Quote:
Originally Posted by frolinmod
Tpoint for Windows as used with TheSky6 aligns you to the true pole.
Tpoint Add On for TheSkyX Professional aligns you to the refracted pole.
|
Hi Ernie,
Just to qualify.
Whenever you see the ME term in either version of TPOINT, it is always referring to the true pole.
Both versions provide a verbose alignment recommendation report in English text
which is an interpretation of the numerical MA and ME values.
The TPOINT version that works with TheSky6 gives a verbose report in terms of
aligning to the true pole.
The TPOINT version that works with the SkyX gives a verbose report in terms of
aligning with the refracted pole and the report has an explicit note that alerts to this.
The report in this instance gives both ME and what the report refers to as 'Ideal ME'.
'Ideal ME' is simply ME plus or minus the correction interpolated from the lookup table
in the manual.
The 'Ideal ME' is somewhat of a misnomer as it is not necessarily always the ideal
point to which to align the polar axis anymore than the ME point, as discussed
earlier. Depending on where one is imaging in the sky, the optimal point will
be somewhere in the range true pole to refracted pole.
Since circumstances therefore change as to where one might want to align the
polar axis, the ME value for the true pole is what is important to know as then
one can simply make the necessary offset to it.
The bottom line -
Whenever someone reports ME, it will always refer to the true pole, irrespective
of the version.
