What is an equatorial telescope mounting?
A giant telescope weighs many tons and naturally it must be mounted on sturdy. supports. However, the mounting must be movable so that an observer can aim the instrument at different parts of the sky. This tricky job is done by a complex mechanism called an equatorial mounting. Chances are, the first telescope you own is a simple spy glass in a longish tube. Maybe it came with a tripod stand to keep it steady and leave your hands free to aim and focus your instrument. You must keep changing the aim because the object you are watching continuously drifts across your field of vision and out of range. After a spell of this sky spying, you must rest your weary muscles and work a crick or two out of your neck. This pause gives you time to wonder how astronomers support their massive telescopes, aim them and kip them trained on moving celestial targets. A giant telescope must be able to point at any spot in the heavens. To do so, its massive tube must be able to move in two general direction
