Using a telescope for the first time? Here's what you need to know
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Loading... - Daniella Chapman
- 28 Jul 2022
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Congratulations! You have purchased your first telescope – an optical time machine that will help you explore our amazing Universe. You may have aspirations to discover comets or one day become a published astro-imager; or maybe you just want to enjoy the views of the moon and planets from time to time.
Whatever your goals in astronomy, one thing is for sure: we all have to start at the beginning, and this article will show you how to use astronomical telescopes.
Before you begin, please note this important warning: Never look at the Sun through astronomical telescopes or viewfinders without proper filtering. It only takes a few seconds to permanently damage your vision – think how strong the Sun's light is when focused through a magnifying glass!
Assembling your telescope
This guide assumes you have assembled your telescope according to the manufacturer's instructions. Here are some pointers to make this task easier:
§ Assemble the telescope for the first time when you are indoors and have plenty of light. Just because a telescope is normally used during the evening hours doesn't mean you have to mount it in the dark!
§ Give yourself plenty of room and gather a good deal of patience, as well as any tools necessary for assembling astronomical telescopes, before you begin.
§ Once you're done with the assembly, stay indoors and take some time to learn a bit more about its features before taking the telescope outside for the first time.
Meet your first telescope
What type of mount do you have? How does your telescope move? Before you begin, you'll need to know whether you have a telescope on an Alt-Azimuth mount or an Equatorial mount. Not sure? Let's figure it out together.
Alt-Azimuth Mount: If you're like the millions of people who use a camera tripod, you're the proud owner of astronomical telescopes with at least one alt-azimuth mount. It's not the tripod legs that make a photo tripod an alt-azimuth mount, it's the "head" that sits on top and how it moves that gives it that distinction. This is the most common mount used to support and orient astronomical telescopes, spotting scopes and cameras.
An Alt-Azimuth mount allows you to move your telescope in straight lines – up, down, right and left. In its simplest form, the Alt-Azimuth mount is completely manual with basic motion controls like the one shown in the photo at left, but it is also used on some of today's most high-tech astronomical telescopes and can be completely computerized.
Equatorial mount: An easy way to tell if you have an equatorial mount is to look at the counterweights. If your telescope mount has one or more, there is a 98% chance that it is equatorial. Read More…
