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Old 09-06-2019, 04:51 PM
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skysurfer
Dark sky rules !

skysurfer is offline
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: 52N 6E (EU)
Posts: 1,152
I use an easier (for me) method, for daylight as well, using bright objects like Venus, Jupiter, Sirius or Moon. Avoid the Sun for safety reasons!

Needed: tripod, eq mount with setting circles, telescope with low power eyepiece (TFOV at least 1-2 degrees), inclinometer and bubble level, smartphone with sky charting app such as Stellarium for the position of a bright object.
Smartphone can be used as a level, but not quite accurate.
The telescope / eyepiece should be pre-focued to infinity.

'Inclinometer' can also be a wedge with an angle equal to your latitude combined with a bubble level.

* Put the tripod on the ground and guess where South is, maybe max 15 degrees off, and set it roughly level, no bubble level needed (yet)
* Set the altitude of the polar axis equal to your latitude using the inclinometer
* Point the telecope exactly to the zenith using the level and adjust the setting circles to 0:00 hour angle and declination to your latitude.
* Read position of the Moon, Venus or Jupiter (whatever is positioned favorably) on your smartphone: declination and hour angle
* Point the telescope to that object using the setting circles
* Move slowly the horizontal axis of the mount until the object is in the eyepiece

Then you are done. This works both in day and nighttime.
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