# A beginning astronomy question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 15, 2005, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-beginning-astronomy-question/308302 "2005-06-15T00:34:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Large\_Marge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/50afbb/32.png) [@Large\_Marge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Large_Marge)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2005, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-beginning-astronomy-question/308302/21 "2005-06-15T19:06:04Z")
> [@snailboy](#): > > I took a look at your link and noticed a few things. First, your eyepiece (which is somehow zoomable, I’ve never seen one like that) has a minimum magnification of 48x. That’s exactly what my largest eyepiece provides and I have no problems finding stuff. Still, you may consider getting an even larger eyepiece for less magnification, allowing you a wider field of view and making it easier to find things. > > Second, it doesn’t come with a mount so I’m guessing you’re using one for a camera. You would really do good by getting a better mount. There’s no getting around it. Most camera tripods weren’t designed for precision movement. Spend the money on something better suited for your purpose and you’ll be happier. Yeah, I bought a beginner scope because I wasn’t sure I’d use it often enough to justify a huge expense. That’s also why I bought a spotting scope instead of a telescope - I knew that if I got bored looking at the sky, I could still use it terrestrially. If I really love it, I’ll upgrade the scope. The zoom is just an eyepiece that spins, increasing magnification. Pretty cool, hu? It sounds like you guys are saying that I need to buy a motorized equatorial mount. Do they attach to a tripod, or is it a separate entity altogether? How much do they run? And do you have any good links on the subject? Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Large\_Marge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/50afbb/32.png) [@Large\_Marge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Large_Marge)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2005, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-beginning-astronomy-question/308302/22 "2005-06-15T19:08:00Z")
> [@daffyduck](#): > > If you get a tripod with an equatorial mounting system and learn how to align it correctly, then tracking objects will be a lot easier as tracking is what an equatorial mount is designed to do. The manual ones have flexible cables with knobs that you turn to move the scope on the tripod. When properly aligned, you can easily manually track an object. Here is one for you to see what it is all about. > > [Min-EQ Tabletop Equatorial Mount](http://www.telescope.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp?code=FRGL054&itemID=296&itemType=PRODUCT) > > Don’t automatically reject a table top tripod. Being able to sit while observing makes a huge difference! > > I think the moon is by far the best thing to observe with a small scope as you really can get the feel of it as a place, not just as an object in the sky. Jupiter, Saturn and Venus should also become second nature to find and observe. But the real excitement for me and a lot of other amateur astronomers is deep sky objects and there are a surprising large number that can be seen with good binoculars or a small scope. I recommend you get a beginner’s sky atlas to pump up your observing a notch. > > [Sky Atlas for Small Telescopes and Binoculars](http://www.davidchandler.com/atlas.htm) Oh, duh! There’s a link right here! :smack: Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2005, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-beginning-astronomy-question/308302/23 "2005-06-15T22:08:18Z")
> [@](#): > > It’s not stiff or hard to move. When all the proper parts are loosened, it moves quiet well - too well, actually, which is why things keep falling from view as I go to lockdown the tripod. It sounds like it’s maybe a bit imbalanced… Is there anywhere on the scope to attach counterweights, or to adjust an attached weight? A perfectly balanced scope wouldn’t fall at all, even with the locks completely lose. Of course, it’s hard to balance it perfectly, but the better the balance is, the less problem you’ll have. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2005, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-beginning-astronomy-question/308302/24 "2005-06-15T23:14:23Z")
Just to make sure - you realize the lowest magnification eyepiece is the one with the largest number on it, right? Magnification of the telescope is the focal length of the telescope (written somewhere on the telescope, usually) **divided** by the focal length of the eyepiece (written on the eyepiece). You mentioned a zoom eyepiece - if that’s what you’re using, turn it to the highest number. LOMO has a _very_ good reputation for quality - I dare say better than Meade or Celestron. But yours is a Maksutov Cassegrain which has a very long focal length, which means it’s hard to achieve low magnification. You are further handicapped by the zoom eyepiece which typically have smaller field of view than fixed-focus eyepieces. And as already pointed out, photo tripods aren’t very good for high-power telescopes. They may be steady, but they aren’t designed for very fine control. (Video tripods are a bit better, if you have access to one.) Here are my recommendations: [ul] [li]Ditch the zoom eyepiece and get a couple of good eyepieces. Something in the 25-32mm range, and perhaps another in the 15-20mm range. Plossl type eyepieces are usually a safe choice.[/li][li]Get a better mount. For a small telescope like this, I think a simple alt-az mount like [this](http://www.digitecoptical.com/ae-tripod-coronado-pst.htm) would be perfect.