Unraveling the mysteries of equatorial mounts: Discover easy steps for assembly and observing celestial bodies in the night sky

In the realm of astronomy, an equatorial mount plays a crucial role for both visual observations and astrophotography. This astronomical device is designed to follow the apparent movement of stars across the night sky, a movement caused by Earth's rotation.

An equatorial mount has two fully rotatable axes: one in declination (dec.) and the other in right ascension (RA). The principal part of the mount, the mount head, is where these axes intersect. On the top of the mount head, there's a saddle where you attach your telescope.

For accurate polar alignment, especially for astrophotography, a polarscope fitted in the RA axis is used. This ensures that the mount's polar axis is lined up with the north celestial pole, a point where the sky appears to rotate around. In the northern hemisphere, Polaris (Alpha Ursae Minoris), also known as the North Star, is a convenient star almost on top of the point where one axis of the mount is aimed. Southern hemisphere astronomers, however, use Sigma Octantis instead.

Computerized equatorial mounts allow for the even finer accurate alignment needed for deep-sky astrophotography. These mounts can be adjusted to match the rotation of Earth itself when aligned with the north celestial pole. By aligning one axis with the pole star, the mount's rotation mirrors the Earth's rotation, keeping your target in focus without drifting from your field of view.

For stability, the mount is fixed to a sturdy tripod with adjustable legs. Counterweights are attached to the dec. axis, with the weight you need dependent upon the weight of the telescope plus any additional equipment or accessories. Most commercial models are based on the German Equatorial Mount.

It's important to note that the sky, in fact, only appears to rotate; it's actually the Earth that's rotating, once every 24 hours. This is why an equatorial mount is necessary to accurately track the stars' movement across the sky.

Finally, it's worth mentioning that no relevant information was found regarding the company that manufactures the most commercial equatorial mounts in the provided search results. Regardless, with the right equipment and a bit of practice, stargazing can be a rewarding and awe-inspiring experience.

Unraveling the mysteries of equatorial mounts: Discover easy steps for assembly and observing celestial bodies in the night sky