Omegon EQ-1 Mode D'emploi page 63

Aligning the mount with the Pole Star
Before observing, it is important to that the mount has been aligned to the celestial pole. Only then will you be
able to accurately track celestial objects. Finding the northern celestial pole in the northern hemisphere of the
earth is relatively simple. It is situated almost exactly at the position of the Pole Star (Polaris). The Pole Star is al-
ways to the north regardless of the season. You can locate it, for example, by extending a line from the two end
stars of the Big Dipper (Ursa Major) by five times the distance between them.
Before commencing polar aligning, the tripod and telescope should be levelled. This is best done on an even
surface by extending the three tripod legs to equal lengths.
Move the mount so that it is set up in its initial position as illustrated in the diagram. Position the entire
telescope assembly so that it points northward. The front of the optical tube, the counterweight bar and the
main part of mount should now all be facing north.
Setting the latitude (in daylight)
Your telescope must be set to the geographical latitude of the observing location. This degree of latitude is called
the polar height at the telescope. Just above the tripod there is a moveable head which is locked in place by two
screws. These screws hold the telescope at a certain angle to the sky, as it must be aligned parallel to the Pole
Star.
On the side of the mount, you will find a setting circle scale with divisions from 0 to 90° and an arrow indicating
the current angle setting.
You can find your observing coordinates via the Internet or with a GPS device. If you want to find the degree of
latitude from the Internet, look for the nearest large town in your proximity in Wikipedia. You can usually find the
latitude and longitude of the location there.
Example location: N 48° 3' - E 10° 53'
The example given has a position of 48° north as latitude. You must set your local latitude, in degrees, on side of
the telescope.
0
Ursa Minor
Pole Star
+
celestial
north pole
Cassiopeia
Ursa Major
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