An evening of lesson learning!

[all-on-black]

Evening all, Merry Christmas to you!

Been out in the garden tonight inbetween the clouds. 

I balanced the scope, polar alligned the mount, and away we go. However, I have an eq5 with the rubbishy clocks so I have to line the polar scope up with polaris in the position it should be for the time.

That's fine I thought, and I began to align my first star, dubhe.

It was quite a bit off to start with so I centred it and moved on the the next star, beutelguese. Again it was a bit off so I centred it.

This had me curious as to how accurate I was so when I moved over to M31, I could see in the camera that it was off, so I put the eyepiece back in and centered it. 

I then did a test shot of 30 seconds at ISO1600. Star trails.

I fiddled about but ended up with no pictures because I could not get more than a 10 second shot without getting star trails.

So am I doing something wrong? Am I wrong to believe the videos i've seen on youtube that say I can just align my mount with polaris to where it should be for the time?

Help, feels like a wasted evening with cold feet!

[steppenwolf]

Have you calibrated the Polarscope - i.e. ensured that the polarscope's crosshair is centred in the RA axis?

[all-on-black]

[removed word], I meant to do that as well. That could explain it then.

I'll have to get that done before it's a clear night again.

Other than that though, i'm doing things right, right?

[Alien 13]

[removed word], I meant to do that as well. That could explain it then.

I'll have to get that done before it's a clear night again.

Other than that though, i'm doing things right, right?

It sounds like you are doing everything right but the polarscope centering is best done in the daytime on a distant tv ariel or similar.

[PorkyB]

... feels like a wasted evening with cold feet!

It's not a wasted evening. Any time you learn something it's time well spent.  Sometimes you have a good night, sometimes you just prove that something doesn't work, but it's all experience.

[all-on-black]

I guess its not wasted no, i think im just frustrated because its rare that i get out with the scope due to the lovely weather then when i finally did i wasnt ready!

After xmas ill get the polar scope sorted and have another go.

Is the image in the polar scope inverted? meaning that lining polaris up needs to be back to front according to an app i have or should it be exactly the same position, like on polar align? Confusing sfuff!

[glowingturnip]

not sure about your polarscope, but mine has pictures of the plough and cassiopeia towards the edge, and you rotate the telescope in ra until they're roughly in the right place, then there is a big circle in the centre, the middle of which is where the celestial pole should land, then there's a little circle on the circumference of the big circle where you're supposed to put polaris.   Once you've rotated to get the constellations in the right place, then adjusted the scope to get polaris in the little circle, you should be all set.

Of course I can't see the crosshairs etc in mine when it's dark, so there's always a contortion moment when I'm squatting on my knees peering upwards through the pscope whilst flashing my red light torch down through the other end of it.

As for aligning the polar scope in the first place, as Alien says, do it in the daytime on a distant object - I forget the details but think you end up swinging the telescope through 180 degrees on the ra axis and adjusting till the PS doesn't move.

[Dave_D]

good ol' astronomy shed guides...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BS43vH_sDbg

[Twisted Lip]

Also double check you're polar aligning with polaris, on several occasions I've actually missed and been completely confused as to why I have trails!

Will

[Alien 13]

Also double check you're polar aligning with polaris, on several occasions I've actually missed and been completely confused as to why I have trails!

Will

Been there! i have my triopd position marked out now.

[all-on-black]

So im currently out getting some photos. And the alignement is bang on as im getting no star trails in 30 second exposures.

Turns out that the reason i was having trouble before is that i wasnt polar aligning.. is was trying to align to the wrong star! Oops!

Oh well. All good now! Beautiful clear night! Cold feet though.

[LouisJB]

easily done! I've star aligned to the wrong star before, then scratchy head as nothing works properly. Glad you got it sorted. Looks clear out, I should go out and have a look but think I'm having a night off tonight. Hope I don't come to regret that.

[Sleepy Kiki]

So im currently out getting some photos. And the alignement is bang on as im getting no star trails in 30 second exposures.

Turns out that the reason i was having trouble before is that i wasnt polar aligning.. is was trying to align to the wrong star! Oops!

Oh well. All good now! Beautiful clear night! Cold feet though.

I've done that too on those nights when I'm too keen to get started and rushed getting setup. It's worth spending the time getting everything setup right. Glad you've got it sorted!