Astronomy BAsics

ENGLISH

The Celestial Coordinate System and Motion of the Stars sections below are applicable to all types of telescopes, and if you have a non-computerized altazimuth telescope, these are the only sections that apply to your telescope. The sections about Latitude Scale/Pointing at Polaris/Finding the North & South Celestial Poles/Polar Alignment in the

Northern & Southern Hemisphere, etc. are basic information for non-computerized equatorially mounted telescopes actual telescope models may differ somewhat from the descriptions about basic functions.

The CelesTial CoordinaTe sysTem

To help find objects in the sky, astronomers use a celestial coordinate system that is similar to our geographical coordinate system here on Earth. The celestial coordinate system has poles, lines of longitude and latitude, and an equator. For the most part, these remain fixed against the background stars. The celestial equator runs 360 degrees around the Earth and separates the northern celestial hemisphere from the southern. Like the Earths equator, it bears a reading of zero degrees. On Earth this would be latitude. However, in the sky this is referred to as declination, or DEC for short. Lines of declination are named for their angular distance above and below the celestial equator. The lines are broken down into degrees, minutes of arc, and seconds of arc. Declination readings south of the equator carry a minus sign (-) in front of the coordinate and those north of the celestial equator are either blank (i.e., no designation) or preceded by a plus sign (+). The celestial equivalent of longitude is called Right Ascension (or R.A. for short). Like the Earths lines of longitude, they run from pole to pole and are evenly spaced 15 degrees apart. Although the longitude lines are separated by an angular distance, they are also a measure of time. Each line of longitude is one hour apart from the next. Since the Earth rotates once every 24 hours, there are 24 lines total. As a result, the R.A. coordinates are marked off in units of time. It begins with an arbitrary point in the constellation of Pisces designated as 0 hours, 0 minutes, 0 seconds. All other points are designated by how far (i.e., how long) they lag behind this coordinate after it passes overhead moving toward the west.

60

40

20

The celesTial sphere seen from The ouTside showing r.a. and dec

21

20

19 18

17

22

23

-4 0
-60

moTion of The sTars

The daily motion of the Sun across the sky is familiar to even the most casual observer. This daily trek is not the Sun moving as early astronomers thought, but the result of the Earths rotation. The Earths rotation also causes the stars to do the same, scribing out a large circle as the Earth completes one rotation. The size of the circular path a star follows depends on where it is in the sky. Stars near the celestial equator form the largest circles rising in the east and setting in the west. Moving toward the north celestial pole, the point around which the stars in the northern hemisphere appear to rotate, these circles become smaller. Stars in the mid-celestial latitudes rise in the northeast and set in the northwest. Stars at high celestial latitudes are always above the horizon, and are said to be circumpolar because they never rise and never set. You will never see the stars complete one circle because the sunlight during the day washes out the starlight. However, part of this circular motion of stars in this region of the sky can be seen by setting up a camera on a tripod and opening the shutter for a couple hours. The image will reveal semicircles that revolve around the pole. (This description of stellar motions also applies to the southern hemisphere except all stars south of the celestial equator move around the south celestial pole.)

sTars seen near The

norTh celesTial pole

sTars seen near The

celesTial equaTor

sTars seen looking in The opposiTe

direcTion of The norTh celesTial pole

all sTars appear To roTaTe around The celesTial poles. however, The appearance of This moTion varies depending on where you are looking in The sky. near The norTh celesTial pole The sTars scribe ouT recognizable circles cenTered on The pole (1). sTars near The celesTial equaTor also follow circular paThs around The pole. buT, The compleTe paTh is inTerrupTed by The horizon. These appear To rise in The easT and seT in The wesT (2). looking Toward The opposiTe pole, sTars curve or arc in The opposiTe direcTion scribing a circle around The opposiTe pole (3).

