GoTo (telescopes)
In amateur astronomy, "GoTo" refers to a type of telescope mount and related software which can automatically point a telescope to astronomical objects that the user selects. Both axes of a GoTo mount are motor driven and are controlled by either a microprocessor-based integrated controller or a personal computer. This allows the user to command the mount to point the telescope to a right ascension and declination that the user inputs or have the mount itself point the telescope to objects in a pre-programmed data base including ones from the Messier catalogue, the New General Catalogue, and even major solar system bodies (the Sun, Moon, and planets).
Like a standard equatorial mount, equatorial GoTo mounts can track the night sky by driving the right ascension axis. Since both axes are computer controlled GoTo technology also allows telescope manufacturers to add equatorial tracking to mechanically simpler alt-azimuth telescope mounts.
How a GoTo mount works
GoTo mounts are pre-aligned before use. When they are powered on, they may ask for the user's latitude, longitude, time, and date (they can get this data from a GPS receiver connected to the telescope, or even built into the telescope mount itself and the telescope mount controller can have a real time clock).
