It depends on what part of the sky they object was in- what time did you take the shot? --- astrodeb@charter.net wrote:

If stars are trailed to the east, do I need to move the azimuth control to the west?

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astrodeb@charter.net wrote:

Yes. Here is a photo from last night's session.

http://www.utahastronomy.com/astrodeb/RZ_IMG_6821

If stars are trailed to the east, do I need to move the azimuth control to the west?

Debbie

Here's a description (from Celestron) of the drift method. That's the method we used to align the Ealing and Grim Scopes at SPOC. I also used it for preliminary alignment of the telescope in my home observatory. It can take a long time to get it just right which is why I tend to use it only for permanent installations. But it is VERY accurate if done correctly. Patrick First, choose your star near where the celestial equator (i.e. at or about 0º in declination) and the meridian meet. The star should be approximately 1/2 hour of right ascension from the meridian and within five degrees in declination of the celestial equator. Center the star in the field of your telescope and monitor the drift in declination. * If the star drifts south, the polar axis is too far east. * If the star drifts north, the polar axis is too far west. Using the telescope's azimuth adjustment knobs, make the appropriate adjustments to the polar axis to eliminate any drift. Once you have eliminated all the drift, move to the star near the eastern horizon. The star should be 20 degrees above the horizon and within five degrees of the celestial equator. * If the star drifts south, the polar axis is too low. * If the star drifts north, the polar axis is too high. This time, make the appropriate adjustments to the polar axis in altitude to eliminate any drift. Unfortunately, the latter adjustments interact with the prior adjustments ever so slightly. So, repeat the process again to improve the accuracy, checking both axes for minimal drift. Once the drift has been eliminated, the telescope is very accurately aligned. You can now do prime focus deep-sky astrophotography for long periods. NOTE: If the eastern horizon is blocked, you may choose a star near the western horizon, but you must reverse the polar high/low error directions. Also, if using this method in the southern hemisphere, the direction of drift is reversed for both R.A. and DEC.