laTiTude sCale
The easiest way to polar align a telescope is with a latitude scale. Unlike other methods that require you to find the celestial pole by identifying certain stars near it, this method works off of a known constant to determine how high the polar axis should be pointed. Most mounts can be adjusted from about 20 to 60 degrees. The constant, mentioned above, is a relationship between your latitude and the angular distance the celestial pole is above the northern (or southern) horizon. The angular distance from the northern horizon to the north celestial pole is always equal to your latitude. To illustrate this, imagine that you are standing on the North Pole, latitude +90. The north celestial pole, which has a declination of +90, would be directly overhead (i.e., 90 above the horizon). Now, lets say that you move one degree south your latitude is now +89 and the celestial pole is no longer directly overhead. It has moved one degree closer toward the northern horizon. This means the pole is now 89 above the northern horizon. If you move one degree further south, the same thing happens again. You would have to travel 70 miles north or south to change your latitude by one degree. As you can see from this example, the distance from the northern horizon to the celestial pole is always equal to your latitude. If you are observing from Los Angeles, which is at latitude 34, then the celestial pole is 34 above the northern horizon. All a latitude scale does then is to point the polar axis of the telescope at the right elevation above the northern (or southern) horizon. To align your telescope: 1. Make sure the polar axis of the mount is pointing due north. Use a landmark that you know faces north. 2. Level the tripod. There is a bubble level built into the mount for this purpose. NOTE: Leveling the tripod is only necessary if using this method of polar alignment. Perfect polar alignment is still possible using other methods described later in this manual without leveling the tripod. 3. Adjust the mount in altitude until the latitude indicator points to your latitude. Moving the mount affects the angle the polar axis is pointing. For specific information on adjusting the equatorial mount, please see the section Adjusting the Mount. This method can be done in daylight, thus eliminating the need to fumble around in the dark. Although this method does NOT put you directly on the pole, it will limit the number of corrections you will make when tracking an object. It will also be accurate enough for short exposure prime focus planetary photography (a couple of seconds) and short exposure piggyback astrophotography (a couple of minutes). 2

PoinTing aT Polaris
This method utilizes Polaris as a guidepost to the celestial pole. Since Polaris is less than a degree from the celestial pole, you can simply point the polar axis of your telescope at Polaris. Although this is by no means perfect alignment, it does get you within one degree. Unlike the previous method, this must be done in the dark when Polaris is visible. 1. Set the telescope up so that the polar axis is pointing north. 2. Loosen the DEC clutch knob and move the telescope so that the tube is parallel to the polar axis. When this is done, the declination setting circle will read +90. If the declination setting circle is not aligned, move the telescope so that the tube is parallel to the polar axis. 3. Adjust the mount in altitude and/or azimuth until Polaris is in the field of view of the finder. 4. Center Polaris in the field of the telescope using the fine adjustment controls on the mount. Remember, while Polar aligning, DO NOT move the telescope in R.A. or DEC. You do not want to move the telescope itself, but the polar axis. The telescope is used simply to see where the polar axis is pointing. Like the previous method, this gets you close to the pole but not directly on it. The following methods help improve your accuracy for more serious observations and photography.

Zenith

Lat

itud

is ole r ax ola hP ort ep N f th ial no est cel ctio e he Dir of t ion ect Dir
Horizon

e itud Lat q Equ th Sou a ato r r

rth No

of tion ial irec elest le D c o the rth P No

Earth

finding The norTh CelesTial Pole

In each hemisphere, there is a point in the sky around which all the other stars appear to rotate. These points are called the celestial poles and are named for the hemisphere in which they reside. For example, in the northern hemisphere all stars move around the north celestial pole. When the telescopes polar axis is pointed at the celestial pole, it is parallel to the Earths rotational axis. Many methods of polar alignment require that you know how to find the celestial pole by identifying stars in the area. For those in the northern hemisphere, finding the celestial pole is not too difficult. Fortunately, we have a naked eye star less than a degree away. This star, Polaris, is the end star in the handle of the Little Dipper. Since the Little Dipper (technically called Ursa Minor) is not one of the brightest constellations in the sky, it may be difficult to locate from urban areas. If this is the case, use the two end stars in the bowl of the Big Dipper (the pointer stars). Draw an imaginary line through them toward the Little Dipper. They point to Polaris. The position of the Big Dipper (Ursa Major) changes during the year and throughout the course of the night. When the Big Dipper is low in the sky (i.e., near the horizon), it may be difficult to locate. During these times, look for Cassiopeia. Observers in the southern hemisphere are not as fortunate as those in the northern hemisphere. The stars around the south celestial pole are not nearly as bright as those around the north. The closest star that is relatively bright is Sigma Octantis. This star is just within naked eye limit (magnitude 5.5) and lies about 59 arc minutes from the pole. 3 The north celestial pole is the point in the northern hemisphere around which all stars appear to rotate. The counterpart in the southern hemisphere is referred to as the south celestial pole.

