Is it possible to build a cheap device to measure declination?
Is it possible to build a cheap device and I mean cheap to help in locating declination??
I guess that it should be relatively easy to measure declination. All you need is a small pair of binoculars (any device that can be used to look at stars), a tripod and a angle measuring device like the protractor. Mount the binocular on a tripod and turn it to look at Polaris. That corresponds to a declination of almost exactly 90 degrees. Now, turn the binoculars to any desired position and read off the angle you have turned in elevation (it does not matter how much you move in the azimuth) using the angle measuring device. The declination of the star is then the change in elevation (that you measured) subtracted from 90 degrees.
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