Re: ATM Question about mounts and astrophotography?

[cshaw@ghgcorp.com (Chuck Shaw)]

Tom,
You will need to guide for exposures as long as you are talking about, no
matter what system you use.

A Platform allows guiding quite easily in RA, and requires a "tilt" drive
for guiding in DEC.  It is also constrained for guiding in dec to within
+/- 10 deg or so from the merdian to avoid field rotation from the tilt
changes.

Keeping those constraints in mind, an equitorial platform will work fine
for you!!

Chuck




At 9:30 AM 9/26/96, Tom.Stock@gsbsc.gensig.com wrote:
>        I want to be able to do around 5 - 15 minute exposures for
>     starters.  Would it be easier and
>     cheaper to build a tangent drive equatorial (as a first mount)?

Chuck Shaw
cshaw@ghgcorp.com  (home e-mail)
cshaw@gp801.jsc.nasa.gov  (work e-mail)
http://www.ghgcorp.com/cshaw  (rudimentry homepage effort)