2. The Focus Dialog Box

From the "Camera" menu choose "Focus" (or click Focus on the icon bar). This will bring up the focus dialog box. The important fields in this box are "Frame Size" and "Exposure Time."

For the "Frame Size" field, the most common setting when focusing is "Planet."

The appropriate "Exposure Time" can be somewhat difficult to determine. It has to be long enough to produce an image of the out-of-focus star, but short enough so that focusing does not take too long. It is better to start with an exposure time long enough to locate the star rather than worrying about the overall focusing time. While variables such as the star's magnitude, the focal length of the telescope, and the filter that you are using all play a role in determining the "right" exposure time, a general starting time (for any of the 8 inch scopes, a typical star, and a clear filter) is one or two seconds (units of the "Exposure Time" field are seconds, so for one second enter "1").

The other fields in the focus dialog box should be fine as they are set but typical values are as follows:

Choose "Ok" when you are finished entering this information.