Tracking Jupiter

[Karen]

Got the 127 synscan out of its summer hibernation today

Jupiter and its moons are very clear tonight but I just wondered if I am using the correct tracking mode on the synscan. Does "solar" mean solar system or should I be using sidereal?

[Charon]

Hi Karen, Solar is for tracking the Sun. Sidereal compensates for the Earths rotation by moving the telescope at the same rate as the rotation of the Earth but in the opposite direction. When the scope is polar aligned, this can be accomplished by moving the scope in right ascension only. When mounted in Alt-Az mode, the scope must make corrections in both R.A. and declination.