6
8. Click “Finished” and then double-click on the same star. Make sure you
remember which star it was you used in step 6!
9. Repeat the rotation step again. The system will then draw a circle on the
screen with the bright star on it. The center of this circle represents the
center of rotation of the star you clicked on several times. To verify, rotate
the mount back to the original position. If you started this process with the
mount in the “Home” position, you can easily return home by performing a
park command.
10. If the star move along the circle, click “Correct”. If it doesn’t, click “Reset”
and try again. The most likely cause of it failing is not clicking on the same
star during the rotation phase.
Polar Alignment
1. Double-click on Polaris again and match
up the on-screen overlay like you did in
step 5, then click “Success”.
2. The small rotating circle with the cross
inside (Figure 8) is the position where
Polaris should be placed. Use the polar
Altitude and Azimuth adjusters to position
Polaris into this circle. Click “Finished”
when this is done.
3. Double-click Polaris one last time, and use
the slider to rotate the overlay to match the
nearby stars, and click “Success” when done.
4. You are now very close to perfectly aligned!
Precision Polar Alignment
Click the “Start Monitor” button, and the system will begin analyzing the mount on a
frame by frame basis. Fine alignment is achieved when the green polar crosshair
overlaps with the red axis crosshair (Figure 9). As long as there are stars within
the two larger boxes, the system will know where the polar axis is positioned. Fine
tune the Alt and Az adjusters on the mount until the boxes overlap (Figure 10),
and you have achieved a very precise polar alignment. The program can be closed
at this time, and you can start your imaging session!
Monitoring will continuously analyze the polar axis while the camera is on, but
please note as soon as you rotate the scope in RA (during any Go-To move), the
system will not be able to analyze any longer, until you rotate back and put the two
stars in the larger boxes.
Using Atmospheric Refraction settings
Atmospheric refraction can change the actual position of the pole and is more signif-
icant in lower latitude regions. If you wish the system to compensate for refraction,
Figure 8. The small rotating
circle. Use the mount's Polar
adjustments to position Polaris
into this circle.
