Altazimuth Mountings (Alt-Az)

The Altazimuth mount, often popularly abbreviated to Alt-Az, is the most natural and intuitive way to operate a telescope. Whereas an equatorial mount (EQ) is designed for the complex needs of the astrophotographer, the Alt-Az mount is the undisputed king of visual astronomy. The system operates on two simple axes: vertical (elevation) and horizontal (azimuth). This is exactly the same way a professional camera tripod works, which means anyone - from young to old - can start exploring the night sky within seconds.

At Telescoop.nl, we recommend Alt-Az systems for the grab-and-go astronomer. The biggest advantage is that no time-consuming pole adjustment to the Pole Star is required. You set up the tripod, place the telescope in the clamp, and you're ready to admire the craters on the Moon, the moons of Jupiter, or the rings of Saturn. This also makes the Alt-Az mount the perfect choice for daytime landscape observation; with a suitable telescope, you transform your astronomical setup into a powerful spotting scope for nature or bird watching.

Different versions of Alt-Az systems Within our range, we distinguish three main sub-categories, each serving a specific niche within visual astronomy:

  1. Manual Alt-Az Mounts: Consider the robust Omegon AZ Series Whether the Sky-Watcher AZ mounts. These are often equipped with fine adjustment knobs (slow-motion controls), which allow you to hold objects at high magnifications very precisely in the center of your eyepiece.

  2. Dobson Mounts: The ultimate form of Alt-Az mount for those seeking maximum aperture for a minimal price. A Dobson mount rests directly on the ground and offers unparalleled stability for large Newton telescopes, ideal for tracking faint deep-sky objects such as nebulae and galaxies.

  3. GoTo Alt-Az Systems: For those who do not want to search manually, we offer intelligent systems such as the Celestron NexStar-series. These mounts contain a built-in computer that, after a brief alignment on two or three bright stars, automatically looks up and tracks any object you want from the database for you.

Although Alt-Az mounts are less suitable for deep-sky astrophotography with long exposure times due to their ‘field rotation,’ they are excellent for lunar and planetary photography. Because of their simple mechanics, these mounts are often lighter and more compact than their EQ counterparts, making them the preferred choice for astronomers who value mobility and ease of use above all else. Whether you are a novice stargazer or an experienced observer looking for a second, lightweight setup; a quality Alt-Az mount from Telescoop.nl is the direct link between you and the cosmos.