{"id":36924,"date":"2022-09-27T12:05:06","date_gmt":"2022-09-27T12:05:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.skyatnightmagazine.com\/?p=57729"},"modified":"2022-09-27T12:21:21","modified_gmt":"2022-09-27T12:21:21","slug":"best-telescope-mounts-2022","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/rss_feed\/best-telescope-mounts-2022\/","title":{"rendered":"Best telescope mounts 2022"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Iain Todd\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Tuesday, 27 September 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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Some would argue that a telescope mount is the most important piece of astronomy kit you can own: more so, perhaps than the telescope itself.<\/p>\n

After all, what good are first-rate optics if your mount and tripod will ultimately let you down when it comes to observing the night sky or capturing it with astrophotography?<\/p>\n

If you have just bought your first telescope<\/a> and now need a mount to go with it, the model you choose could make or break your entry into amateur astronomy.<\/p>\n

A mount will hold your telescope securely in place, helping you avoid wobbles and shakes that could spoil your field of view or interrupt your long photographic exposures. But nowadays mounts do so much more than that.<\/p>\n

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The various sections of an equatorial mount. Credit: BBC Sky at Night Magazine<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

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Go-To mounts<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Computerised Go-To mounts often come with a database of deep-sky objects and planets that they can slew your telescope to with the click of a button, while tracking mounts that compensate for the rotation of the celestial sphere<\/a> are a must for astrophotography<\/a>, and also for visual observers who don\u2019t want to be nudging their telescope to keep a target in the field of view.<\/span><\/p>\n

Telescopes may be the light buckets that bring distant astronomical objects into view, but your mount is the bedrock upon which your entire observing setup is built.<\/span><\/p>\n

With that in mind, it pays to take into careful consideration the sort of telescope mount you need for your purposes, depending on what you want your setup to do, and what your budget will allow.<\/p>\n

You might wish to know, for example, what type of mount is best for astrophotography<\/a> and, if so, you can also read our guide to the best telescopes for astrophotography<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It will also be worth exploring the difference between altaz mounts<\/a> and equatorial mounts<\/a>.<\/p>\n

More astronomy best buys:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n