Which is better Alt azimuth or equatorial?

Alt-az mounts are considered superior for visual astronomy because they provide such comfortable viewing positions at the eyepiece. Many experienced visual astronomers recommend alt-az mounts for this reason. All in all, equatorial mounts are designed with the astrophotographer in mind..

How do you use an equatorial mount?

Are equatorial mounts good?

Equatorial mounts

Aligned on the north celestial pole, an equatorial mount makes it easy to track stars as they move from east to west through the night. Because Earth is rotating, the objects we see on the celestial sphere move across our sky.

How do dials work on equatorial mount?

Can you do astrophotography with a GoTo mount?

A tracking telescope mount used for astrophotography.

Not only does a GoTo telescope mount make locating objects in the night sky easier, but it also allows you to take long-exposure images (without star trailing).

What is a skywatcher mount?

The Sky-Watcher Pro-Series Equatorial mounts are premium-grade observing platforms utilizing quality mechanical and electronic component materials throughout.

Can a Dobsonian telescope be used for astrophotography?

Generally, we do NOT recommend doing astrophotography with your Dobsonian telescope, as the lack of a tracking mount or an equatorial mount will make long exposures impossible. That being said, photographs of the Moon, planets, and very short exposures of bright nebulae are doable with the right expectations.

How do you align a telescope on equatorial mounts?

Why can’t I see anything through my telescope at night? If you are unable to find objects while using your telescope, you will need to make sure the finderscope is aligned with the telescope. The finderscope is the small scope attached near the rear of the telescope just above the eyepiece holder. This is best done when the scope is first set up.

Is an equatorial mount worth it?

These mounts are good for terrestrial observing and for scanning the sky at lower power but are not for deep sky photography. It can track continuously across the meridian, which many German mounts cannot do. Because it has very little or no counterweights, it’s also lighter and more portable.

What direction should a telescope point?

In the northern hemisphere the best direction to align the telescope is so it has its best view to the south. The reason for this is to do with the tilt of Earth’s axis of rotation.

Why is it called an equatorial mount?

How do you balance a telescope with an equatorial mount?

Do I need to polar align my telescope?

Polar alignment is an essential first step towards a night of visual observation or astrophotography. Why is it so important? By aligning the axis of your telescope mount with the motion of the sky, you can accurately track objects in space. It’s a rather simple process for German equatorial mount (GEM) owners.

What is a Dobsonian mount? A Dobsonian telescope is an altazimuth-mounted Newtonian telescope design popularized by John Dobson in 1965 and credited with vastly increasing the size of telescopes available to amateur astronomers.

How do you keep a telescope steady? Stability Is Key

1. Tighten the wing nuts at the top of the tripod, where the legs meet the mount head.
2. Shorten the tripod legs as much as you can. The lower the scope, the less it will shake.
3. Fill a gallon jug with water or sand and hang it between the tripod’s legs.
4. Cut a triangular piece of wood to use as a brace.

How do you balance the DEC axis? For the declination axis, place the scope so that the counterweight is low, tube is high and lock the RA axis. Push the tube so that it is parallel to the ground. If it swings either way, carefully loosen the tube clamps and push the tube in the rings away from the heavy end to re-balance.

Should I get an equatorial mount?

Type 2: Equatorial mounts

Of course, if you want to do any long-exposure photography, like longer than a few minutes in a photo, you absolutely have to have an equatorial mount.

How do you hook up a telescope with an equatorial mount?

Does equatorial mount track stars?

What is the most important advantage of CCDs over film?

The most important advantage of CCDs over film is that: they record much more light in a given exposure time.

How do you orient the equatorial mount?

How do you calibrate a equatorial mount?

What are the dials on a equatorial mount?

When you look at your equatorially mounted telescope, you will notice dials on both axes of the scope. These graduated circular scales are the setting circles and are used to measure or set the pointing angles in the right ascension (RA) and declination (Dec) coordinates.

What is a GoTo mount? In amateur astronomy, “GoTo” refers to a type of telescope mount and related software that can automatically point a telescope at astronomical objects that the user selects. Both axes of a GoTo mount are driven by a motor and controlled by a computer.

How do you level a telescope?

For Any “Go To” Telescope

Level the tripod by eye, then level the tube. Aim the telescope as close to true north as you can. Don’t aim it at magnetic north, where a compass points. Ensure that any add-on finderscope or device used to sight stars is aligned with the main optics.