Jupiter drifting from the view

[slippo74]

Hi all,

For the entire past week I had issues in keeping any pointed object stable in the middle of the eyepiece for more then 2 seconds. Everything was slowly drifting out from the center to the bottom right side till I had to re-point it again. That made me crazy!
My girlfriend came up with the fact that "it is normal as per the earth is rotating" (wow faster than ever I thought).

So, stupid me, I just learned how to 'balancing an equatorial mount' and all my problems are gone.
I found this easy guide http://www.themcdonalds.net/~themcdo/richard/index.php?title=Balancing_an_Equato rial_Mount

Hope it helps beginners like me.

Cris

[erick]

Chris

Yes, objects really move quickly through the field of view at high magnification, don't they. If you are showing people, you quickly learn to move the object to where it is just coming into the field of view, then jump out of the way and let your partner observe it move through. Don't start in the centre of the field.

Yes, you want your scope balanced on the RA and DEC axes, but I hope you have also looked at polar aligning your mount:-

http://www.themcdonalds.net/~themcdo/richard/index.php?title=Polar_Alignment_of_ your_Equatorial_Mount

(Except those instructions are for the Northern Hemisphere - here you have to align to the South Celestial Pole)

If you get it pretty close to aligment, you will find that all you have to do is adjust the RA control from time to time to bring the object back to the centre of the field of view. Better still, add an RA drive motor and that will do it for you - hopefully keep the object centred.

To do observing, you don't need super accurate alignment. If the object drifts a little in the DEC direction, a little tweak of the DEC adjustment from time to time will bring it back.

[slippo74]

Thanks Eric...

Yes, my next step is to learn how to align my telescope to the South Celestial Pole. I understood the benefits and how it makes easier while discovering and track objects in the sky.
I'm progressing step by step, alternating between the simple "put your eye into the EP and watch whatever you can find" and to study the basic guides of astronomy in order to set up my equipment as it should be.

Cheers

[iceman]

Hi Christiano!

Great that your girlfriend figured it out! Hopefully she can share a love of astronomy with you.

There's some great guides for polar aligning and balancing, here on IceInSpace:
Basic Setup Procedure for a GEM Mount (http://www.iceinspace.com.au/63-498-0-0-1-0.html)

and this might help

Simple Polar Alignment Jig for a GEM Tripod (http://www.iceinspace.com.au/63-499-0-0-1-0.html)

Hope that helps!

[slippo74]

Thanks!

I finally get through the process to align correctly my EQ mount.
It wasn't that difficult and the step by step helps a lot.

Cheers