Do I really need an equatorial mount?

[StarGazingSiouxsie]

Hello  

Firstly, thank you to all the kind people here who have thus far given me help and advice, I really do appreciate it.

I come to you again, humbly seeking advice, opinions and to draw on your collective astronomical experience. 

My order of Cubble, a 9.25 SCT coupled with a Celestron AVX (eq) mount is backordered indefintely.

This has given me time to reflect on my purchase. I do still really want to upgrade my telescope - that much I am 100% sure of. I already have a 5" Newtonian (altaz non motorised mount) and I don't want to waste money by purchasing a 6", for example, when I already have a 5". I really have set my heart on an SCT for a long time now, I am very sure I want one. 

But do I need one on an equatorial mount??

Celestron (as you probably all know) do a range of SCTs mounted on alt az mounts in their Nexstar and Evolution ranges. The Evolution range basically being a Nextsar, except it has an internal battery and built in wifi. 

The thought of not having to polar align my telescope everytime is very appealing, possibly the biggest draw for me to an altaz mount, as well the reduced cost. 

I am not planning on doing any astrophotography anytime soon, except whacking in my Celestron Neximage 10 camera now and then to (try to) capture some Jupiter & Saturn video action.

So do you think, if I just want to enjoy a motorised goto alt az mount that my enjoyment wouldn't suffer not having an EQ mount? 

Weight and portability is also a big consderation for me, and, as far as I can tell, an altaz mount would be lighter.

Any thoughts, opinions, and experience you can share with me will be very gratefully received. I am here to learn and to be enlightened.

Thank you 

[Freddie]

An alt az Mount is absolutely fine for visual and planetary imaging. Eq is only needed for long exposure work.

[StarGazingSiouxsie]

(Thanks for your reply Freddie ) 

 

So - I will still be able to track planets & stars on an altaz mount with goto motors, correct? 

I'm getting confused reading articles about altaz mounts Vs equatorial mounts and they say stars will drift out of view on an altaz mount; but they're referring to non motorised, non goto altaz mounts, right? 

If I get a goto motrised altaz mount I'll still be able to look at planets and stars through the eyepiece without constantly having to (manually) adjust the telescope - correct?

I am getting quite confused and a little distressed about this. Any advice / help gratefully received, thanks. 

[John]

A driven alt-azimuth mount will track objects as you view them.

A GOTO driven alt-azimuth mount will, if set up properly, will find objects as well as tracking them.

They are accurate enough for observing and planetary / lunar imaging but not for long exposure deep sky imaging.

Hope that helps.

 

[Capstone55]

Yes, with non-motorised alt-azt mounts, objects will drift out of the field unless you move the mount manually. With alt-ax GOTOs, they will track the object for you.

Incidentally, they'll drift out with a non-driven EQ mount, but only in one axis.

[StarGazingSiouxsie]

@John

Thanks John, that's the clarity I needed. I think I ODd on reading too many articles and my poor brain got very confuddled.

[StarGazingSiouxsie]

@Capstone55

Thank you, that's great info  

[happy-kat]

An altaz mount tracks in tiny left right up down movements and keeps the object in the eyepieces/camera view but in reality the earth is rotating so the object is rotating even if not visibility apparent and it is this that limits long exposures and the longer the telescope focal length the faster this rotation will show as star elongation and smeering on nebula (planets are generally video so not effected). An equatorial mount tracks this rotation equatorially so longer exposure lengths are possible.

 

Whether motorised or not the method in which both mounts move is as above

Edited July 23, 2020 by happy-kat

[StarGazingSiouxsie]

@happy-kat

Thank you very much, I appreciate your insights on this.