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4 December 2008 17:00
- using a system to automatically correct the position of a telescope's mount to keep the telescope pointed precisely at a given target
- autoguiding systems work by sending signals to the mount to correct the
mount's position when a given star (the "guide star") moves from its
starting position
- autoguiding systems typically consist of a either a separate guidescope and camera, a camera mounted in an off-axis guider
- some imaging cameras have dedicated autoguiding chips built-in
- most systems utilize a camera, software and a computer, but there are some self-contained autoguiders (the SBIG ST-4 being the most well-known)
- cameras used include repurposed imaging cameras (the Meade DSI series, for example), or webcams like the Philips SPC900
- popular free autoguiding software includes PHD, GuideDog, and MetaGuide
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Orion Telescopes
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