Telescope Mounts



There are several different types of telescope mounts available but the two most popular ones are the Alt-Azimuth and the Equatorial.

Alt-Azimuth Mount

This Alt-Azimuth mount is similar to a camera tripod. It uses the vertical (altitude) axis and a horizontal (azimuth) axis to help you locate your object.

This type of mount has two variations. The Ball and Socket which has a ball shaped end that can move freely. The second type is called a Rocker Box.

This is usually made of plywood and has a low center of gravity. It has a horizontal circular base and Teflon ball bearings for the altitude axis. These are great mounts for a heavier telescope.

This type of mount is ideal for terrestrial viewing and for scanning the sky at low power but is not recommended for long exposure photography because it is not aligned with Earth's axis.

Equatorial Mount

The second type of mount is called the Equatorial. This mount uses two axes that are lined up with the poles to keep track of the motion an object takes across the sky. The axes can be Right Ascension, Polar, or Declination.

Instead of moving up and down on its axes like the Alt-Azimuth, this particular mount is tilted toward the Earth's axis of rotation.

There are two varieties of this particular mount. One is the German Equatorial Mount. This mount is shaped like a T. The longer axis of the T is lined up with the pole of the Earth. The second variety is the Fork Mount.

This style of mount is used for astronomical telescopes and cameras. The main advantage of an equatorial mount lies in its ability to allow the instrument attached to it to stay fixed on any object in the sky that has a diurnal motion by driving one axis at a constant speed.

For amateur astronomers the equatorial mounts remain the most popular, particularly when it comes to astrophotography.



Alt-Azimuth MountThe Alt-Azimuth Mount is the simplest type of mounting for telescopes. There are a number of variations but all share a common characteristic,

Astro Physics Equatorial Mount Mach1GTO
The first, compact, light-weight mounting that was designed for utmost portability while maintaining extreme rigidity and excellent tracking accuracy.

Astro Physics 900GTO Mount
Amateurs today demand a precise mount that will allow them to pursue all aspects of astronomy.

Astro Physics 1200GTO Mount
These mounts are truly a marvel of engineering, having maximum strength and rigidity with minimum weight

Equatorial Mount
If you have a good quality scope or intend to do any long-exposure astrophotography then you will require a high quality mount.

Losmandy Titan
With smart black anodised aluminium and stainless steel, precision engineering and state of the art electronics it make this mount probably the best in its class

Return From Telescope Mounts To The Telescopes Home Page

Privacy Policy | Disclaimer | Sitemap | Contact | Link To Us
copyright © 2012 Telescopes-For-Amateur-Astronomers.com Google Analytics Alternative