Hi Trevor. I've had a telescope for years and have been obsessed with the stars and astronomy all my life. I gave up pretty quickly on my telescope because I never really knew how to use it. I purchased a DSLR camera about 2 years ago to try night sky photography and gave that up after a few tries as I thought it was too hard. I came across the Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer a year or so ago and finally bought it a couple of weeks ago. I tried it for the first time on Saturday night, during the Perseids, and, frustratingly, missed most of the meteors that I could see in my light polluted area trying to polar align the Star Adventurer. I tried the official manual, well reviewed site's tutorials and some videos but I just couldn't get it. After watching your video I feel this is the simplest and most straightforward explanation on how to do it and I feel confident that I'll be able to do it on my next try. So, for that, thank you!
Thanks a very easy to understand tutorial Trevor. You are a great presenter and humble, which is so refreshing man! and Rudi the dog just melts my heart when i see how loving and loyal he is to you! I think it's great you include him in your videos as it gives you and your videos a whole new level of Authenticity and shows your human qualities. It's so sweet seeing him n you interact, as i'm a huge Dog lover and i understand the love n trust between a Dog and his or hers mummy and daddy! I also love it when Rudi just wanders in to your vids having a little sniff and look around and checking his daddy is ok! Beautiful and so special! Great Vids Trevor, please keep up the great work! From Liverpool, UK.
Just got an EQ6-R and used it for the first time - its my first EQ mount (what a beast!). I don't see Polaris from my balcony. I pointed it north using a simple compass, used APTs DARV routine and then finished with the built in synscan polar alignment of the mount. 120s unguided - round stars. Its really easy and I was very happy it worked so well for me as a first timer! Now tonight I am already looking into plate solving.
Great production value and instruction as always! Please don't stop making videos-they are the well-made, excellently executed videos the astronomy community needs!
Hi Trevor, I have watched a few videos to get my HEQ5 aligned but your video is really straight forward. I was aware why but I never got it right. Now it's crystal clear :-) Next clear night I will apply your method. Thanks a lot! And the App Polar Finder is easy to use.
i will support you in what ways i can on youtube... i love Astrophotography but cannot afford equipment to do so.. so i am glad to see you on youtube doing what i like (:
Just watched this video. I have a similar mount and following this procedure I always found my scope to be off polar alignment. I found out that the polar scope was not exactly aligned with my mount axis. I am trying to resolve that issue but it is apparently not simple. You can easily check if your polar scope is aligned with the mount axis by turning the RA while looking through the scope. The "polaris ring" in the scope view field should not wobble as the RA turns, it should remain perfectly stable.
Great tutorial Trevor. Compared to manual drift alignment, the polar scope + PolarFinder app requires very little setup time, so you can spend more time taking pictures. The alignment is usually good enough for 60 sec unguided shots with my EQ5 and 400 mm scope (Orion ST-80).
Thanks. Having used my Meade LS-8 for several years, I just got a Sky-Watcher Esprit 150 with the EQ6-Pro mount... moving from a completely self adjusting scope not suitable for astrophotography to this beauty. Your explanation was simple and to the point aligned with a good dose if empathy.
Very useful, thanks! Took me 30 (thirty) minutes to realize why I couldn't see through the polarscope of my new NEQ5 Pro mount until I realized that the axis must be in that certain position. Felt so dumb )) If watching this video before, it had saved me time.
Hi Trevor, thanks for the simplicity explaining on how to Polar Align, I was watching a video in a different channel on how to do it, and gave me a headache, it was sort of like learning how to split the atom. thanks again. Clear Skies!!!
I just got in my HEQ5 today. Can't wait to give it a whirl. This will be my first computer mount. Like a lot of people, I thought polar aligning was simply aiming at Polaris. The first time I tried it I must have hit it right on the nose because I was imaging Mars and it didn't move a bit lol. Never happened again.
Hey Trevor, nice video! I am from Sydney, NSW, Australia....I found out i may use Sigma Octantis, (Polaris of the South) to align my telescope....But Octantis may be harder to find as it is fainter than polaris. :) But the procedure is the same as finding a polaris. :) THanks so much
Hi Trevor! It is very important before starting to use a new mount to check the collimation of the polar finder. I have accidentally discovered that mine was off by maybe 1/2 degrees. So it is recommended to check the collimation of the polar scope during daytime against a distant target before using it for astrophotography especially when autoguiding is not used. Otherwise there is no point in being too precise with positioning Polaris relatively to the reticle.
First of all, I really like your videos and the way you explain things! It's very disappointing that the PoleMaster can only be mounted on a limited set of mounts? I own a Skywatcher EQM-35 pro for example and I've been looking so long for a solution. I only got the mount recently but I regret it already only because of the missing support with automatic polar alignment. Keep on making those video's. Clear Skies!
Thanks for this video Trevor. How do you make sure that your polar scope isn't rotated too far one way or the other? for example, in your video at 1:23, the big dipper and cassiopeia which are printed on the screen of the scope are right and left of the NCP respectively, however if the scope were "twisted" slightly, they might be above and below the NCP, for example, and then surely the whole thing wouldn't work?
Very good video. I use Polemaster with CGEM mount and found it very handy and great time saver. Once you follow the basic steps that video shows such as setting latitude, leveling mount and roughly pointing towards polaris using pole master you can get very accurate and quick polar alignment. It is is bit expensive but time saver in my opinion. When I started using it I was not sure how helpful it would be but after using it for 3-4 times I can get accurate polar alignment. You can search for videos on polemaster.
