Get the best from your TELESCOPE

Tim Jardine reveals how to maximise the potential of your astronomy gear

Setting up a telescope for the first time can be a daunting experience, but with a bit of practice and a little know-how, it will soon become second nature. Dealing with the telescope tube is straightforward enough and even if yours is a reflector or Cassegrain that has adjustable collimation, it’s best not to tinker with it until you gain more experience. But the next vital element of your setup is the mount, the part that actually holds the telescope. All mounts do the same basic job – they point the scope at your chosen target – and there are two types: altitude-azimuth (often abbreviated to ‘altaz’) and equatorial. Altaz mounts have two axes of rotation: one is vertical, allowing the scope to spin clockwise or anticlockwise; the other horizontal,…

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The Astronomer's Yearbook 2019 (Digital) - 1 Issue, Astronomer's Yearbook 2020

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