Aligning a telescope to polar axis, RA,Dec etc etc etc.

I'm new to the world of telescopes. I have been happily casually stargazing for the last 20+yrs with a pair of 7X50 bins. In the destructions manual that came with my telescope it talks about aligning this that and the other. It's pretty scarey stuff to a newbie (whose only other telescope had none of the fancy smancey stuff that are standard today).When i was a kid my telescope had a lens on one end and a viewfinder on the other end..........held together with a nice blue tube. The simple things in life are the best.

So here's my question:

Do i REALLY (i mean REALLY) need to worry about aligning things up to polar axis,scopefinder configuration etc etc when all i want to do is point my scope at things in the skies and look at them?

I know the skies pretty well at this stage and know where to find all of the BIG BOYS (and girls). Cant i just raise and lower the scope and move left to right until i find what im looking for (and finding other things on my travels across the big black yonder.

Worrying about all the dials and stuff on the scope (if they are set up right) is new to me. Surely if i can find and view what i want to........the scope must be set up correctly.

I have a Celestron 90EQ.

I'm only getting to grips with it myself

But as far as I've gathered, the main reason for Polar alignment is so when you're viewing, be it a star, planet, etc., it is far easier to follow if you have the telescope aligned. Rather than adjusting several different knobs at once just to keep track of whatever it is you're looking at, you have to do far less adjusting


I'm sure one of the veterans will expand on my vague explanation

OK that seems good enough reason to aligh things. While i dont mind the turning of the two long twisty things at the same time (but usually one then the other)...........it would make life easier.

It's amazing how quickly things go out of view,especially that big white thing in the sky. I believe they call it the MOON.

Trying to keep up with those Geminids last night was a real pain,LOL.

If you have any ambition to take photographs beyond holding the camera to the eyepiece and capturing the moon then you need to do all those things. As the last poster said, by polar aligning accurately its far easier to track what your looking at and if you are using a motorised telescope its a must.

Yes Dave.........astro photography is something that i would like to dabble in ONE DAY (the pics i have seen here are VERY inspiring). So i guess my next task is to go back and reread that section of the instructions............but my MAIN objective is just to gaze and admire the skies above.

I'm just starting out on the road here (serious interest) so who knows how far along i will be in 2-3-5-20 yrs. All i know right now is that i ASPIRE to take pics like you guys take. So aligning my scope is the first small step towards a fulfilling photgraphic future (i'm already hooked on trying to take the best earthly pics i can of places i visit etc......................something MORE then just the typical tourist pics).

However if your just out for a quick peek just point the polar axis roughly north (just point the axis at the pole star) that will do plenty for casual observing. No point in going to all that trouble if you just plan to have a quick peek at the Moon or Mars:)