[/li][li]Learn to find objects by sighting along the tube. Or better yet, get a [non-magnifying finderscope](http://www.astronomics.com/main/Non_magnifying_Finderscopes.asp/catalog_name/Astronomics/category_name/2DNUFM33CE2S9KTPBVGJN12PF1/Page/1), aka “red dot finder”. You can just attach one with double-sided tape. (I’m not sure which one is the best - perhaps the Rigel, Celestron or the Stellarvue. Don’t get the Telrad, it’s really big.)[/li][/ul] If you can’t afford a new mount right now, one tip I can give you is to mount the telescope backwards on the tripod, so the handle points away from you. (This prevents the handle from hitting the tripod when looking high up). Then sight along the tube (or through the red-dot finder), and when you think the telescope is aligned with the object, don’t move a muscle - except the hand tightening the tripod clamp/handle. ---
**Author:** ![Large\_Marge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/50afbb/32.png) [@Large\_Marge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Large_Marge)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2005, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-beginning-astronomy-question/308302/25 "2005-06-16T05:34:24Z")
Thanks, scr4. I’m going to take your advice on all three counts, but I couldn’t get your link to work on the mount. Is there another? ---
**Author:** ![Large\_Marge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/50afbb/32.png) [@Large\_Marge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Large_Marge)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2005, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-beginning-astronomy-question/308302/26 "2005-06-16T05:35:32Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > It sounds like it’s maybe a bit imbalanced… Is there anywhere on the scope to attach counterweights, or to adjust an attached weight? A perfectly balanced scope wouldn’t fall at all, even with the locks completely lose. Of course, it’s hard to balance it perfectly, but the better the balance is, the less problem you’ll have. It doesn’t have any counter weights on it all. It’s just a table top camera tripod, basically. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2005, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-beginning-astronomy-question/308302/27 "2005-06-16T06:08:23Z")
> [@Large Marge](#): > > … I couldn’t get your link to work on the mount. Is there another? The link was for the AZTech mount - [here](http://www.metalplanet.us/index.php?product=AC562) is another shop that carries this product, but it’s a bit more expensive than at my previous link. Try going to the top page of Digitec Optical, then go to Accessories, then “Accessories for Coronado Scopes”. Or call them at 1-888-327-5759. However, I just noticed that the Orion EQ-1 equatorial mount is cheaper than the AZtech alt-az mount. (Go to [telescope.com](http://www.telescope.com), then Accessories then Mounts). I think either mount would be sufficient for your scope. The Orion AZ-3 is another possibility. (Actually I have a used AZ-3 I’ve been planning to sell. E-mail me if you’re interested.) Also, you might want to look at used eyepieces on [Astromart](http://www.astromart.com/) classifieds or the [Cloudy Nights](http://www.cloudynights.com/) message board. A lot of people start out with Plossl eyepieces and later upgrade to more fancy ones. ---
**Author:** ![Large\_Marge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/50afbb/32.png) [@Large\_Marge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Large_Marge)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2005, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-beginning-astronomy-question/308302/28 "2005-06-16T07:03:56Z")
I’ve heard that equatorial mounts are easier to use, and that’s a good price for that Orion EQ-1. What do you think? Do you prefer the AZ’s, and if so, why? ---
**Author:** ![Large\_Marge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/50afbb/32.png) [@Large\_Marge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Large_Marge)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2005, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-beginning-astronomy-question/308302/29 "2005-06-16T07:09:52Z")
And are those classifieds pretty reliable? Have you found that products you’ve bought there were as advertised? Is the Plossl eyepiece a quality product? Or is there another brand you prefer? And thanks so much for all the good links. I could spend **hours** surfing the web for that stuff. ---
**Author:** ![snailboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/97f17d/32.png) [@snailboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snailboy)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2005, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-beginning-astronomy-question/308302/30 "2005-06-16T08:48:28Z")
Altitude-azimuth mounts are just like camera mounts. You just sit them on the ground and point to whatever you want to look at. You have to track the object manually, usually along two axes. Equatorial mounts are harder to set up, because you have to set them according to your latitude (only once, unless you move) and point it North. Many computerized ones can automatically adjust themselves. Unless you have a motorized mount, you will have to track objects manually still, but only along one axis if it’s set up correctly. Put shortly, alt-az mounts are easier to set up, but equatorial mounts are easier _after_ setup. ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2005, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-beginning-astronomy-question/308302/31 "2005-06-16T10:08:33Z")
