How to Balance the Right Ascension of the Sky-Watcher SK8035TAEQ Tabletop Telescope

In astronomy, sky coordinates are similar to longitude and latitude on Earth. Sky coordinates are called right ascension (hour angle) and declination. To find objects that are too faint, one has to use setting circles. This helps locate celestial objects whose coordinates have been predetermined from star charts. To do this, the right ascension (RA) setting circle should be set. RA helps track slow-moving celestial objects by counteracting the rotation of the Earth. The hours in RA setting circle are 1 to 24. In between, there are sub-divisions of minutes and seconds. The upper set of numbers is used to view the Northern Hemisphere, while the lower set applies to viewing the Southern Hemisphere. As there are 24 hours in a day and 360 degrees in a circle, an hour of right ascension is measured as 15 degrees. Here is how to balance the right ascension of the Sky-Watcher SK8035TAEQ Tabletop Telescope.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Star chart
• EQ1 mount

1. Find a star with known coordinates in your field of view.
2. Loosen the RA and Declination (DEC) lock knobs on the EQ1 mount and direct the telescope to a position so that the chosen star lies in the center of the eyepiece’s field of view.
3. Re-tighten the knobs to secure the mount in place.
4. Rotate the RA setting circle until it shows the same coordinates as determined by the star chart for the chosen star.

Tips & Warnings

• As a start, choose 0.0 magnitude star Vega in the constellation Lyra with coordinates 18 hours, 36 minutes.
• Polar align the telescope accurately and calibrate the RA setting circle before using the setting circles. Otherwise, the RA setting circle may not show the results accurately.

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