How to polar align an equatorial mount – the basics

Accurate alignment is a vital part of setting up an equatorial telescope

1. Orientate the tripod and mount head First, set up the tripod; one of its legs may be marked to indicate that it should be pointing north. Attach the mount head securely to the tripod, making sure to place it in the starting configuration advised by the manufacturer – for example, with the polar axis pointing north. 2. Set the polar axis Next, check that the altitude of the polar axis is set to your latitude – that is, that the axis (the blue arrow and line above) is pointing towards the North Celestial Pole. If it’s not, this can usually be done by carefully tweaking the altitude adjustment knob located at the base of the mount head. 3. Orientate the polarscope’s reticule The polarscope reticule now has to be…

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The Astronomer's Yearbook (Digital) - 1 Issue, Astronomer's Yearbook 2021

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