QUESTION:
What was the hand-held device that was shown in the astronomer's 
hand, and what is it used for?

ANSWER from Rhodri Evans on October 13, 1995:
That was the "tweeker" which is used for guiding the telescope (fine
guiding, the main tracking is done automatically, but the fine guiding is
done manually by the person holding the little hand held thing)

Rhodri Evans,
Yerkes Observatory (KAO group),
The University of Chicago,