[AJames]

:I have attached two images of the SCP, which were taken using 20cm. The magnitude limit is about 14.5 to 15th.
These small grahics shows the path of the SCP due to precession, whose large arc moves around the south ecliptic pole. There are two images;

1: Is about very roughly 5x3 degrees across - showing the wider field and the "larger" trapezium seen visually in dark sky or through the finder (left of the arc) The here arc is broken into units of 10 years. Near the arc are the stars A and B Oct - which are the used "pole stars" for telescopic alignment.

2: Is a narrower field, covering roughly 1.0x0.7 degrees in size, and this shows the brighter stars around the south celestial pole in a bit more detail

Both can be used for polar alignment for almost any purpose one might imagine - except perhaps for rigourous survey work or setting up a pro-observatory!

This should really answer the questions stated in this thread, but these figures are also useful for precise alignment of telescopes.

Hope this helps....
Andrew

NOTE: Read the response below entitled "Far Southern Star Names" for further elaboration on this...