ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY
by Peter Jenkins FRAS
For Astrophotography there is really only one choice of mount type which fits the bill. An Equatorial (or German Equatorial Mount) is essential.
Here, in the Northern Hemisphere, due to the rotation of the earth, stars appear to move around the Pole Star (Polaris) – time lapse or star trail photographs show this effect well!
Polaris itself, in fact, appears to describe a small circle as shown so its exact position is dependent upon your altitude, your latitude and the time of day.
Equatorial mounts are often fitted with a built in scope so that they can readily be aligned on Polaris. The Sky-Watcher EQ8 which I use is not fitted with a Polar alignment scope - I believe that a Polar alignment scope is available as a extra.
Note that there are two cable connections to the mount - A 12v power supply (I use Lynx power cables throughout) and a Lynx Astro EQDIR USB Adapter
To align my mount I use a QHY Pole Master which gives a live video view of Polaris and shows the adjustments necessary to Polar Align with very high accuracy.
