Equatorial Mount

[matthew12098]

Hey all,

I have been trying to figure out how to use my telescope's equatorial mount for viewing as I have mainly used the 'Point and View' method (what I have been told it is called). Any advice on how to actually use an Equatorial Mount + The RA & Dec Setting Circles that it has on it?

Also any tips for Polar Alignment in the Southern Hemisphere?

 

[Cornelius Varley]

The setting circles on most mounts tend to be too small to be of any use.

Brief note on how to use the setting circles.:

To find an object in the sky of known RA and DEC coordinates.

1. From a star chart or planetarium, find a known star and slew the telescope to that object.
2. Rotate the setting circles so that the dials on the match the RA and DEC coordinates of the known star.
3. Release the RA clutch and now manually slew the mount and note when the numbers on the RA dial match the RA coordinate of the object to be found. Lock the RA clutch.
4. Unlock the DEC clutch and repeat item 3 for the DEC coordinate. Lock the DEC clutch.

Given that the setting circles are not that accurate your target object will be somewhere near to where the telescope is pointing. Maybe.

 

 

[StarryEyed]

Star hop. It's way more fun and like having a window seat for the journey. You can often be surprised at what you see on the way. 

As said most setting circles on mounts are not that useful.  I would rather be looking at stars and be lost than looking at setting circles and be lost.