PST View

[John]

This is a daft question which I probably ought to know the answer to but what is the orientation of the image in a PST ? - is it refractor-like or newtonian-like or as we see things ?

Thanks

[Peter Drew]

Hello John.

The PST is refractor astro orientation. The pentaprism maintains the original astro orientation despite the 90 degree deflection.

[John]

Hello John.

The PST is refractor astro orientation. The pentaprism maintains the original astro orientation despite the 90 degree deflection.

Thanks Peter

I'm glad I asked now as I might have guessed at a refractor / diagonal view with N at the top and E / W reversed. It's not as if you can look at anything else with the PST to see what way up it is !.

[Peter Drew]

You can view terrestrial objects silhouetted against a setting Sun. .

[brianb]

It's not as if you can look at anything else with the PST to see what way up it is !.

No but you can observe the sun drifting through the field on an undriven mount (or a driven mount with the drive turned off): in the morning a "naked eye" / "binocular" view will drift to the right and up, in the afternoon to the right and down. If the drift is to the left the view is horizontally reversed; if the up/down drift is reversed the view is vertically reversed. "Simples!"

[John]

No but you can observe the sun drifting through the field on an undriven mount (or a driven mount with the drive turned off): in the morning a "naked eye" / "binocular" view will drift to the right and up, in the afternoon to the right and down. If the drift is to the left the view is horizontally reversed; if the up/down drift is reversed the view is vertically reversed. "Simples!"

Thanks Brian - I should have thought of that

[russ]

Thanks Brian - I should have thought of that

Don't worry John, i hadn't thought of it either