This review, “Your guide to go-to telescopes,” appeared in Explore the Universe 2005
Since the invention of the telescope, manufacturers have been striving to improve every aspect of this fine instrument. They learned that size and mobility are key issues in deciding how useful a telescope is. Great steps were taken to develop mounts so telescopes could be moved easily along the known paths of stars and planets. Dual-axis mounts, gears, clock drives, and motors were all part of this evolution. Then, the invention of computers helped move large telescopes to a new level of complication. Amateur astronomy benefited from microprocessor technology, which reduced the size of computers while increasing their power. This technology has ushered in the era of the “go-to” telescope mount.
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