Thanks for the tutorial, very helpful. Why doesn't anyone make a right-angle prism for the polar alignment scope? That thing is way too low for an adult to comfortably use.
The circle at 1:23 mine has 0 and 6 on it and I'm told its important to have the zero at the top and the 6 at the bottom. I see yours is upside down. Is this important? If so how do you adjust it and to what accuracy a few degrees, half a degree?
Thanks for the valuable information. I don't understand why I see polar in the polar finder while I don't in the telescope eyepiece. In your opinion, is it possible to adjust the mount's losmandy bar to align it with the polar finder? Because when I do astrophotography, aligning the three stars is complicated. Thank you
Hi Trevor. Can you do a vid on polar alignment during the day? This is for the conjunction which will good at dusk. Thank you. I am using a Sky Watcher Star Adventurer with a camera on it. Thanks.
This is great, but may I ask, I have access to my Wife’s old Telescope - a Helios 114mm Reflector - but when it comes to the setting circles, the pointer’s RA setting circle needed adjusting, so how do I know which way is negative, please, because I noticed that some co-ordinates use a negative number? Oh, and presumably, once it’s polar aligned, from there onwards, I only adjust the DEC and RA adjusters to find the objects in the sky? Thanks and keep up the great work.
Hey Trevor, I love the videos! I was just wondering could you do a video on all of your telescopes, mounts and equipment and what each one is best for? Because I don’t understand why you pick certain telescopes for certain images/visual? Thanks!
Hi Trevor, it is a quite useful video. Can you also pls suggest authentic websites or shops to buy telescopes /equipment in the GTA area. I am an amateur astronomer and new to this area. Your suggestions will be extremely helpful. Thanks
Hi. Ontario Telescopes in Bolton, Ont. and Telescopes Canada in Georgetown Ont. as well as KW Telescope in Kitchener Waterloo are good places to purchase. KW Telescope also has a showroom.
Welcome to AstroBackyard! :) I have a Sky-Watcher 114/900 Eq2 mechanical telescope. Unfortunately there is no polar scope for my mechanics. How do I set it to pole? I've thought about putting a plastic tube on the side of the mechanics and looking through it. I know I can't get it exactly right this way, but do you think it would be OK? Or do you have any other ideas? Thanks in advance if you have any ideas for this problem. Have a good stargazing and clear skies :)
excelent! One question please: I just bought a new skywatcher120/1000 rig with equatorial neq5 and I'm still learning the equatorial (before it had a 70mm with altaz mount. Once I managed to put it in parking position (orient the tripod to the north with a quality compass, level the tripod , level right ascension and level declination and adjust latitude of Madrid), can I consider that I am aligned with the polar? even if it is fake alignment? because sometimes you want to see the moon during the day or because there is something that does not allow you to see the polar. And Would you know how many degrees you have to deviate to true north in the location of Madrid, since the compass will indicate magnetic north?
The interesting thing about the polar app - is that it shows Polaris on the wrong side of the celestial pole. Polaris is central to Cassiopeia and the Big Dipper. And Polaris is about .7 degrees offset from the celestial pole. However Polaris is shifted towards Cassiopeia - not towards the Big dipper. And the app displays Polaris shifted towards the big dipper. I wonder if the app is compensating for the polar scope which may be reversing the image of Polaris?
I use my Polar reticle scope on my AVX mount but it is not perfect. The All Sky Polar Alignment routine works best for me. I think I can get up to 45 second unguided exposures when I use this method. By the way, is there a easy and simple way to take flats after the imaging session?
Trevor I have a potentially embarrassing question. I have a Skywatcher EQ 6 R pro mount. Is the Polar alignment scope process primarily for astro photography? I am primarily a visual observer and am having trouble setting up alignment to 'goto' certain objects. Should I concentrate more on using the 1, 2, 3, star alignment process to get it 'dialed in' and not worry about polar alignment?
Is it required before polar aligning, on an EQ6-R, to rotate the RA about 20 degrees to make the reticle inside the scope perfectly vertical so that the 12 and 6 o’clock marks are vertical? Some say yes, some say not necessary. I don’t see the need. Just position Polaris in the same spot around the reticle circle that corresponds to the polar hour/minute on the polar align app. Would appreciate some advice.
Ok so you have to polar align with the main scope at a 90 degree angle from Polaris. Once polar alignment is found, what do you do with the main scope?? Do you face it towards Orion or leave at 90 degrees? Do you put Orión right in the middle? I cannot find that information anywhere, not even my Orión manuals.
Just remember, If your polar alignment scope image is upside down and you use the polar finder app on your phone make sure to turn the phone upside down or you will find your alignment off by a 1 degree plus..
I was not aware of this and never seen it mentioned anywhere else, my alignment has always been off as well, going to try this tonight and thanks in advance !
They have an option in settings where you can set your view type to naked eye or telescope which will flip the view to correlate better with how you will be spotting Polaris.
At 5:30, we see you move Polaris onto the ring, but not into the little circle marked Polaris. Other videos/tutorials I saw said to rotate the mount along RA until the constellations are in the right place, then adjust the mount until Polaris moves into the little circle. Does either method work? I'm confused about why you didn't move Polaris into the little circle. Thanks!
