An "alt-az" mount (left) permits the scope to move up-down and left-right.
Telescope mountsFor all their apparent diversity, telescope mounts boil down to two basic types. An "alt-az" mount (left) permits the scope to move up-down and left-right. It's quick to set up and intuitive to use. An equatorial mount (right) can track celestial objects by turning just one axis and can be more easily motorized — but to work properly it must be aligned with Polaris, the North Star.