Page 41 - BBC Sky at Night Beginners Guide to Astronomy - 2017 UK

WHAT TO USE

TWO MOUNTS AND A TRIPOD

EQUATORIAL MOUNT ALTAZIMUTH MOUNT
Declination axis
The best option to easily track At a right angle to the The simple mount many
an object with your telescope polar axis, this axis telescopes are sold with
controls movement
upwards and A basic telescope mount
downwards in the sky. that moves both left and
Use it to fi nd objects right (azimuth), and
you want to look at. up and down
(altitude).
Mounting plate
This strong metal
plate attaches the
telescope to the
mount. Depending
on the telescope,
this may feature a
set of rings that
attach around the
entire tube.

Polar axis
By tilting this axis to
the same angle as
Polar scope your latitude and
This is a small, pointing it close to
built-in telescope the Pole Star, it will PHOTOGRAPHIC
that’s parallel to sit roughly parallel TRIPOD
the polar axis. to Earth’s axis. This
Look through it enables you to keep A budget solution
to help you align moving targets that’s strictly for
the main scope in view.
with Earth’s axis beginners
of rotation.
You can mount a small
refractor telescope
on a simple photographic
tripod, if you have
one. It’s not perfect
but it does offer
a quick way to
start observing.

Tripod
This raises the scope and mount off the ground
to give you as comfortable an observing height
as possible. It also makes the scope sturdy, so
that it doesn’t wobble and ruin the view.

skyatnightmagazine.com 2012 41