erm.... polar align to the north, so how do I look south ?

[CurryKitten]

I feel really stupid asking this, as I'm sure it's obvious, but I just don't know and can't seem to find out !

I've just got a Celestron Acromaster 90EQ after enjoying what my little travel scope could do... but not enjoying the way the tripod would move in huge jerks every time I needed to move a little and I'd end up loosing my target.

Ok, so polar alignment - I get the idea, I set my latitude adjustment to 51.5, point it north (or at Polaris) with my declination on 90 and then I *should* be able to track using my RA slow motion control.

So my number 1 noob basic question was that presumably I can adjust my latitude if I want to look at something else in the sky and the RA will still track correctly ?  Similarly I should use my declination to find targets east/west of north ?

The one I'm more stuck on, and don't know at all is how do I look at something in the south after aligning North.  Presumably if I turn my scope around, I've lost the nice alining thing and my RA will be all wrong ?  If I declinate all the way around then I'm pointing at the ground, and my latitude adjustment is backwards and at the point in which I thought of how this works I decided I'd better write this post

On a side note, my RA slow motion control is lovely and smooth, but I'm finding my declination slow motion control feels very stiff like it's rubbing against something for half of the turn (and ok the other half) something dodgy here ?

[laudropb]

It is the mount you polar align not the telescope.

[CurryKitten]

It is the mount you polar align not the telescope.

Ok, sorry to be a thickkie, but could you expand on that with an example perhaps.  So yep, the mount polar aligns, but the scope sits on the mount... so I'm still not sure whicvh bit I would be turning to look south !

[NGC 1502]

Hopefully someone on here will sort it for you. Another way to find out is to contact a local astronomy club and ask if you can turn up with your scope for advice.

Nothing beats someone actually showing you what to do, hard to explain at a distance !   My own club regularly helps visitors, hopefully a club local to you will do the same.

Hope you get the needed advice, Ed.

[ArmyAirForce]

When you set the scope up on an EQ mount, the balance weights point North, and the scope is pointing up and North towards Polaris. That is the home or parked position.

To look South, the part with the balance weights is rotated until the balance weight bar is horizontal, and the scope can then be moved in elevation to point it South, as seen on the scope on the left in this picture.

Does that help?

[Cornelius Varley]

This should explain how a telescope can be pointed south on an eq mount http://www.astronomyboy.com/eq/

[Putaendo Patrick]

If you can bear to watch this guy, it's actually a very good introduction:

[CurryKitten]

All brilliant - that all really helped a lot and I've just run through it in the mancave with my scope.  Can't wait to try it outside.... just need the cloud/rain to go away 

[triton1]

Not with all this perma cloud you won,t but all good sound advice from above just remember it's the mount that's aligned not the scope.

[CurryKitten]

Hello again - I just wanted to thank all of you guys with your advice, being a clear morning I managed to drag myself out of bed at 5.45am and setup my scope out the front of my house.  This is not hte best spot in the world with literally a street light straight above me, and two car on the drive limiting where I can actually stand.  

However, I set the mount up pointing north, and manipulated my scope around to look successfully observe Jupiter and it's moons.  I used a 10mm eyepiece with a 2x barlow to give me 200 magnification, and at this level I could actually see some colour banding which was tremendously exciting and so I made my wife and daughter get up and look as well

Would have really like to have looked at Saturn as well, but it was still low on the horizon and was hidden by houses - a future target !

Also talked to Steve at First Light Optics, who was very helpful and I've now sorted out the issue I was having with the declination slow motion control - was tracking nicely.  It does shift along the sky though, by the time I'd said "hey come and look at this" Jupiter had done a runner out of view and I had to refind it

[kens]

 It does shift along the sky though, by the time I'd said "hey come and look at this" Jupiter had done a runner out of view and I had to refind it

If you are reasonably well polar aligned you should find that turning the RA control is all you need

[JemC]

Hello again - I just wanted to thank all of you guys with your advice, being a clear morning I managed to drag myself out of bed at 5.45am and setup my scope out the front of my house.  This is not hte best spot in the world with literally a street light straight above me, and two car on the drive limiting where I can actually stand.  

However, I set the mount up pointing north, and manipulated my scope around to look successfully observe Jupiter and it's moons.  I used a 10mm eyepiece with a 2x barlow to give me 200 magnification, and at this level I could actually see some colour banding which was tremendously exciting and so I made my wife and daughter get up and look as well

Would have really like to have looked at Saturn as well, but it was still low on the horizon and was hidden by houses - a future target !

Also talked to Steve at First Light Optics, who was very helpful and I've now sorted out the issue I was having with the declination slow motion control - was tracking nicely.  It does shift along the sky though, by the time I'd said "hey come and look at this" Jupiter had done a runner out of view and I had to refind it

Glad you got it sorted,

you are a braver man than me..getting the wife and daughter up at that time, I know what mine would have said/done