How can a polar Aligned Reflector telescope be used for tracking?

Question

The manual suggests aligining the telescope with polaris and then using just the RA knob to track objects and keep then in the field of view.

Isn't this possible only if the object close to the North Celestial pole. Say for instance saturn is somewhere in the east rising and the telescope is pointing towards polaris, how can a person point towards saturn without changing the direction using the azimuth knob.

The manual says after the telescope is polar aligned there is no need to touch the azimuth direction nor the dec direction and only the RA can be changed to track objects.

I do not understand !!!!

Thanks

Answer 1

Don't align the TELESCOPE with Polaris -- align the AXIS with Polaris.

Some telescopes have a special finder in the RA axis to do this alignment. On other telescopes, you have to swing the telescope to 90° declination. Either way, you have to physically move the telescope mounting so that the RA axis points to the North Celestial Pole. Once you've done that, leave the mounting right where it is and point the telescope tube anywhere you want. At that point, you can track any object by moving the telescope's RA axis only.

Answer 2

Once the mount's right-ascension axis is aligned with the earth's axis (which is what you're doing when you align close to Polaris), then rotation around the mount's RA axis is the same as the earth's rotation. Doesn't matter where the telescope is pointed, rotating the scope around its RA axis in the opposite direction of earth's rotation (at the correct rate) keeps you fixed on the same point in the sky.
You can change where the telescope is pointing using the RA and DEC controls to move it *without* changing how the RA axis is lined up...
Remember when you're aligning you want to line the RA axis up with Polaris, not necessarily the telescope itself. Many mounts come with what are called "polar alignment scopes" -- little low-power telescopes that go right through the RA axis -- to make it easier to align the axis with the NCP (north celestial pole). If you use one of those, it doesn't matter where the telescope itself is pointing :)

Answer 3

The whole sky - sun, moon, planets, stars - revolves around Polaris, from our point of view, about once per day. Have you ever seen a long exposure picture of the night sky? Polaris, since it is very close to being on axis with the north/south axis of Earth's rotation, is the only non-moving object, and everything else describes arcs/circles around it.

And what your manual means is that, once polar aligned, you then alter RA and DEC to find your target. Once you do, then to track it, only RA need be adjusted

Answer 4

The RA knob moves the telescope in a circular motion. Since everything circles Polaris, that's what you need to track it.

Answer 5

sounds such as you have been questioning approximately this for a whilst. As you have already heard out of your community astronomy club, astrophotography isn't an straight forward undertaking. With a D90 DSLR, your suited wager is in all probability to purpose some piggyback photos. i'm by potential of no potential an authority - i can't have the money for the time or the money to get the kit and use it in a fashion that would fulfill my by no potential-ending urge to get it ultimate the 1st time. So I certainly have not yet indulged. yet piggyback photos might desire to artwork for you. If i exchange into to make the leap, it is the place i might leap first. It is composed of mounting a bracket on appropriate of an equatorial fastened scope with a first rate, good mount. you like a scope with a competent equatorial mount (the Celestron CGE sequence is nice), an adapting bracket, a cable launch (assuming that this digicam is able to protecting the shutter open for a protracted era), and perhaps a telephoto lens or 2 on your digicam. in this methodology, the digicam does not use the telescope as an optical gadget, yet basically as a digicam mount which would be used to discover the objective certainly and music it. Piggyback photos has produced a number of my renowned photos. in case you recognize newbie astronomy (and you certainly might desire to in the previous proceeding extra), then you definitely know that a number of the main astounding photos may be won with little or no magnification. what's significant is nice administration of exposure, aperture, and monitoring. in case you desire to handle severe astrophotography applying a digicam / scope inteface, sufficient utility, autoguiding, and so on - then i'm no longer the guy which could help you, and that i will assure which you will no longer acquire the severe deep sky photos you seek for on a constrained funds. If that regulate into possible, i might have taken the leap 8 years in the past. good success and sparkling Skies!

Answer 6

Gary H is right. Try it, you will see.