Spring

Polaris (North Star) Summer

Winter

Fall

The posiTion of The Big Dipper changes ThroughouT The year anD The nighT.

Polar alignmenT in The souThern hemisPhere

Polar alignment to the South Celestial Pole (SCP) is a little more challenging due to the fact that there is no very bright star close to it like Polaris is in the NCP. There are various ways to polar align your telescope and for casual observing, the methods below are adequate enough and will get you reasonably close to the SCP.

Big Dipper

Little Dipper

N.C.P. Polaris (North Star)

Cassiopeia

PolAr Alignment with the lAtitude scAle

The easiest way to polar align a telescope is with a latitude scale. Unlike other methods that require you to find the celestial pole by identifying certain stars near it, this method works off of a known constant to determine how high the polar axis should be pointed. The constant, mentioned above, is a relationship between your latitude and the angular distance the celestial pole is above the southern horizon. The angular distance from the southern horizon to the south celestial pole is always equal to your latitude. To illustrate this, imagine that you are standing on the South Pole, latitude -90. The south celestial pole (declination of -90) would be directly overhead (i.e., 90 above the horizon). Now, lets say that you move one degree north your latitude is now -89 and the celestial pole is no longer directly overhead. It has moved one degree closer toward the southern horizon. This means the pole is now 89 above the southern horizon. If you move one degree further north, the same thing happens again. You would have to travel 70 miles north or south to change your latitude by one degree. As you can see from this example, the distance from the southern horizon to the celestial pole is always equal to your latitude. If you are observing from Sydney, which is at latitude -34, then the celestial pole is 34 above the southern horizon. All a latitude scale does then is to point the polar axis of the telescope at the right elevation above the southern horizon. To align your telescope:

1. Make sure the polar axis of the mount is pointing due south. Use a landmark that you know faces south. 2. Level the tripod. Leveling the tripod is only necessary if using this method of polar alignment. 3. Adjust the mount in altitude until the latitude indicator points to your latitude. Moving the mount affects the angle the polar axis is pointing. For specific information on adjusting the equatorial mount, please see the section Adjusting the Mount in your telescope manual. 4. If the above is done correctly, you should be able to observe near the pole through the finderscope and a low power eyepiece. This method can be done in daylight, thus eliminating the need to fumble around in the dark. Although this method does NOT put you directly on the pole, it will limit the number of corrections you will make when tracking an object.

PoinTing aT sigma oCTanTis

This method utilizes Sigma Octantis as a guidepost to the celestial pole. Since Sigma Octantis is about 1 degree from the south celestial pole, you can simply point the polar axis of your telescope at Sigma Octantis.. Although this is by no means perfect alignment, it does get you within one degree. Unlike the previous method, this must be done in the dark when Sigma Octantis is visible. Sigma Octantis has a magnitude of 4 5.5 and may be difficult to see and a binocular may be helpful as well as the finderscope. 1. Set the telescope up so that the polar axis is pointing south. 2. Loosen the DEC clutch knob and move the telescope so that the tube is parallel to the polar axis. When this is done, the declination setting circle will read 90. If the declination

setting circle is not aligned, move the telescope so that the tube is parallel to the polar axis. 3. Adjust the mount in altitude and/or azimuth until Sigma Octantis is in the field of view of the finder. 4. If the above is done correctly, you should be able to observe near the pole through the finderscope and a low power eyepiece. Remember, while Polar aligning, do NOT move the telescope in R.A. or DEC. You do not want to move the telescope itself, but the polar axis. The telescope is used simply to see where the polar axis is pointing. Like the previous method, this gets you close to the pole but not directly on it.

Sigma Octanis

S.C.P.