I think it’s easier and more fun to use an altazimuth mount. Picture aiming a big gun around on a tank or ship. You have an up-down motion and a side to side motion. The equatorial mount has to have one of its two shafts pointed at the celestial pole, near Polaris. Then one motion moves around that point in the sky and the other motion moves towards it or away from it. To adjust one shaft at a time you need to think about what the two directions are considering where in the sky you are looking. One problem with an altazimuth mount is that when something moves out of your field of view as the earth rotates, you have to adjust both shafts by varying amounts to get it back. If you have the equatorial mount, you keep adjusting one of them at a constant rate and your subject stays in view. Another problem with the altazimuth mount is that an object’s coordinates as measured on your shafts have an obscure relationship to its permanant location in the sky. Fixing these things would be the motivation for an equatorial mount. But if you don’t spend many minutes watching the same object (or don’t mind adjusting both shafts by varying amounts), and if you navigate through the sky by learning where things are in relation to the brightest stars, the altazimuth is most comfortable. Decades ago I helped host star parties at the local observatory, and we’d know where to look for popular objects and sight along the telescopes and through the finders to get them. For this altazimuth mounts would have been fine (though all the scopes did have equatorials). ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2005, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-beginning-astronomy-question/308302/32 "2005-06-16T14:52:52Z")
> [@Large Marge](#): > > I’ve heard that equatorial mounts are easier to use, and that’s a good price for that Orion EQ-1. What do you think? Do you prefer the AZ’s, and if so, why? It depends on the type of observation and personal preference. Equatorial mounts need to be aligned before use, but it doesn’t have to be super-accurate. Just set it up so that the RA axis points at Polaris, as best as you can tell by eye. It’ll be accurate enough to be useful. It’s easier to find objects with an alt-az mount because the movement is more intuitive and natural (up/down and left/right). The equatorial mount has axes at weird angles. Once you find the object, it’s much easier to track objects with an equatorial mount. You just turn one knob. Or if it has a motor drive, you only need to do an occasional correction. With an alt-az mount you’ll be turning both knobs. I’d say if you’re mainly doing high-power observations of the moon, planets and the sun\*, you’d probably appreciate an equatorial mount. For low-power star-hopping and deep-sky observations (nebulae, galaxies, etc), an alt-az mount would be more enjoyable. By the way I’m having second thoughts about recommending the EQ-1. I’ve never used it myself but it doesn’t look very stable to me, and it costs less than what I’d expect a decent mount to cost. I suggest you look for reviews (the Cloudy Nights site I linked to above, for example) before buying, and also strongly consider the EQ-2 and better mounts on the Orion catalog. Look for Astromart ads too. > [@](#): > > And are those classifieds pretty reliable? Have you found that products you’ve bought there were as advertised? Astromart has a feedback system like eBay. As long as you buy from sellers with lots of good feedback you should be safe. I’ve bought several items through Astromart and they were all as advertised or better. > [@](#): > > Is the Plossl eyepiece a quality product? Or is there another brand you prefer? Plossl is a type of eyepiece. Most companies that make eyepieces have Plossl in their lineup - usually near the bottom end of the price range, but that’s OK. As for brands, Celestron, Meade and Orion are most common and pretty decent. Tele-Vue is top of the line. \*I strongly recommend the [Baader Astrosolar](http://www.scopestuff.com/ss_astsf.htm) solar filter. All you get is the film, but just follow the instructions on that page to make a cardboard cell. _Far_ better than the overpriced glass solar filters from Orion. ---
**Author:** ![Large\_Marge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/50afbb/32.png) [@Large\_Marge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Large_Marge)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2005, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-beginning-astronomy-question/308302/33 "2005-06-16T21:20:42Z")
Thanks! I think I’m going with the EQ mount, as once I get an object in view, I want the tracking to be easy. I imagine it will be easier to follow comets this way, too, yes? I will do some shopping around, as you suggest. I’d love to get a motorized mount, but I doubt I can afford that. Looks like there are some very reasonable eyepieces, though, in those classifieds. Thanks again! ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2005, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-beginning-astronomy-question/308302/34 "2005-06-16T21:29:33Z")
> [@Large Marge](#): > > Thanks! I think I’m going with the EQ mount, as once I get an object in view, I want the tracking to be easy. I imagine it will be easier to follow comets this way, too, yes? I will do some shopping around, as you suggest. I’d love to get a motorized mount, but I doubt I can afford that. > > Looks like there are some very reasonable eyepieces, though, in those classifieds. > > Thanks again! Comets don’t move all that fast. For your purposes and equatorial mount with slow motion hand-drive should do just fine. Just set the axis to the angle of your latitude, aim at the North Star and you are in business. Oh yes, the mount needs to be level. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-beginning-astronomy-question/308302.md?page=1)