Orion EQ-1 Equatorial Mount 9011 Instruction Manual page 7

4. Loosen the azimuth adjustment knob and rotate the
entire equatorial mount left-to-right so the telescope
tube (and R.A. axis) points roughly at Polaris. If you
cannot see Polaris directly from your observing site,
consult a compass and rotate the equatorial mount
so the telescope points North. Retighten the azimuth
adjustment knob.
The equatorial mount is now approximately polar-
aligned for casual observing. More precise polar
alignment is required for astrophotography. Several
methods exist and are described in many amateur
astronomy reference books and astronomy magazines.
From this point on in your observing session, you should
not make any further adjustments to the azimuth or the
latitude of the mount, nor should you move the tripod.
Doing so will undo the polar alignment. The telescope
should be moved only about its R.A. and Dec. axes.
Use of the R.A. and Dec. Slow-Motion
Control Cables
The R.A. and Dec. slow-motion control cables allow fine
adjustment of the telescope's position to center objects
within the field of view. Before you can use the cables,
you must manually "slew" the mount to point the tele-
scope in the vicinity of the desired target. Do this by
loosening the R.A. and Dec. lock thumb screws and
Big Dipper
(in Ursa Major)
To find Polaris in the night sky, look north and find the Big Dipper. Extend an imaginary line from the two "Pointer
Stars" in the bowl of the Big Dipper. Go about 5 times the distance between those stars and you'll reach Polaris,
which lies within 1° of the north celestial pole (NCP).
moving the telescope about the mount's R.A. and Dec.
axes. Once the telescope is pointed somewhere close
to the object to be viewed, retighten the mount's R.A.
and Dec. lock thumb screws.
The object should now be visible somewhere in the
telescope's (aligned) finder scope. If it isn't, use the
slow-motion controls to scan the surrounding area of
sky. If the object is still not visible in the finder scope,
you will need to slew the mount again, this time being
more careful to point the telescope closer to what you
wish to view.
When the object is visible in the finder scope, use the
slow-motion controls to center it. Now, look in the tele-
scope with a long focal length (low magnification)
eyepiece. If the finder scope is properly aligned, the object
should be visible somewhere in the field of view. If it is not,
you may need to realign the telescope's finder scope.
Once the object is visible in the telescope's eyepiece,
use the slow-motion controls to center it in the field of
view. You can now switch to a higher magnification eye-
piece, if you wish. After switching eyepieces, you can
use the slow-motion control cables to re-center the
image, if necessary.
Little Dipper
(in Ursa Minor)
N.C.P.
Polaris
Figure 4. Finding Polaris
Cassiopeia
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