I mean I get that the app shows it in a certain spot, but then this makes me confused about the function of the little circle marked Polaris. If Polaris is not actually always supposed to go in the little circle, does it serve a point at all?
Hello, good video but can I point you to the EQMod Ascom website which has a program that will turn your polarscope to the exact position on the inner ring and it is simple to place Polaris bang into the little circle.
Using a polar scope, when i have put polaris at the right location. I now wanna align the finder scope aswell, do i then just simply center polaris using the knobs? Its what i have been doing so far and i believe it works but i would like a confirmation if that is the correct method.
So polaris does not need to be in the little " ○" labeled polaris? That is what I have been doing and it works ok. I'm Limited to about 1.5 min subs though before trailing happens with my method. Thanks for any advice!
Excellent video and so clear. Just a quick question , how accurate do i need to be locating Polaris.- to the nearest seconds? I m using Sam console and polar finder. They differ by several minutes and seconds. Any suggestions?
I have a question for you. My neck doesn't like looking up at the polar scope on my EQ6-R so I'm looking for alternate ways to polar allign. PHD2 and Sharpcap both use the camera on the telescope to allign the mount. How can you be sure that the telescope is perfectly parallel to the axis of the mount ? If your telescope is polar aligned but your mount is not, won't you get errors in tracking. Every time you take the telescope off and put it on the mount, it seems that you will never get it back on exactly as it was before(paint chipping etc). Thanks.
Now, that's a good question but your question is quite wrong, you should have asked : "How do I setup the HOUR ANGLE scale ?". The scale of the main axe doesn't show RA but shows hour angle. This is a very very very common mistake spread by amateur astronomers, which is ver very very wrong and confuse ALL beginners ! Think about it a second : that scale can be fixed on the mount, right ? What would that mean if you consider it is the right ascension scale ? It's simple : you stop the Earth's rotation ! This is the hour angle (HA), not the right ascension. When the telescope is at its home position (tube towards north celestial pole, counterweights down), the index of your mount should show 6H. A star passing the meridian in the southern part of your sky should be at 0H (telescope east of mount) or 12H (telescope west of mount). As a general rule, if the hour angle of a star is between 12H and 24H (it is in the east part of your sky), and particularly between 6H and 18H when the star is north (tube is in a very uneasy position under the mount), subtract 12H and use your hour angle scale with that value. Give it a try in your house (no need to be outside) with Stellarium and a few stars, you'll understand what I mean. If you want to find a star with its RA, use the formula : HA = LST - RA (LST = local sideral time). This means you have to know YOUR local sideral time at all time or use Stellarium for instance (it gives you the star hour angle at any time). In any case, using that scale for RA not only is wrong but it is useless as well.
Wouldn't it be great that future mounts have a motor driven system that perfect align for you? I switched the knobs with better ones, easier to handle, but its still a drag.
Hey Trevor, living in another light polluted area in Canada I'm lucky that about an hour after sunset I can make out Dracos a little bit, that with the lower portion of the Big Dippers two stars gives me a good idea of where to find Polaris. This hobby has such a big learning curve, even finding Polaris has taken me a ton of different outings. Why don't the manufacturers who already put a GPS in their mounts/controllers have an auto align that can compensate for time, all we would have to do is a tiny fine adjustment to put polaris in the locator circle in the finder... seems like an easy fix to me
Doug McMillan Excellant, as always. My CG-4 mount is close to yours. It only has to support an Orion CC6 Classical Cassegrain so, even with accesories it’s stable. Photos will have to wait for a better night, here in the Philly Burbs. So far, visually, it’s outstanding. Love your doggie💜. Sela
I have a few questions on polar alignment. I live north of Nashville Tennessee my latitude is 36 degrees and I make sure everything is leveled and facing true north. When I look through my polar scope I can not even see Polaris through the polar scope. I use Stellarium to verify that is the correct star I’m Looking at for alignment. In order for me to see Polaris through my polar scope I have to drop my latitude down to 26 degrees and I used a laser pointer to see if that is aligned with the star. Something is wrong with my equatorial mount. It is an explorer scientific 100 pmc eight 2 go to mount. I also try to do a three star alignment and it says successful but nothing shows up in my eye like the alignment is off somewhere. It just frustrates me.
What can an older person do to polar align? Getting that low and twisting to look up the axis is very difficult. Can a person put a diagonal on the polar alignment scope?
I have an Orion EQ-1 mount and it doesn't come with a polar finder hole or anything. I can just attach it to a single axis motor drive. I have been always trying drift alignment manually and it has not been a pleasant process. Do you have any good approaches with my gear? I wish to use it with my 60mm apo refractor (f-6) for DSO imaging and always get trails past 5 sec.
I bent my bolts into the mount while adjusting the lattitude like that. It was a pain to remove them, even though the factory-shipped bolts are made of hotdogmeat. Now I have two carbonated toolshop bolts in there and always loosen them both before adjusting the lattitude. Be careful!
Do you have to polar align? Like if I don’t plan on doing any kind of astrophotography is it completely necessary? I’ll still be able to just point my telescope at the sky and look around correct?
