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Polar alignment question


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So, I've used the polar finder on my EQ3 and have Polaris in just the right place within its little circle. Then I moved the telescope back so the counterweight is pointing straight down. Should Polaris be visible in the eyepiece now? The 'scope is pointing close to Polaris, but is a few degrees off. I have a feeling it should be slap bang in the middle of the eyepiece..? The only way I can see to get the telescope pointing right at Polaris is to adjust the mount in such a way that the careful polar alignment is changed. I think I'm doing something wrong. Can anyone help?

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So, I've used the polar finder on my EQ3 and have Polaris in just the right place within its little circle. Then I moved the telescope back so the counterweight is pointing straight down. Should Polaris be visible in the eyepiece now? The 'scope is pointing close to Polaris, but is a few degrees off. I have a feeling it should be slap bang in the middle of the eyepiece..? The only way I can see to get the telescope pointing right at Polaris is to adjust the mount in such a way that the careful polar alignment is changed. I think I'm doing something wrong. Can anyone help?

Polaris is not actually at the celestial pole position which is why the polar finder has the circle offset.  So Polaris should not be slap bang in the middle.  However you have to make sure the polar finder is in the correct orientation.

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As Ron says you are polar aligning the mount the scope has nothing to do with it. Will say many think it does and ask the same as you have.

If the scope HAD to point along the axis then how would anyone view M31, M42 etc, they are not in the line of Polaris.

All it means is that at you initial start the scope is aimed slightly elsewhere, when you observe it will be aimed a lot elsewhere. :grin: :grin: :grin:

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