It’s been a wonderful experience seeing the beauty of space even if we’re here down on Earth. Thanks to the help of space telescopes for making it possible. You’ll never know anything about what’s in space without this device.
Therefore, it’s just right to take care of your space telescope and store it in the proper place. Here are some tips.
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Take Care Of Your Telescope
First, you have to keep in mind that anything expensive like a space telescope must be taken care of. This is the best way to let it continue to serve you. It’s better to prevent anything bad from happening than to cure it when it’s done.
Make sure to keep your telescope clean and dry. You want to prevent it from being grubby so you won’t have to deal with it when it’s damaged. Although it’s not going to be in perfect condition forever, you still have to take care of it.
The telescope’s surface becomes dusty and grimy over time. Give it some gentle care to bring it back to full glory. This is not new to Newtonian scopes and Dobsonians which have open tube designs.
Clean the optics when necessary. You don’t want the dust to block the view. Be careful not to clean the mirror or lens which leads to damage.
Protect Your Telescope
Next to taking care of it is protecting the telescope. The lens, eyepiece, and finderscope caps should be protected from dust as much as possible.
Some place their telescopes in a garage or garden with locks from an electronic door locks factory, since these places are practical. But, it’s not necessary. You can also keep it inside a clean cupboard.
Even if there are lens caps, the dust will still fall down from within. Be sure to store the telescope where the reflective side of the main mirror is facing down. As for the eyepieces and other accessories, you may keep them inside resealable plastic bags to keep them in good condition.
Clean Your Telescope
Now you already understand that you have to clean and protect your telescope. Let’s move on to cleaning. A good example of ensuring utmost cleaning are the medical equipment parts manufacturers because this is what allows them to secure the market.
Consider cleaning your telescope in a clean area too. Do it in an enclosed area where, as much as possible, there is no sign of dust. Don’t clean your telescope at night and don’t use red light because dust on the telescope will be less visible.
Clean your telescope on a clean kitchen table where there is bright, uniform lighting. Then, use these materials for cleaning:
- Alcohol-based cleaning fluid
- Air-blowing bulb (without brush so it won’t scratch the lens)
- Cleaning tissues for lens
- Cotton buds
- Latex examination gloves china
- Microfibre cleaning cloth
With regards to cleaning fluid, it’s discouraged to use an acetone cleaning fluid. It will dissolve paint covering the edge of the lens. Never use a nail polish remover too.
Let’s make this simple. You can use a bowl with warm tap water. Add in a few drops of the alcohol-based cleaning fluid.
Once you have these prepared, clean the lens and the mount. Then, rinse with distilled water. Finally, leave to dry.
Many people use WD-40 spray to get read the grease on the gears. This is also one way to protect the parts from moisture caused by cleaning. Take out the grease using white lithium grease available from cycle shops.
How To Clean The Telescope Lens
1. Get rid of dust particles – Before actually cleaning the lens, remove the dust particles first. Use an air-blowing bulb to gently remove the particles. You have to be careful this time because you’re handling the sensitive part of the telescope.
Do not breathe on the lens because it will become moist. You’re just allowing the particles to stick on the lens.
Make sure that there is little to no dust left before cleaning. Be careful not to scratch on the lens as you wipe the dust away.
2. Wipe with cleaning alcohol – Use a damp cloth or soft tissue in cleaning with alcohol. Gently wipe the lens in a circular motion. Move from the center to the edge with just as little pressure as possible.
Throw the tissue away after to avoid reusing it. Get another fresh tissue. Be careful not to wipe the particles over the lens.
Avoid touching the lens during the process. Just always be careful because your finger marks might stick on the lens.
3. Protect the edges of the lens – You have to be wary of this area. Avoid using too much fluid because it’ll creep inside the lens. Water spots might form on the lens because of the dew.
However, you may remove the dews by breathing gently on them. Then, you may wipe it with a dry clean tissue. Pure alcohol cleaning remains some water spots without moisture.
Store Your Telescope
Telescopes are a little sensitive when it comes to cleaning. They have to be safe from dampness, moisture, dust, dirt, high temperature, swings, and insects.
A good example of how you should store telescopes is what glass soda bottles wholesale warehouses do. They have specialized compartments to ensure that their products won’t be damaged by external forces.
Finally, let us share to you about storing your telescope. You may have a spare room for this valuable thing. Wherever you want to keep it, just be aware enough of the precautions to keep it in good condition.
Conclusion
Space telescopes are great tools for astronomers and scientists.
They allow people to see through the sky and beyond to observe magnified objects. Without a doubt, this spectacular thing must be taken care of. It must be protected, stored, and kept safe.