Hi Trevor, Thanks for the video. This is probably a stupid question but should Polaris be right in the cross hairs through the polar aligner or is it enough to just be inside the inner circle? I just bought a second hand Celestron C8 and Skywatcher Eq35 mount and I'm struggling with alignment. Thanks Eamonn UPDATE: Hi Trevor. I had a look at the instructions on your webpage and I understand what I need to do. Thank you so much for this video!
Very helpful! Thanks. Also, the background music after about 5:00... is that World of Warcraft I'm hearing? Or maybe Skyrim? I can't remember, but I definitely recognize the track.
Hi Trevor. I'm new to this polar alignment process so I watched your video and also downloaded the app as you suggested. My question is what to the numbers indicate. My app now is showing HA:355 degrees, PA 184 degrees, then (06h08m) 39.3', LST: 02:30:07 and counting up. The remaining numbers I understand. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated as I'm having a difficult time adjusting my scope. Thank you. Gerry D.
Hello, im new to astrophotography i just wanna ask a question, how i polar align my telescope mount, while my city is just barely in the middle of the equator?
Hi Trevor.I am a bit puzzled here...about the alignment of the Polar Scope Illuminated Reticle with the Nights sky - using the app..Do you actually need to rotate the RA axis to match the Polar scope's reticle (Polaris circle place, Big Dipper and Cassiopeia on the reticle) with the night sky at the time observingis that accurate enough...to do it by eyeThanksEyal
Hi. Thanks for the time you give doing these tutorials. I want to subscribe to your channel, however, when I went and looked at your videos you have on your channel, there were so many that just trying to find ones that follow after the other was a bit daunting. Is there any way of putting videos in an order of which follows which for new people to ap? I have been learning now for about 3 years, and only recently got into ap. I have a good set-up, but due to the absolutely crappy weather conditions in Ireland I seldom get the opportunity to get the scope out. If it's not raining it is cloudy here, leaving long periods between "scope out" times, which means sometimes forgetting certain parts of the process. How I long to live in a country that has clear skies!
My prefered method is to first calibrate the polar scope by identifying it's transit position and making a reference mark on the mount body with sticker labels and a fine pen. The transit position is when Polaris is directly above the NPC, but through the p.scope it is flipped to bellow. Begin calibration by centering polaris, or an object on the p.scope crosshairs. Then using the ALT bolts, position that star or object on the circle directly below in you view. On the mount body, mark the position it is in at that point. To perform the alignment, Reposition the mount to your mark. Set the R.A. setting circle to 0 With your application, find the Hour Angle or Polaris Rotate the R.A. until the setting circle reads the same as the Hour Angle. Looking through the p.scope, the orientation should now match the application very accurately.
I rotate mine so that it is the way you have with the exception that polaris is in the small circle instead of just on the circle line.That is what the small circle is for.
Love your videos. I noticed that you didn't place polaris in the tiny circle of the polar scope. Also when you polar align, how important is the dial (right ascension and declination circles)? Do they play a role when polar aligning? Thanks for explaining.
Do you find that polar aligning with the polar scope is good enough for AP or is there benefit to further refine the alignment using tools such as sharpCaps polar alignment tool?
Thanks from a 70yr old beginner - in the UK
I’m only 9 years younger!
@@leatherindian I'm 45 years younger than you
@@asseel70iraq99 im 3 years younger than you :D
@@nytarskongen0072 😂😂😂
I m a 58 yr beginner
Hi Trevor. I've had a telescope for years and have been obsessed with the stars and astronomy all my life. I gave up pretty quickly on my telescope because I never really knew how to use it. I purchased a DSLR camera about 2 years ago to try night sky photography and gave that up after a few tries as I thought it was too hard. I came across the Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer a year or so ago and finally bought it a couple of weeks ago. I tried it for the first time on Saturday night, during the Perseids, and, frustratingly, missed most of the meteors that I could see in my light polluted area trying to polar align the Star Adventurer. I tried the official manual, well reviewed site's tutorials and some videos but I just couldn't get it. After watching your video I feel this is the simplest and most straightforward explanation on how to do it and I feel confident that I'll be able to do it on my next try. So, for that, thank you!
+David Murphy Thank you David! We have all been there.. Im so glad I could help. All the best
So, how has your progress been since you posted this? Did you have success? Did you pursue it further, give up, etc?
Thanks a very easy to understand tutorial Trevor. You are a great presenter and humble, which is so refreshing man! and Rudi the dog just melts my heart when i see how loving and loyal he is to you! I think it's great you include him in your videos as it gives you and your videos a whole new level of Authenticity and shows your human qualities. It's so sweet seeing him n you interact, as i'm a huge Dog lover and i understand the love n trust between a Dog and his or hers mummy and daddy! I also love it when Rudi just wanders in to your vids having a little sniff and look around and checking his daddy is ok! Beautiful and so special! Great Vids Trevor, please keep up the great work! From Liverpool, UK.
Just got an EQ6-R and used it for the first time - its my first EQ mount (what a beast!). I don't see Polaris from my balcony. I pointed it north using a simple compass, used APTs DARV routine and then finished with the built in synscan polar alignment of the mount. 120s unguided - round stars. Its really easy and I was very happy it worked so well for me as a first timer! Now tonight I am already looking into plate solving.
Great production value and instruction as always! Please don't stop making videos-they are the well-made, excellently executed videos the astronomy community needs!
as a visual dob user, its nice to understand what my astrophotography buddies have to go through
Man you put together both entertaining and educational videos. Great job
A sight for the sore eyes. Thank you for making this so easy to understand.
