Expert: Paul Wagner - 7/3/2008

Question
Paul,
I have a Celestron 8 Advanced Series GT.  I have no trouble aligning the scope and the go-to function works perfectly centering the eyepiece with the object I am looking at each time.  However, I have trouble tracking the object so I can make decent pictures.  I have tried polar aligning and it is no better. I am wondering if you have any suggestions on how I might improve the tracking.  I welcome any suggestions and appreciate your time.  I do have the telescope set on sidereal tracking.  

Thank you,
Bob Young

Answer
HI Bob

Ah!  This is the ultimate challenge:  astrophotography.  Most experts use an offset eyepiece at very high magnification and an almost constant fine adjustment to make these photographs.  Sadly, while an equatorial mount tracks well enough for visual use, photography is SO much more demanding.  Even the tiniest of errors shows up as a big blur in the photograph.  

You are doing all the right things to get started--now you have to work through the really painstaking problems of the off-axis guide eyepiece, very high magnification, and fine adjustments to your tracking motors.

Paul Wagner