How-to guides

Buying your first telescope is probably going to be your most difficult decision as an amateur astronomer.

Whether you consider purchasing your second telescope or you are new to astronomy but you are looking for a more advanced and larger telescope from day one, there are plenty of options.

Get the most out of your telescope when visually observing the Moon, planets, comets and deep sky objects. We will be reviewing the most popular telescope designs used for observational purposes before venturing into other aspects.

This tutorial video demonstrates how to set up and star align the ETX Observer telescopes.

In this video tutorial, you will find out how to setup and align your Meade LX65 telescope.

Learn how to align your Meade altazimuth telescope, including the StarNavigartor NG, ETX Observer, LX65, LX90, LX200 and more.

Learn of a few quick ways to polar align your German Equatorial (or EQ) mount. We will use the Meade LX85 EQ mount to to demonstrate, and most of the techniques will apply to other mounts as well.

Learn how to setup your Meade LightBridge Plus telescope quickly and easily.

The Sun is a 4.6 billion years old star of hot plasma located at the centre of the Solar System. The Sun spins round itself but being a gas giant, it rotates once every 24 days round the equator where it will take more than 35 days for a full rotation near it poles.

The Sun is located at the centre of the Solar System and is a star formed around 4.6 billion years ago. It is a sphere of hot plasma that appears as mostly white, radiating energy primarily in the visible spectrum and also infrared wavelengths both of which can observed with an appropriate Solar filter.

How to get the most out of the SolarMax III scopes including accessories, observation, basic imaging requirements and provisions for their safe storage and transportation.

The LX65 series represents Meade Instruments' latest telescopes that have been designed to make the universe accessible to both beginners and seasoned observers at a moment's notice.

Control your Meade computerised telescope from your smartphone, tablet or computer.

How to connect STELLA to your telescope and control it though your smartphone or tablet.

Can a telescope be used as a powerful lens for your DSLR camera? The answer is yes, as demonstrated in this video.

This article identifies the parts of a complete imaging system for astronomy, discusses the relationships of the parts and presents a range of relevant astronomical equipment and software.

Learn how to attach your camera to the telescope for prime focus photography. Depending on your particular telescope and camera, there is sometimes more than one way to accomplish this.

Learn how to attach your camera to the telescope for planetary photography. Depending on your particular telescope and camera, there is sometimes more than one way to accomplish this.

Images can be captured with a telescope in a number of ways, namely at Prime Focus, by Eyepiece Projection and by Afocal Projection also known as digiscoping.

The acclaimed DSI camera series is back, and its more advanced than ever with a 16MP Panasonic CMOS image sensor and two-stage thermo-electric cooler.

If you’re looking to capture lunar, planetary, and even solar images at an affordable price, then Meade’s LPI-G might be exactly what you need.

This video demonstrates SkyCapture software. SkyCapture can control Meade's LPI-G, LPI-G Advanced and DSI-IV cameras.

Part two of how to use SkyCapture software. SkyCapture can control Meade's LPI-G, LPI-G Advanced and DSI-IV cameras.

In this video, we will show you how to setup and use your Meade Series 6000 50mm Guide Scope. This guide scope is suitable for auto-guiding both short and long focal length telescopes.

The size of the camera sensor and the focal length of your telescope are the two most important factors affecting the field of view.

Find out how to capture images of interplanetary objects to be later processed on a computer with the appropriate software.

The relevance of celestial object magnitude to imaging. Many amateur astronomers use the apparent magnitude of a celestial object as a guide to selecting a target in terms of its brightness.

Find out the difference between the various Meade handbox controllers from AudioStar to AutoStar II and III.

Imaging sensors need to be kept clean to ensure images free of artefacts. Dust is the most common cause of such problems. Fortunately, dust can be removed from a sensor with the right tools.

Find out how to power your telescope or mount, using a mains power adapter or portable power tank.

Meade’s range of eyepieces include the Series 4000 Super Plössl and the Series 5000 HD-60, Ultra Wide Angle (UWA) and Mega Wide Angle (MWA) eyepieces.

Birding is a popular pastime for those that love the outdoors. This activity allows you to connect with nature from all around the world, even in your own backyard. As with many hobbies, birding involves patience and careful observation; however, it ultimately is a very rewarding journey.

Meade's Scott Byrum demonstrates to Dennis di Cicco from Sky & Telescope magazine the LX600, LX850, ETX, STELLA Wi-Fi adapter and more.