Thanks Trevor - you explain things in a way that anyone can understand.
Hi Trevor, I have watched a few videos to get my HEQ5 aligned but your video is really straight forward. I was aware why but I never got it right. Now it's crystal clear :-)
Next clear night I will apply your method. Thanks a lot! And the App Polar Finder is easy to use.
i will support you in what ways i can on youtube... i love Astrophotography but cannot afford equipment to do so.. so i am glad to see you on youtube doing what i like (:
Thank you! I hope you are able to pursue the hobby in the future.
Just watched this video. I have a similar mount and following this procedure I always found my scope to be off polar alignment. I found out that the polar scope was not exactly aligned with my mount axis. I am trying to resolve that issue but it is apparently not simple. You can easily check if your polar scope is aligned with the mount axis by turning the RA while looking through the scope. The "polaris ring" in the scope view field should not wobble as the RA turns, it should remain perfectly stable.
I just got my first EQ mount, Vixen SP. Thx for the video explaining the polar scope alignment. Cheers
Great tutorial Trevor. Compared to manual drift alignment, the polar scope + PolarFinder app requires very little setup time, so you can spend more time taking pictures.
The alignment is usually good enough for 60 sec unguided shots with my EQ5 and 400 mm scope (Orion ST-80).
Thanks. Having used my Meade LS-8 for several years, I just got a Sky-Watcher Esprit 150 with the EQ6-Pro mount... moving from a completely self adjusting scope not suitable for astrophotography to this beauty. Your explanation was simple and to the point aligned with a good dose if empathy.
Very useful, thanks! Took me 30 (thirty) minutes to realize why I couldn't see through the polarscope of my new NEQ5 Pro mount until I realized that the axis must be in that certain position. Felt so dumb )) If watching this video before, it had saved me time.
Hi Trevor, thanks for the simplicity explaining on how to Polar Align, I was watching a video in a different channel on how to do it, and gave me a headache, it was sort of like learning how to split the atom. thanks again. Clear Skies!!!
Great vid. Just started with an goto eq mount and this helps a lot in the proces. Thnkx
Brilliant quick and easy description video for polar alignment. 👏 thanks!!!
I just got in my HEQ5 today. Can't wait to give it a whirl. This will be my first computer mount. Like a lot of people, I thought polar aligning was simply aiming at Polaris. The first time I tried it I must have hit it right on the nose because I was imaging Mars and it didn't move a bit lol. Never happened again.
I'm watching all of your videos from beginning in 2021💖
Hey Trevor, nice video! I am from Sydney, NSW, Australia....I found out i may use Sigma Octantis, (Polaris of the South) to align my telescope....But Octantis may be harder to find as it is fainter than polaris. :) But the procedure is the same as finding a polaris. :) THanks so much
Have Subbed a Long Time Ago,But Just Got a New Eq Mount and Needed This..Thank You Trevor🙏🏼🔭❤️🌏
Again, very useful video, all i can do at the moment is drift alignment but i will use your video if i can see polaris.
Thanks, I’m just learning as much as I can before I buy a telescope. Your video was easy to understand.
Your video tutorials are superb!!
Hi, Trevor, great videos. Keep ‘em coming. Clear skies!
Hi Trevor! It is very important before starting to use a new mount to check the collimation of the polar finder. I have accidentally discovered that mine was off by maybe 1/2 degrees.
So it is recommended to check the collimation of the polar scope during daytime against a distant target before using it for astrophotography especially when autoguiding is not used. Otherwise there is no point in being too precise with positioning Polaris relatively to the reticle.
Saludos Trevor, desde Barcelona 41° Cataluña, Gracias por tu video.
First of all, I really like your videos and the way you explain things!
It's very disappointing that the PoleMaster can only be mounted on a limited set of mounts? I own a Skywatcher EQM-35 pro for example and I've been looking so long for a solution. I only got the mount recently but I regret it already only because of the missing support with automatic polar alignment.
Keep on making those video's. Clear Skies!
Thanks for this video Trevor. How do you make sure that your polar scope isn't rotated too far one way or the other? for example, in your video at 1:23, the big dipper and cassiopeia which are printed on the screen of the scope are right and left of the NCP respectively, however if the scope were "twisted" slightly, they might be above and below the NCP, for example, and then surely the whole thing wouldn't work?
Very good video. I use Polemaster with CGEM mount and found it very handy and great time saver. Once you follow the basic steps that video shows such as setting latitude, leveling mount and roughly pointing towards polaris using pole master you can get very accurate and quick polar alignment. It is is bit expensive but time saver in my opinion. When I started using it I was not sure how helpful it would be but after using it for 3-4 times I can get accurate polar alignment. You can search for videos on polemaster.
Thanks for the tutorial, very helpful.
Why doesn't anyone make a right-angle prism for the polar alignment scope? That thing is way too low for an adult to comfortably use.
The circle at 1:23 mine has 0 and 6 on it and I'm told its important to have the zero at the top and the 6 at the bottom. I see yours is upside down. Is this important? If so how do you adjust it and to what accuracy a few degrees, half a degree?