Southern Cro

ss

finding The souTh CelesTial Pole (sCP

This method helps improve your polar alignment and gets you closer to the pole than the above methods. This will improve your accuracy for more serious observations and photography. In each hemisphere, there is a point in the sky around which all the other stars appear to rotate. These points are called the celestial poles and are named for the hemisphere in which they reside. For example, in the southern hemisphere all stars move around the south celestial pole. When the telescopes polar axis is pointed at the celestial pole, it is parallel to the Earths rotational axis. Many methods of polar alignment require that you know how to find the celestial pole by identifying stars in the area. Observers in the southern hemisphere are not as fortunate as those in the northern hemisphere. The stars around the south celestial pole are not nearly as bright as those around the north celestial pole. The closest star that is relatively bright is Sigma Octantis. This star is just within naked eye limit (magnitude 5.5) and lies about 1 from the south celestial pole but can be difficult to locate. Therefore, with this method, you will use star patterns to find the south celestial pole. Draw an imaginary line toward the
Alpha Centauri Beta Centauri Beta Crucis Omega Octanis

Alpha Crucis

S.C.P.

SCP through Alpha Crucis and Beta Crucis (which are in the Southern Cross). Draw another imaginary line toward the SCP at a right angle to a line connecting Alpha Centauri and Beta Centauri. The intersecting of these two imaginary lines will point you close to the south celestial pole.

deClinaTion drifT meThod of Polar alignmenT

This method of polar alignment allows you to get the most accurate alignment on the celestial pole and is required if you want to do long exposure deep-sky astrophotography through the telescope. The declination drift method requires that you monitor the drift of selected stars. The drift of each star tells you how far away the polar axis is pointing from the true celestial pole and in what direction. Although declination drift is simple and straight-forward, it requires a great deal of time and patience to complete when first attempted. The declination drift method should be done after any one of the previously mentioned methods has been completed. To perform the declination drift method you need to choose two bright stars. One should be near the eastern horizon and one due south near the meridian. Both stars should be near the celestial equator (i.e., 0 declination). You will monitor the drift of each star one at a time and in declination only. While monitoring a star on the meridian, any misalignment in the east-west direction is revealed. While monitoring a star near the east/west horizon, any misalignment in the northsouth direction is revealed. It is helpful to have an illuminated reticle eyepiece to help you recognize any drift. For very close alignment, a Barlow lens is also recommended since it increases the magnification and reveals any drift faster. When looking due 5 south, insert the diagonal so the eyepiece points straight up. Insert the cross hair eyepiece and align the cross hairs so that one is parallel to the declination axis and the other is parallel to the right ascension axis. Move your telescope manually in R.A. and DEC to check parallelism. First, choose your star near where the celestial equator and the meridian meet. The star should be approximately within 1/2 an hour of the meridian and within five degrees of the celestial equator. Center the star in the field of your telescope and monitor the drift in declination. If the star drifts south, the polar axis is too far east. If the star drifts north, the polar axis is too far west. Make the appropriate adjustments to the polar axis to eliminate any drift. Once you have eliminated all the drift, move to the star near the eastern horizon. The star should be 20 degrees above the horizon and within five degrees of the celestial equator. If the star drifts south, the polar axis is too low. If the star drifts north, the polar axis is too high. Again, make the appropriate adjustments to the polar axis to eliminate any drift. Unfortunately, the latter adjustments interact

with the prior adjustments ever so slightly. So, repeat the process again to improve the accuracy checking both axes for minimal drift. Once the drift has been eliminated, the telescope is very accurately aligned. You can now do prime focus deepsky astrophotography for long periods.

