Nerf_Caching

The one on the side I think. Make tiny adjustments using it to follow your object.

To follow an object across the sky, you only have to move the right ascension axis and nothing else, provided that you are properly polar aligned. There should be a knob somewhere to move the right ascension or declination axis. Use the right ascension knob only.

Wow excellent! I take that you are getting the hang of using your scope?

I told you astrophotography was expensive!

There is a thread on the front of the dew shield for the lens cap to screw onto. Not sure if a camera filter would fit but the diameter of the front of the dew shield is 90mm for reference. U fortunately I don't think your particular filter would fit as the thread is on the dew shield and not on the lens cell.

The star adventurer and 72ED is a great combo for starting out in deep-sky astrophotography. I've only used mine for a few sessions but I'm loving it.

Some photos I took using the Evostar 72ED and a stock canon dslr. The Eagle and Swan Nebula (1 hour integration for each target) were taken with the scope mounted to a motorized alt-az mount while the Leo Triplet (1 hour 17 minutes) was taken on a Star Adventurer unguided. I personally find it a blast to use especially considering the price of it; I love this small refractor and I don't really notice any CA that bothers me. I know there is field curvature but I'm also not really bothered by it although field flatteners are available.

Nah, something a little more advanced than that; a dslr actually!

Yes I was in Hong Kong haha. I was actually photographing the Flame and Horsehead Nebula in Orion with that setup.

I took this last night. Messier 4 using the Celestron Nexstar 5SE telescope on its original motorized alt-az mount. 30x30 seconds at ISO 3200 with a stock Canon 650d. Bortle 8 skies.

This occupation sounds really fun indeed! If only I was able to do full time lol.

Just to give you an idea of how to point your telescope once you are aligned to Polaris, here is what my setup looks like when pointing at an object high in the sky(A different telescope and mount to yours but the same principles apply). This photo was taken facing North and so is my mount. You set the mount to your latitude and you never touch it again. Same with the left and right adjustment. You use only the RA and Dec to move the telescope.

I posted a picture previously illustrating how the mount should face North. As long as that is the case, the tripod doesn't really matter so long as it is level with the ground.

I think I understand what you mean. After you align to Polaris using the latitude and left/right(azimuth is the fancy term for this direction of motion) bolts, you do not touch them afterwards; they are not for moving the scope around the night sky. I think you are finding it difficult to visualize how to actually maneuver the scope since it does not move in the conventional up-down-left and right motion. But instead of thinking in these four 'natural' directions, you need to think in terms of compass points: North, South ,East and West. The front of your mount always points North to Polaris. The Right Ascension axis arcs in a way that allows you to move your telescope from the East to the West side of your mount. The declination axis sits on top of the right ascension axis and allows you to rotate the telescope tube North and South. I appreciate that using an equatorial mount as a novice is quite confusing but you will get there. Use those cloudy nights to practise maneuvering the mount as it requires a bit of learning for it to become second nature. hope this helps!

As a rule of thumb, Polaris is due North, n degrees above the horizon where n is your latitude. If my latitude is 50 degrees, then Polaris will be due North 50 degrees above the horizon. The width of your fist at arm's length is about 10 degrees so you can use it to find the correct angle above the horizon to search for Polaris. Alternatively, locate Polaris by using the two end stars of the Plough's saucepan shape which point directly at Polaris which is not as bright as you think.