Thanks for the valuable information. I don't understand why I see polar in the polar finder while I don't in the telescope eyepiece. In your opinion, is it possible to adjust the mount's losmandy bar to align it with the polar finder? Because when I do astrophotography, aligning the three stars is complicated. Thank you
Hey. Trevor. Can you make a walkthrough on all sky pillar allingment having a hard time trying to get pass the 2 phase of PA. On the ASIAIR
Well done Trevor and Rudi really enjoyed it.
Mike
Hi Trevor. Can you do a vid on polar alignment during the day? This is for the conjunction which will good at dusk. Thank you. I am using a Sky Watcher Star Adventurer with a camera on it. Thanks.
This is great, but may I ask, I have access to my Wife’s old Telescope - a Helios 114mm Reflector - but when it comes to the setting circles, the pointer’s RA setting circle needed adjusting, so how do I know which way is negative, please, because I noticed that some co-ordinates use a negative number? Oh, and presumably, once it’s polar aligned, from there onwards, I only adjust the DEC and RA adjusters to find the objects in the sky? Thanks and keep up the great work.
I've learned so much from you. Thank you for fantastic videos and great explanations. Cheers!
Great video Trevor, thank you. I do have 2 questions, what is the dial for around the polar scope for and how do I use it and when?
Hey Trevor,
I love the videos! I was just wondering could you do a video on all of your telescopes, mounts and equipment and what each one is best for? Because I don’t understand why you pick certain telescopes for certain images/visual? Thanks!
Hi Trevor, it is a quite useful video. Can you also pls suggest authentic websites or shops to buy telescopes /equipment in the GTA area. I am an amateur astronomer and new to this area. Your suggestions will be extremely helpful. Thanks
Hi. Ontario Telescopes in Bolton, Ont. and Telescopes Canada in Georgetown Ont. as well as KW Telescope in Kitchener Waterloo are good places to purchase. KW Telescope also has a showroom.
Welcome to AstroBackyard! :)
I have a Sky-Watcher 114/900 Eq2 mechanical telescope. Unfortunately there is no polar scope for my mechanics. How do I set it to pole? I've thought about putting a plastic tube on the side of the mechanics and looking through it. I know I can't get it exactly right this way, but do you think it would be OK? Or do you have any other ideas?
Thanks in advance if you have any ideas for this problem.
Have a good stargazing and clear skies :)
excelent! One question please: I just bought a new skywatcher120/1000 rig with equatorial neq5 and I'm still learning the equatorial (before it had a 70mm with altaz mount. Once I managed to put it in parking position (orient the tripod to the north with a quality compass, level the tripod , level right ascension and level declination and adjust latitude of Madrid), can I consider that I am aligned with the polar? even if it is fake alignment? because sometimes you want to see the moon during the day or because there is something that does not allow you to see the polar. And Would you know how many degrees you have to deviate to true north in the location of Madrid, since the compass will indicate magnetic north?
Thanks Trevor, i just got the eq6pro as my next step. maybe no more start hopping yeah
Of course this is a useful video, thanks for share your knowledge in a more accessible manner.
The interesting thing about the polar app - is that it shows Polaris on the wrong side of the celestial pole. Polaris is central to Cassiopeia and the Big Dipper. And Polaris is about .7 degrees offset from the celestial pole. However Polaris is shifted towards Cassiopeia - not towards the Big dipper. And the app displays Polaris shifted towards the big dipper.
I wonder if the app is compensating for the polar scope which may be reversing the image of Polaris?
Nice video... Whats the background music you used?
I use my Polar reticle scope on my AVX mount but it is not perfect. The All Sky Polar Alignment routine works best for me. I think I can get up to 45 second unguided exposures when I use this method. By the way, is there a easy and simple way to take flats after the imaging session?
Trevor I have a potentially embarrassing question. I have a Skywatcher EQ 6 R pro mount. Is the Polar alignment scope process primarily for astro photography? I am primarily a visual observer and am having trouble setting up alignment to 'goto' certain objects. Should I concentrate more on using the 1, 2, 3, star alignment process to get it 'dialed in' and not worry about polar alignment?
Is it required before polar aligning, on an EQ6-R, to rotate the RA about 20 degrees to make the reticle inside the scope perfectly vertical so that the 12 and 6 o’clock marks are vertical? Some say yes, some say not necessary.
I don’t see the need. Just position Polaris in the same spot around the reticle circle that corresponds to the polar hour/minute on the polar align app.
Would appreciate some advice.
Ok so you have to polar align with the main scope at a 90 degree angle from Polaris. Once polar alignment is found, what do you do with the main scope?? Do you face it towards Orion or leave at 90 degrees? Do you put Orión right in the middle? I cannot find that information anywhere, not even my Orión manuals.
Just remember, If your polar alignment scope image is upside down and you use the polar finder app on your phone make sure to turn the phone upside down or you will find your alignment off by a 1 degree plus..
I was not aware of this and never seen it mentioned anywhere else, my alignment has always been off as well, going to try this tonight and thanks in advance !
They have an option in settings where you can set your view type to naked eye or telescope which will flip the view to correlate better with how you will be spotting Polaris.
yeah im pretty sure if you flipped it you might actually have done it wrong again, watch out
At 5:30, we see you move Polaris onto the ring, but not into the little circle marked Polaris. Other videos/tutorials I saw said to rotate the mount along RA until the constellations are in the right place, then adjust the mount until Polaris moves into the little circle. Does either method work? I'm confused about why you didn't move Polaris into the little circle. Thanks!
