New Main: EQ Mounts
Equatorial mounts are a type of telescope mount that allow for precise tracking of celestial objects as they move across the sky. They are designed to compensate for the Earth's rotation by aligning the telescope's axis of rotation with the axis of the Earth's rotation.
In an equatorial mount, the telescope is attached to a base that is aligned with the Earth's axis of rotation. The base is typically tilted at an angle that corresponds to the observer's latitude, and it includes a mechanism to allow the telescope to rotate around the polar axis. The polar axis is aligned with the North Star (Polaris) in the Northern Hemisphere or the Southern Cross in the Southern Hemisphere.
Equatorial mounts often include slow-motion controls that allow for precise adjustments of the telescope position in both right ascension (east-west) and declination (north-south) directions. Some equatorial mounts also include motorized drives that automatically track celestial objects, allowing for longer observation times and more comfortable viewing.
Equatorial mounts are particularly well-suited for astrophotography, as they allow for precise tracking of celestial objects over extended periods of time. They are also useful for observing faint objects that require longer observation times, such as deep-sky objects like galaxies and nebulae.
