up at any time and used for positioning.
Nine freely selectable travel speeds: These can be used to move objects back and forth and centre them in the image field as desired. The speeds can be selected at the touch of a button and range from slow, 2x star speed to fast 5°/sec, even simultaneously in both axes.
GoTo also to the centre point of all 88 constellations: Get to know the constellations by pointing the ETX at the desired constellation! At the touch of a button, AutoStar tells you about the mythology and other background information about this constellation and lists interesting objects in it.
Guided tours: AutoStar selects the best objects for the night and presents them to you in a guided tour.
GoTo function via PC: Using the optionally available Meade AstroFinder software and #505 control cable, the AutoStar can be connected to a PC via its serial interface. Click on any object in AstroFinder on the screen and the ETX will move and centre it in the eyepiece! Plus over 20 additional menus such as events (e.g. moonrise and moonset, moon phases, Algol minima, equinoxes and solstices, etc.), accessories (stopwatch, alarm, eyepiece calculator) and much more. With AutoStar on the ETX-EC, the universe is at your feet – never before has such a wide range of functions been so easy to use!
Scope of delivery
Meade Autostar handheld computer, spiral cable for connection to one of the ETX-EC telescopes, German operating instructions.
This hand box is available in the English version only.
However, the language can be changed by use of a software update.
