ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the telescope choice is the sum of its parts. Autoguiding, as the name implies, automatically guides the mount to track a star. The autoguider software records the initial pixel position of the star and calculates small corrections to the both motors after each exposure to correct for any tracking error. The need for dew control varies by region, season and by telescope type too. At the dew-point temperature, air is fully saturated and cannot hold any more water vapor. Several companies specialize in upgrade focus mechanisms, with and without motor actuation. Some telescope manufacturers even offer third-party focusers as a point-of-sale option for imaging use. Software is clearly a necessity for digital astrophotography and at the same time is the most difficult subject to give specific guidance on. The basic applications used in astrophotography are a planetarium, mount controller, image-capture and image-processing.
