Altitude/azimuth

The first is the altitude/azimuth mount; this is always shortened to alt-az, for obvious reasons. One movement is up/down, and the other is right/left. This simple and lightweight mount is ideal for general daytime viewing, and if the movements are smooth it can be delightful to use. For astronomy at low powers it is perfectly usable, but for higher powers it can make life just a little tricky - heavenly bodies do not move up and down and from side to side, but rather they move in great arcs across the sky, and the user has to constantly be making adjustments to follow the views. It's cheap, simple, durable, and light, and for many people is all the mount they'll ever need.

Equatorial

The second kind of mount is the equatorial. It too has two kinds of movement, but is specifically designed for tracking the stars. Without being too technical, one of the axes is permanently pointed at Polaris, the North Star, and the other axis is at right angles to it. Simply put, all the user has to do is point the Polar Axis at the North Star, and then all that is needed is to use only one control to follow the passage of the stars. There's not much more to it than that! Of course, this kind of mount can be motorised, and this addition can greatly increase the pleasure of the viewing experience - hands off and eyes on! The EQ mount can come in many designs (and weights), but is a wise choice for the astronomer who takes his or her pleasures seriously. There aren't many drawbacks to this kind of mount aside from the extra weight (and expense): of course, for the photographer, this mount is an essential.

Go-To

The third type of mount is the Go-To. A modern wonder, this mount will point to what it's told! In fact there are some mounts out there that will do just that - you actually speak to them, but these tend to be extremely expensive. A great idea for the astronomer in a hurry. However, there is much debate about this kind of mount; some astronomers think strongly that the whole experience of astronomy should be one of discovery, and not simple goal-oriented behaviour. Often, as in life itself, accidents can lead to marvellous discoveries. Just think; there you are searching for a nebula, sky-map in hand and eye at the finder, and instead of the nebula, you happen on a beautiful star cluster. Exactly NOT what you were looking for, and a view that takes your breath away! We want astronomy to be a life-long hobby for you, a process of discovery and learning, and not just a process of ticking of acquisitions, but we know there are some good uses for go-to. Perhaps not a first telescope choice; maybe something one grows into after much experience. The debate continues! One note, and especially at Christmas, when unwary buyers are ensnared in great numbers; do beware of tiny telescopes equipped with go-to mounts. In our opinion this kind of marketing represents the lowest sort of cynical marketing - there are a number of small telescopes on the market, unfortunately from manufacturers who really should (and do) know better, that have thousands of objects in their go-to libraries that the scope is way too small to see! How bad is that? Absolutely awful. Pity the poor observer. It is a strange experience to be told that your telescope is pointing at a distant galaxy, and yet to be utterly incapable of seeing it through the telescope. A great way to destroy the love of astronomy.

Dobsonian

In contrast, the last kind of mount is utterly simple. It was pioneered by an amateur astronomer named John Dobson, some forty years ago. Not surprisingly it is know as the Dobsonian, or Dob. John Dobson had a vision, and that was that astronomy belonged to everyone, and he spent much of his life sharing views of the Universe with anyone that cared to look through the telescopes that he himself built. It was as a result of his vision that he developed the mount that still bears his name. The telescope is mounted into a rocker box, and movement is simple - you just nudge the telescope into the area that you want to view! No mounting is cheaper, and a well-made Dob is a pleasure to use. The beauty of a Dobsonian telescope is that almost all of the money spent goes into the optics: inch for inch no telescope can come close to it for value. What the telescope is not is "sophisticated"; it doesn't gleam with high-tech devices. What it IS is simply the most telescope that money can buy. If you are prepared to be the motive force; if you can do without gadgets, then this is the telescope for you!