Finder Scope Alignment
By: JC Willette

This is a procedure that almost everyone will have to perform at some time or another if they own a telescope. I must note here that it is a vital step to having fun observing.

Our first step in the alignment process is to set up our telescope and point it to an object that is connected to the earth. Do not try to align on a star, planet or the moon as these objects are in constant motion. In our example I have picked a telephone pole in the distance (note: the farther away it is the better) to perform the alignment on. Use your lowest power eyepiece (this will have a larger number in millimeters on the top or side, so if it has 26mm it is lower power than a 9mm) for the initial alignment. Get your object and center it perfectly in the eyepiece or your telescope.



Your telescope and finder scope will probably look like the two pictures at the top when you look through each eyepiece. This telescope and finder scope are not yet aligned properly.

If you look at your finder scope you will see some screws that will adjust the up/down and left/right of the finder scope. Usually there will be a set of 3 screws in the front and another set of 3 screws in the rear. Our job is to adjust these screws so that they are centered on the object our telescope is centered on. This will take a few minutes to accomplish depending on how many times you have performed this task in the past. When it is properly aligned you should look like this:

You may want to increase the power on the telescope by replacing the eyepiece with a more powerful one (smaller number on the eyepiece) and repeat the procedure.

Now that you have aligned your finder scope to the telescope, it is imperative that you do not bump the finder scope or knock it out of alignment. To prevent this, always be careful when storing your telescope and when unpacking it and setting it up for a night of viewing.

Until later....keep your eye on the sky!