Why This Matters
The finder scope is the small aiming scope on top of your telescope. Its job is to help you point the main telescope. If the finder and main telescope do not agree, you are flying blind.
Daytime Alignment Steps
Use the 25mm eyepiece
Insert the low-power eyepiece so your main telescope has a wider view.
Pick a distant object
Choose a telephone pole, tower, rooftop, or tree top at least several hundred feet away. Never use the Sun.
Center it in the main telescope
Move the telescope until the object is centered in the eyepiece. Lock or hold the telescope steady.
Adjust the finder scope
Look through the finder and turn its small adjustment screws until the red dot or crosshair sits on the same object.
Quick Test
Move the telescope away, then use only the finder scope to point back at the same distant object. Look through the main eyepiece. If the object appears near the center, you are ready for night viewing.
Mentor’s Warning
Do not try to align the finder scope for the first time at night using a tiny star. Do it in daylight. Your future self will thank you.
Next Step
Keep going with the lesson that matches what you are trying to do next.