- I want to [[collimate]] my reflector telescope for the first time; these are some notes taken while doing that. - I got two tools for this purpose: - a [[cheshire]] eyepiece - a laser collimator - I first put the cheshire eyepiece and I saw something that was clearly not aligned (that's good, that's why we're here). - At first glance I'm unsure if I'm supposed to align first the overall picture (guided by the 'crosshairs' of the secondary mirror I can see) or align the image within the secondary mirror. - It is hard to explain what I'm seeing without a drawing, it is really quite complex. I guess this is why collimation guides are a thing. - #go https://garyseronik.com/a-beginners-guide-to-collimation/ - my telescope looked exactly like the first diagram that says 'before collimation', which is good. - (stuff happened) - I think it's more collimated now than before but not perfect :) still, I want to see the difference next time I observe Jupiter or a star, and it's been cloudy. - Maybe I'll observe the distant LEDs in a construction crane ~500m away.