I mean I get that the app shows it in a certain spot, but then this makes me confused about the function of the little circle marked Polaris. If Polaris is not actually always supposed to go in the little circle, does it serve a point at all?
So you want Polaris in the circle that represents the star in the finder scope?
Hello, good video but can I point you to the EQMod Ascom website which has a program that will turn your polarscope to the exact position on the inner ring and it is simple to place Polaris bang into the little circle.
Thank you for the tip Peter! I need to look into EQmod and start using it.
AstroBackyard I'm set up to use it on my PC via an extension cable. Definitely worth looking into :)
Looking through the polarfinder should the 0 be at the top?
great video! i have 1 question, how to polar align if you are living in the equator? u know i never seen polaris in my life :)
Point at the horizon towards the north I guess
How would you point your scope/camera say towards the south or the zenith in this case?
Using a polar scope, when i have put polaris at the right location. I now wanna align the finder scope aswell, do i then just simply center polaris using the knobs? Its what i have been doing so far and i believe it works but i would like a confirmation if that is the correct method.
So polaris does not need to be in the little " ○" labeled polaris? That is what I have been doing and it works ok. I'm Limited to about 1.5 min subs though before trailing happens with my method. Thanks for any advice!
0:45 What do you mean? Polaris NCP pretty well due north. Isn't declination 89°22'N enough for you?
Excellent video and so clear. Just a quick question , how accurate do i need to be locating Polaris.- to the nearest seconds? I m using Sam console and polar finder. They differ by several minutes and seconds. Any suggestions?
Is that Celestron cg5 behind heq5?
I have a question for you. My neck doesn't like looking up at the polar scope on my EQ6-R so I'm looking for alternate ways to polar allign. PHD2 and Sharpcap both use the camera on the telescope to allign the mount. How can you be sure that the telescope is perfectly parallel to the axis of the mount ? If your telescope is polar aligned but your mount is not, won't you get errors in tracking. Every time you take the telescope off and put it on the mount, it seems that you will never get it back on exactly as it was before(paint chipping etc). Thanks.
Great explanation! But how do I setup the RA scale?!
Now, that's a good question but your question is quite wrong, you should have asked : "How do I setup the HOUR ANGLE scale ?". The scale of the main axe doesn't show RA but shows hour angle. This is a very very very common mistake spread by amateur astronomers, which is ver very very wrong and confuse ALL beginners !
Think about it a second : that scale can be fixed on the mount, right ? What would that mean if you consider it is the right ascension scale ? It's simple : you stop the Earth's rotation !
This is the hour angle (HA), not the right ascension.
When the telescope is at its home position (tube towards north celestial pole, counterweights down), the index of your mount should show 6H.
A star passing the meridian in the southern part of your sky should be at 0H (telescope east of mount) or 12H (telescope west of mount).
As a general rule, if the hour angle of a star is between 12H and 24H (it is in the east part of your sky), and particularly between 6H and 18H when the star is north (tube is in a very uneasy position under the mount), subtract 12H and use your hour angle scale with that value. Give it a try in your house (no need to be outside) with Stellarium and a few stars, you'll understand what I mean.
If you want to find a star with its RA, use the formula : HA = LST - RA (LST = local sideral time). This means you have to know YOUR local sideral time at all time or use Stellarium for instance (it gives you the star hour angle at any time).
In any case, using that scale for RA not only is wrong but it is useless as well.
@@gloubiboulgazeblob Thank you so much! I'll try it out tomorrow, I had already given up on using the scale, but your answer is very helpful
Wouldn't it be great that future mounts have a motor driven system that perfect align for you? I switched the knobs with better ones, easier to handle, but its still a drag.
wow that cleared so much up for me, thank you so much
+Doug McMillan Glad I could help!!
Hey Trevor, living in another light polluted area in Canada I'm lucky that about an hour after sunset I can make out Dracos a little bit, that with the lower portion of the Big Dippers two stars gives me a good idea of where to find Polaris. This hobby has such a big learning curve, even finding Polaris has taken me a ton of different outings. Why don't the manufacturers who already put a GPS in their mounts/controllers have an auto align that can compensate for time, all we would have to do is a tiny fine adjustment to put polaris in the locator circle in the finder... seems like an easy fix to me
Doug McMillan Excellant, as always. My CG-4 mount is close to yours.
It only has to support an Orion CC6 Classical Cassegrain so, even with accesories it’s stable.
Photos will have to wait for a better night, here in the Philly Burbs.
So far, visually, it’s outstanding. Love your doggie💜. Sela
thank you for this great video. before I saw this video, I usually just pointed my polar alignment scope directly at Polaris :-), again, thank you
I have a few questions on polar alignment. I live north of Nashville Tennessee my latitude is 36 degrees and I make sure everything is leveled and facing true north. When I look through my polar scope I can not even see Polaris through the polar scope. I use Stellarium to verify that is the correct star I’m Looking at for alignment.
In order for me to see Polaris through my polar scope I have to drop my latitude down to 26 degrees and I used a laser pointer to see if that is aligned with the star. Something is wrong with my equatorial mount. It is an explorer scientific 100 pmc eight 2 go to mount.
I also try to do a three star alignment and it says successful but nothing shows up in my eye like the alignment is off somewhere.
It just frustrates me.
