P r i m a L u c e L a b S . p . A .
E A G L E C O R E U s e r M a n u a l
Then look at the sky and look for the position of the Pole Star that indicate the geographic north direction and that
is the direction to point the polar axis of the mount to (in the picture shown by the dashed line). If you do not know
where it is, you can search for the Big Bear constellation (often known as the Ursa Major): prolong about five times
the joining of the two stars as shown in the image and you will find the Pole Star. Point the mount towards the
direction of the Polar Star and, if necessary, always check that the bubble indicates the horizontal position.
Pole Star position in respect of the Big Bear
Then use the polar scope integrated in the mount to precisely point not only the Pole Star but the true position of
the Pole, using the special crosshair incorporated in the polar scope (each mount has a different crosshair so there
are various procedures to perfectly adjust the alignment, always listed in the manual of the mount itself).
Use the polar scope of the mount for a precise polar alignment
Pole Star doesn't coincide perfectly with the position of the North Pole, so it’s
possible to further improve the polar alignment precision using various methods
that vary according to the mount. In order to have an help, we can use some
dedicated apps like PolarAlign (which you can download for iOS or Android from
their Stores) that show the polar star's theoretical position relative to the mount
crosshair according to the observation date and time. Observe the Pole Star in the
polar scope of the mount and, using the azimuth and latitude settings of the mount
itself, set the Pole Star position as displayed in the app (in the image, the Pole Star
must be positioned where indicated by the arrow). By positioning the Pole Star in
the indicated position, the mount will point to the real celestial pole and thus will
offer better tracking precision.
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