Celestron astromaster 114 - ?

[Lunalibra]

hi all, I need some help using a celestron astromaster 114 - I have been using an approx 13 year old tasco for a few years and have found quite a few things within seconds as it is such a simple telescope but with this new telescope and mount I have no idea so it is not as easy to just point and see !

I have read you need to polar align this telescope but then it just points near enough straight up - what about other things at different angles I want to see ?

I don't quite understand some info I have found on the internet so any help or info would be appreciated

Thanks

[Ccolvin968]

Honestly, how I've used my Celestron 127EQ for the last few years was just picking up the scope, pointing it in the direction I know my target is in. Then just using the altitude and other knobs to keep my target in sight as long as I wanted. On smaller scopes, what I've found and read is that the setting circles on a small scope are difficult to use, and polar alignment is good to know, but unless you're doing astrophotograhy, it's not extremely important. Some others will tell you differently, but I've used my scope for the last 3 years, only polar aligned twice just to understand how it worked. Otherwise, I pick it up, or loosen the nut that holds the OTA to the tripod and turn it that way I want. There are plenty of good targets all over the sky at this time of year for you. Just google "small telescope targets" or "binocular astronomy targets." That will put you in the right direction.

[Cornelius Varley]

Hello and welcome to SGL. Equatorial mount look a little strange at first and difficult to work out how you can look to the south when the mount is pointing to the north. Take a look at this site which gives a tutorial on pointing an equatorially mounted telescope around the sky http://www.astronomyboy.com/eq/. The start position shows the mount aligned with the pole star and the telescope pointing north.

[Lunalibra]

Thanks for the info, I've just tried again and now find its much easier

[Ccolvin968]

You can replace it with a RACI (Right Angle Correct Image) finder or another kind that is highly recommended and the name is escaping me right now. Someone else will be able to help you out. Even your finderscope will need to be positioned to get you in the correct location. I recommend centering the moon in your eyepiece, then zeroing the finderscope onto the center of that. You can also aim the scope at something far away during the day and zero on that. Some people like the red dot finders, others hate them. It's all personal preference.