{"id":5661037,"date":"2019-12-05T15:19:33","date_gmt":"2019-12-05T14:19:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.optics-trade.eu\/?p=5661037"},"modified":"2020-04-15T14:17:27","modified_gmt":"2020-04-15T12:17:27","slug":"telescope-alignment-methods","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.optics-trade.eu\/blog\/telescope-alignment-methods\/","title":{"rendered":"Telescope alignment methods"},"content":{"rendered":"

Every telescope needs to be aligned<\/strong> before the first use or if the position of a telescope has changed. For accurate tracking<\/strong> of celestial objects and astrophotography<\/strong>, alignment of the telescope must be done correctly. Some computerized telescope mounts have no memory<\/strong> of the previous settings. These mounts need alignment every time the power is shut down.
\nThe alignment methods differ depending on the type<\/strong> of mount. There are two basic<\/strong> types of mounts, and both have different alignment procedures.<\/p>\n

\"Alignment
The movement of an Altazimuth mount and an Equatorial mount (Source: http:\/\/math_research.uct.ac.za)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Equatorial mount alignment<\/h2>\n

An equatorial mount<\/a> moves the telescope in two axes. One axis moves in the direction of east-west<\/strong> and the other in the course of north-south<\/strong>. So far, this movement is the same as that of an altazimuth mount<\/a>. The difference is in compensating for Earth rotation<\/strong> \u2013 one rotational axis must be parallel<\/strong> to the north\/south celestial<\/strong> pole.
\nFor simple observation, a basic alignment is required. This method demands some knowledge and can be a bit confusing for beginners in astronomy. Once the adjustment is made, observing the sky becomes very easy. If the mount is not motorized<\/a>, the user can still track an object with the use of slow-motion controllers<\/strong>. For someone interested in astrophotography<\/strong> and deep-sky objects<\/strong>, a more precise alignment is required.<\/p>\n

\"Alignment
An Equatorial mount (Source: http:\/\/www.naasbeginners.co.uk)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Altazimuth mount alignment<\/h2>\n

Altazimuth mount uses vertical (altitude) and horizontal (azimuth) axis to locate the object in space. Manual altazimuth mounts<\/a> don’t require any alignment, while computerized<\/a> mounts do. Several different alignment methods can be used:<\/p>\n