Polar alignment

[Trickyhammer]

Hi

Very new to all this, hope you can help. I have a Sciencetech 262 telescope.

I understand about polar alignment however do not understand how to achieve it with this mounting, if indeed I need to !

If I align to the pole star (live in southern England) then to view the southern sky I need to rotate the scope, not the tripod, 180 degrees. 

Is this correct as I can't see wjhat good the alignment would have done once I swivel the scope ?

Many thanks

Richard

 

[Owmuchonomy]

Hi Richard and welcome. Polar alignment is not necessary with that scope or type of mount.

[Moonshed]

Hi Richard,

As has already been said this type of mount cannot be polar aligned, it’s not designed for that, it is a quick and easy way to move the scope about manually. Without having the mount driven, to automatically track objects across the sky, there is no need for polar alignment.

Enjoy sky watching with your new scope.

Keith

[Tiny Clanger]

Welcome Richard,

hope you feel pleased you don't need to worry about polar alignment !

[malc-c]

Hi Richard, 

As others have pointed out there is no need to polar align your telescope as it doesn't have an equatorial mount.  Your telescope has what is know as an ALT/AZ, or altitude / azimuth mount.  It works by raising the scope vertically and rotating it horizontally.  To keep a target in the field of view you need to make very small adjustments in both directions due to the Earth's rotation.  Equatorial mounts are in effect ALT/AZ mounts, but with the AZ axis tilted to the latitude of the observer and pointed at the North Celestial Pole.  This arrangement means only one adjustment in azimuth (known as Right Ascension - RA on an equatorial mount)  is required to track an object.  And before you ask, no it would not really be possible or worthwhile to modify your mount to convert it into a fork type equatorial mount.