Actually this answer seems best explanation for sun goto and magnetic declination questions. I asked chatgpt the question and it explained that the seestar does not account for declination, which is what I found by experiment:
My question: Does Seestar use local magnetic declination data to correct the compass?
ChatGPT said:
The ZWO Seestar S50 telescope utilizes an internal magnetometer for compass calibration, aligning itself with magnetic north. However, it does not automatically adjust for local magnetic declination—the difference between magnetic north and true north—based on its GPS-determined location. This means that in areas with significant magnetic declination, the telescope's initial alignment may be offset, affecting its ability to accurately locate celestial objects. Users have reported that, due to this limitation, the Seestar S50 may point approximately 13 degrees away from the intended target, such as the Sun, requiring manual adjustments to center the object in the field of view.
CLOUDY NIGHTS
To improve alignment accuracy, especially in regions with notable magnetic declination, it's advisable to manually adjust the telescope's orientation to account for the local declination angle. This can be done by determining the true north direction using a compass and adjusting for the local declination, then aligning the telescope accordingly. Regular calibration of the compass and level sensors can also enhance the Seestar S50's performance.
ZWO USER FORUM
For solar observations, users have found it helpful to first align the telescope with a visible object like the Moon to establish an initial reference point before manually slewing to the Sun. This method compensates for the lack of automatic declination correction and improves the accuracy of solar tracking.
THESKYSEARCHERS
In summary, while the Seestar S50 offers automated features, it requires manual intervention to correct for local magnetic declination to ensure precise alignment and tracking of celestial objects.
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