wookie1965 Posted March 21, 2023 Share Posted March 21, 2023 I want to start sketching double and multiple stars again. After reading many explanations I am still confused as to label my sketches to the cardinal points I will be using a refractor with a diagonal. As I use a goto mount I cannot just switch off and let the stars drift through the eyepiece thus giving me West then knowing North is 90° clockwise. So can someone please tell me or show me in simple terms how to do it I am sure when I find out I will kick myself. I have typed it in google and gone through the list From all the astronomical sites and I am more confused thank you in advance. Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeDnight Posted March 21, 2023 Share Posted March 21, 2023 (edited) I don't use go-to Paul, so I'm only guessing. If you were to disengage your RA axis while the mount was tracking, would that not give you the preceding direction so you'll know where north is? I wouldn't know if that would cause any coordination problem, or whether you could simply renegade the drive and recentre the star without issue. Edited March 21, 2023 by mikeDnight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CraigT82 Posted March 21, 2023 Share Posted March 21, 2023 (edited) On my skywatcher handset you can go into settings>tracking and switch off the tracking momentarily. However I imagine that will mess up your alignment (it doesn’t on mine as it’s the AZ-EQ6 with freedom find). The other thing might be to look up the view on a planetarium app to begin with the compare it to the view through the scope, relay on the view being distinctive enough to compare. If the moon is up you could look at that first to gauge the orientation, should be fairly easy. Edited March 21, 2023 by CraigT82 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Spock Posted March 21, 2023 Share Posted March 21, 2023 Press the < and > buttons on the handset and see which way it goes Just remember in a diagonal W is left and E is right visually if you are looking south and the handset will be the opposite. However, I turn my diagonal around to get the most comfortable eye position, so for me the < and > method is the only way. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wookie1965 Posted March 21, 2023 Author Share Posted March 21, 2023 1 hour ago, Mr Spock said: Press the < and > buttons on the handset and see which way it goes Just remember in a diagonal W is left and E is right visually if you are looking south and the handset will be the opposite. However, I turn my diagonal around to get the most comfortable eye position, so for me the < and > method is the only way. So if I press < and > depending on which was sends the scope West the will be the answer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wookie1965 Posted March 21, 2023 Author Share Posted March 21, 2023 1 hour ago, mikeDnight said: I don't use go-to Paul, so I'm only guessing. If you were to disengage your RA axis while the mount was tracking, would that not give you the preceding direction so you'll know where north is? I wouldn't know if that would cause any coordination problem, or whether you could simply renegade the drive and recentre the star without issue. 1 hour ago, CraigT82 said: On my skywatcher handset you can go into settings>tracking and switch off the tracking momentarily. However I imagine that will mess up your alignment (it doesn’t on mine as it’s the AZ-EQ6 with freedom find). The other thing might be to look up the view on a planetarium app to begin with the compare it to the view through the scope, relay on the view being distinctive enough to compare. If the moon is up you could look at that first to gauge the orientation, should be fairly easy. By disengaging any Axis I am going to have to align again I am trying to avoid doing this thanks. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacko61 Posted March 21, 2023 Share Posted March 21, 2023 3 hours ago, wookie1965 said: By disengaging any Axis I am going to have to align again I am trying to avoid doing this thanks. You'd only have to do this once to find out the characteristics of your scope then you'd know which direction is east/west for subsequent viewing sessions. A couple of hours getting used to your scope before you start to use it in anger are hours well spent. Graeme 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael8554 Posted March 22, 2023 Share Posted March 22, 2023 Hi Paul During the day, unpowered, pointing roughly south, focus on a distant landmark. Is it inverted ? North is at the bottom of your view. Is it lateral flipped ? West is to the left of your view. Or as Craig suggested, look at the moon, before powering on for the night's viewing. Either compare the view with reality. Or with only finger pressure, give the front of the OTA a tiny push to the west. And to the south. Note which way the movements are in the eyepiece view. Michael 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wookie1965 Posted March 22, 2023 Author Share Posted March 22, 2023 1 hour ago, michael8554 said: Hi Paul During the day, unpowered, pointing roughly south, focus on a distant landmark. Is it inverted ? North is at the bottom of your view. Is it lateral flipped ? West is to the left of your view. Or as Craig suggested, look at the moon, before powering on for the night's viewing. Either compare the view with reality. Or with only finger pressure, give the front of the OTA a tiny push to the west. And to the south. Note which way the movements are in the eyepiece view. Michael That makes more sense thank you easy to follow guide. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doublevodka Posted March 31, 2023 Share Posted March 31, 2023 An alternative suggestion, use a prism diagonal so everything is the right way round and the right way up? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 1, 2023 Share Posted April 1, 2023 If i was sketching i wouldn't even care, i would just sketch what i see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael8554 Posted April 2, 2023 Share Posted April 2, 2023 I agree with Mike Q. I can't imagine how I'd accurately sketch what I see in the eyepiece if I had to reverse/flip everything on the sketchpad. Easier to scan the sketch and reverse/flip in software. Michael 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Franklin Posted April 2, 2023 Share Posted April 2, 2023 Just turn off the ra tracking and the direction of movement is West, then turn the tracking back on, recenter the star and press align. Your refractor with a diagonal will have North at the top but if you rotate your diagonal to make viewing easier this apparent position will change but once you've found West (in a diagonal view) North will be 90deg clockwise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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