<![CDATA[Telescope Polar Alignment - Knowledgebase Articles]]> <![CDATA[Why do I need polar alignment?]]> As the earth rotates around its axis, the stars appear to move across the sky. If you are observing them using an altitude-azimuth (alt-az) mount, they will quickly drift out of view. Readjustments to get th]]> <![CDATA[Rough polar alignment]]> Polar alignment of your equatorial mount can be done in several ways. The easiest way is to use your latitude.

The polar axis of an equatorially mounted scope must point at or be polar-aligned to ]]> <![CDATA[Accurate polar alignment]]> You can use your finderscope (finder) to accurately polar-align your equatorial mount. This is more accurate than a rough alignment using the mechanical scales on your mount or roughly pointing the whole ]]> <![CDATA[Precise polar alignment]]> Polar alignment of your equatorial mount can be done in several ways. The most precise way is to use the drift of a star in declination (north or south on the]]> <![CDATA[Polar alignment for the southern hemisphere]]> Polar alignment for southern hemisphere observers is very similar to techniques used for the northern hemisphere. The major difference is the lack of a bright]]> <![CDATA[What is the overall procedure for polar aligning my wedge-mounted NexStar SE?]]>  (NOTE: These instructions apply to versions of the firmware older than NXS 4.18, which introduced all-star polar alignment. For these newer versions, please see the CPC manual pages
<![CDATA[What is the overall procedure for polar aligning my wedge-mounted CPC?]]> (NOTE: These instructions apply to versions of the firmware older than NXS 4.18, which introduced all-star polar alignment. For these newer versions, please see the CPC manual pa]]> <![CDATA[What is the overall procedure for polar aligning my wedge-mounted NexStar GPS?]]>  (NOTE: These instructions apply to versions of the firmware older than NXS 4.18, which introduced all-star polar alignment. For these newer versions, please see the CPC manual pages
<![CDATA[I’m upgrading my Celestron Advanced GT or CGE German equatorial mount (GEM) to firmware version GEM 4.15 or later. How does the new firmware’s All-Star polar alignment work with my mount?]]> All-Star polar alignment (All-Star) allows users to choose any bright star for polar alignment, freeing you from always having to use Polaris for this purpose. 

With all-star polar alignment and some experience, you can routinely achieve polar alignments well within ten arc minutes of the celestial pole.  With the funct]]> <![CDATA[Do I have to use my last alignment star for the All-Star polar alignment? What are some other tips for convenient All-Star polar alignment?]]> No you don't! Nor do you have to know its name.

Find a bright star close to the meridian.  Choose one at or below the celesti]]> <![CDATA[What’s a quick summary of how to do All-Star polar alignment with CGEM – CGEM DX, CGE, CGE Pro and Advanced GT Series mounts?]]> Here is a quick summary of All-Star polar alignment. It is basically the same for all the mounts. Some details differ: for example, the CGE and CGE Pro will not have index marks ]]> <![CDATA[How do I wedge align my scope using All-star polar alignment?]]> Whether you are using the HD Pro wedge and heavy-duty tripod or another wedge-tripod combination, once you have a wedge for your scope, the all-star polar alignment consists of 4]]> <![CDATA[What is precession? Do Celestron mounts correct for it?]]> Precession is the movement of the north celestial pole (NCP) among the constellations over long periods of time. It’s caused by external gravitational forces from the]]>