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Q : How do I polar align my telescope?
A :
For visual use, only a rudimentary alignment of the polar axis of your equatorial mount is required. First, the finderscope should already have been aligned to the telescope by centring a distant fixed object in the telescope's field and then adjusting the finderscope with its adjusting screws until the object is at the centre of the crosshairs. The angle of the polar axis should also be set equal to your Latitude. Now, with the mount approximately level, align the telescope parallel to the polar axis (ie set the Declination axis to 90 degrees), and then adjust the polar axis until the star Polaris (the "North star") appears in the centre of the field of your finderscope. This alignment is good enough for visual observation. If you are trying astrophotography, a more accurate alignment is required, and you will need a polarscope if your mount is equipped for it. For longer exposure times, the mount is usually adjusted using a very accurate star-movement measurement technique called "drift alignment."
Download the detailed information on Polar Alignment.
Download the detailed information on Polar Alignment for EQ1 and EQ2 mounts.
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