ORION TELESCOPES & BINOCULARS 52588, Instruction Manual

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2.  Loosen the latitude lock bolt located on the front of the 

mount (see 

Figure 7). Turn the latitude adjustment bolt (on 

the opposite side of the mount) until the pointer on the 
latitude scale is indicating the latitude of your observing 
location. If you don’t know your latitude, you can look it up 
on the internet. For example, if your latitude is 35° North, 
set the pointer to 35. Then lightly retighten the latitude lock 
bolt. The latitude setting should not have to be adjusted 
again unless you move to a different viewing location 
some distance away. 

3.  Loosen the Dec. lock knob and rotate the telescope optical 

tube until it is parallel with the R.A. axis, as it is in 

Figure 

2. The pointer on the Dec. setting circle should read 90°. 
Retighten the Dec. lock knob. 

4.  Loosen the azimuth lock knob at the base of the equatorial 

mount (

Figure 7) and rotate the mount so the R.A. axis 

points roughly at Polaris. If you cannot see Polaris directly 
from your observing site, consult a compass and rotate the 
mount so the telescope points North. Retighten the azi-
muth lock knob.

NOTE:

 You can do the polar alignment with the telescope 

attached to the equatorial mount.

The equatorial mount is now polar aligned. 

From this point 

on in your observing session, you should not make any 
further adjustments to the azimuth or the latitude of the 
mount, nor should you move the tripod. Doing so will render 
the polar alignment inaccurate. The telescope should be moved 
only about its R.A. and Dec. axes.

Using the R.A. and Dec. Slow-Motion Control 

Cables

The R.A. and Dec. slow-motion control cables allow fine 
adjustment of the telescope’s position to center objects within 
the field of view. Before using the cables, manually “slew” the 
mount to point the telescope in the vicinity of the desired tar-
get. Do this by loosening the R.A. and Dec. lock knobs (

Figure 

7) and moving the telescope about the mount’s R.A. and Dec. 
axes. Once the telescope is pointed somewhere close to the 
object to be viewed, retighten the mount’s R.A. and Dec. lock 
knobs. 
The object should now be visible somewhere in the field of 
view of the red dot finder scope. If it isn’t, use the slow-motion 
controls to scan the surrounding area of sky. 

Note: when 

using the slow motion cables, the R.A. and Dec lock 
knobs should be tightened, not loose.  When the object 
is visible in the finder scope, use the slow-motion controls to 
center the red dot on it. Now, look in the telescope’s eyepiece 
and use the slow-motion controls to center it in the eyepiece.  
The Dec. slow-motion control cable can move the telescope a 
maximum of 25° or so. This is because the Dec. slow-motion 
mechanism has a limited range of mechanical travel. (The 
R.A. slow-motion mechanism has no limit to its amount of 
travel.) If you can no longer rotate the Dec. control cable in a 
desired direction, you have reached the end of travel, and the 
slow-motion mechanism must be reset. This is done by first 
rotating the control cable several turns in the opposite direc-
tion from which it was being turned. Then, manually slew the 
telescope closer to the object you wish to observe (remember 
to first loosen the Dec. lock knob). You should now be able to 
use the Dec. slow-motion control cable again to fine adjust the 
telescope’s position.

Figure 14

. To balance the telescope on the mount, you first 

A) 

balance it on the R.A. axis, then

 B)

 on the Declination axis. 

R.A. lock 
knob

Dec. lock 
knob

Big Dipper  
(in Ursa Major)

Little Dipper  
(in Ursa Minor)

Cassiopeia

N.C.P.

Pointer 

Stars

Polaris

Figure 15.

To find Polaris in the night sky, look north and find 

the Big Dipper. Extend an imaginary line from the two "Pointer 
Stars" in the bowl of the Big Dipper. Go about five times the 
distance between those stars and you'll reach Polaris, which lies 
within 1° of the north celestial pole (NCP).

A

B