NOTE: If the eastern horizon is blocked, you may choose a star near the western horizon, but you must reverse the polar high/low error directions. Also, if using this method in the southern hemisphere, the direction of drift is reversed for both R.A. and DEC.

aligning The r.a. seTTing CirCle

Before you can use the setting circles to find objects in the sky you need to align the R.A. setting circle. The declination setting circle is aligned during the process of polar alignment. In order to align the R.A. setting circle, you will need to know the names of a few of the brightest stars in the sky. If you dont, they can be learned by using the Celestron Sky Maps (#93722) or consulting a current astronomy magazine. NOTE: Because the R.A. setting circle does NOT move as the telescope moves in R.A., the setting circle must be aligned each time you want to use it to find an object. This holds true even if you are using an optional motor drive. However, you do not need to use a star each time. Instead, you can use the coordinates of the object you are currently observing. Once the setting circles are aligned you can use them to find any objects with known coordinates. The accuracy of your setting circles is directly related to the accuracy of your polar alignment. 1. Select an object to observe. Use a seasonal star chart to make sure the object you chose is above the horizon. As you become more familiar with the night sky, this will no longer be necessary. 2. Look up the coordinates in a star atlas or reference book. 3. Hold the telescope and release the DEC clamp. 4. Move the telescope in declination until the indicator is pointing at the correct declination coordinate. To align the R.A. setting circle: 1. Locate a bright star near the celestial equator. The farther you are from the celestial pole the better your reading on the R.A. setting circle will be. The star you choose to align the setting circle with should be a bright one whose coordinates are known and easy to look up. 2. Center the star in the finderscope. 3. Look through the main telescope and see if the star is in the field. If not, find it and center it. 4. If you purchased an optional motor drive, start it now so that it will track the star. 5. Look up the coordinates of the star. 6. Rotate the circle until the proper co-ordinates line up with the R.A. indicator (the zero mark on the vernier scale). The R.A. setting circle should rotate freely. If the circle does not move freely, loosen the thumbscrew to the right of the scale. 5. Lock the declination clamp to prevent the telescope from moving. 6. Hold the telescope and release the R.A. clamp. 7. Move the telescope in R.A. until the indicator points to the correct coordinate. 8. Lock the R.A. clamp to prevent the telescope from slipping in R.A. The telescope will track in R.A. as long as the motor drive is operating. 9. Look through the finderscope to see if you have located the object and center the object in the finder. 10. Look in the main optics and the object should be there. For some of the fainter objects, you may not be able to see them in the finder. When this happens, it is a good idea to have a star chart of the area so that you can star hop through the field to your target. This process can be repeated for each object throughout any given night.

using The r.a. Vernier sCale

To increase the accuracy of the R.A. setting circle, the mount comes with a vernier scale. This device allows you to get more precise readings down to one minute of right ascension. Before we go into the specifics on how to use the vernier, lets take a look at the scale and learn how to read it. First, the zero (0) mark on the vernier is the R.A. indicator and will hereafter be referred to as such. It is on the extreme right end of the vernier scale with the other numbers increasing as you move toward the left. If the R.A. indicator is right on one of the marks of the R.A. setting circle, then that is the coordinate the telescope is pointing at. The problem arises when the R.A. indicator (zero mark) is in between two of the marks on the R.A. setting circle. If this is the case, you will notice that along the vernier scale, one of the marks will line up with one of the marks on the setting circle. This mark indicates the number of minutes that should be added to the R.A. reading of the indicator. Since the indicator is between two R.A. marks, add the minutes to the lower value that the R.A. indicator falls between. For example, lets say the R.A. indicator (zero mark on the vernier) is just left of the 5h 40m mark. This would place it between the 5h 40m mark and the 5h 50m mark. If you look down the vernier scale, you will see that the 4 is the only 6

mark to line up with any of the marks on the R.A. setting circle. This means that you are 4 minutes to the left of the 5h and 40m mark or more simply at 5h and 44m. Heres how to use the vernier: 1. Look up the coordinates of the object you want to observe. For our example we will use the Ring Nebula (M57) which is at 18h 53m right ascension. 2. Release the R.A. clamp and rotate the telescope until the R.A. indicator is between the 18h 50m mark and the 19h 00m mark on the R.A. setting circle. 3. Lock the R.A. clamp to hold the telescope in place. 4. Move the telescope in R.A. using the slow motion control handle until the three on the vernier scale lines up with one of the marks on the R.A. setting circle. Remember, the R.A. indicator must stay between the 18h 50m mark and the 19h 00m mark on the R.A. setting circle!

5. Look through the telescope and the Ring Nebula should be within the field of view if you are using a low power eyepiece (assuming you have already set the DEC).

7h

6h

10

vernier scale

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