What can an older person do to polar align? Getting that low and twisting to look up the axis is very difficult. Can a person put a diagonal on the polar alignment scope?
I have an Orion EQ-1 mount and it doesn't come with a polar finder hole or anything. I can just attach it to a single axis motor drive.
I have been always trying drift alignment manually and it has not been a pleasant process. Do you have any good approaches with my gear?
I wish to use it with my 60mm apo refractor (f-6) for DSO imaging and always get trails past 5 sec.
I bent my bolts into the mount while adjusting the lattitude like that. It was a pain to remove them, even though the factory-shipped bolts are made of hotdogmeat.
Now I have two carbonated toolshop bolts in there and always loosen them both before adjusting the lattitude. Be careful!
Do you have to polar align? Like if I don’t plan on doing any kind of astrophotography is it completely necessary? I’ll still be able to just point my telescope at the sky and look around correct?
Hi trevor. Why cant you just use the motors to align it as start point. Best regards from james in cloudy scotland.
thank you! any chance of something on cone adjustment?
Yes please more on this!
Hi Trevor,
Thanks for the video. This is probably a stupid question but should Polaris be right in the cross hairs through the polar aligner or is it enough to just be inside the inner circle?
I just bought a second hand Celestron C8 and Skywatcher Eq35 mount and I'm struggling with alignment.
Thanks
Eamonn
UPDATE: Hi Trevor. I had a look at the instructions on your webpage and I understand what I need to do. Thank you so much for this video!
Thanks let see if I can get it to work
How does this compare to Drift alignment method (besides the fact that the latter is painful too :) ).
Still lost, should I center align on the green dot (Polaris) or on the center cross (NCP) ? Thank you.
Very well explained, good tutorial. A greeting from Spain.
Very helpful! Thanks. Also, the background music after about 5:00... is that World of Warcraft I'm hearing? Or maybe Skyrim? I can't remember, but I definitely recognize the track.
I believe it's the night music in Skyrim :D
Hi Trevor. I'm new to this polar alignment process so I watched your video and also downloaded the app as you suggested. My question is what to the numbers indicate. My app now is showing HA:355 degrees, PA 184 degrees, then (06h08m) 39.3', LST: 02:30:07 and counting up. The remaining numbers I understand. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated as I'm having a difficult time adjusting my scope. Thank you. Gerry D.
Would it be useful to remove the scope whilst doing this?
Hello, im new to astrophotography i just wanna ask a question, how i polar align my telescope mount, while my city is just barely in the middle of the equator?
You can you a method called 'drift alignment' there are tutorials on RUclips or Google forms proper explanation
Hi Trevor.I am a bit puzzled here...about the alignment of the Polar Scope Illuminated Reticle with the Nights sky - using the app..Do you actually need to rotate the RA axis to match the Polar scope's reticle (Polaris circle place, Big Dipper and Cassiopeia on the reticle) with the night sky at the time observingis that accurate enough...to do it by eyeThanksEyal
Hi. Thanks for the time you give doing these tutorials. I want to subscribe to your channel, however, when I went and looked at your videos you have on your channel, there were so many that just trying to find ones that follow after the other was a bit daunting. Is there any way of putting videos in an order of which follows which for new people to ap? I have been learning now for about 3 years, and only recently got into ap. I have a good set-up, but due to the absolutely crappy weather conditions in Ireland I seldom get the opportunity to get the scope out. If it's not raining it is cloudy here, leaving long periods between "scope out" times, which means sometimes forgetting certain parts of the process. How I long to live in a country that has clear skies!
I did just subscribe btw.......had a second thought.
My prefered method is to first calibrate the polar scope by identifying it's transit position and making a reference mark on the mount body with sticker labels and a fine pen. The transit position is when Polaris is directly above the NPC, but through the p.scope it is flipped to bellow.
Begin calibration by centering polaris, or an object on the p.scope crosshairs.
Then using the ALT bolts, position that star or object on the circle directly below in you view.
On the mount body, mark the position it is in at that point.
To perform the alignment, Reposition the mount to your mark.
Set the R.A. setting circle to 0
With your application, find the Hour Angle or Polaris
Rotate the R.A. until the setting circle reads the same as the Hour Angle.
Looking through the p.scope, the orientation should now match the application very accurately.
Can you recommend the Sky-Watcher EQM-35 Equatorial GoTo Mount for a beginner? (Not a photography beginner but an astro-beginner)
Awesome video!! Thanks so much!
Would you explain how to track the moon? Is it the same process?
Do I need to get the ring in the polar scope turned around to match the app? You didn't cover this pat
I rotate mine so that it is the way you have with the exception that polaris is in the small circle instead of just on the circle line.That is what the small circle is for.
What polar alignment app do you use?
Thanks for the help!
Love your videos. I noticed that you didn't place polaris in the tiny circle of the polar scope. Also when you polar align, how important is the dial (right ascension and declination circles)? Do they play a role when polar aligning? Thanks for explaining.
Polaris is not exactly at the north celestial pole. It is off to the side a wee bit. It is close but not quite good enough for astrophotography.
How do you align it using the Hour Angle method?
Did you figure this out?
Great video. Anyway doing pola alignment at 3degree that we cannot see polaris? =)
Do you find that polar aligning with the polar scope is good enough for AP or is there benefit to further refine the alignment using tools such as sharpCaps polar alignment tool?