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Originally Posted by Babalyon
Um, when I Line up the dots in my polar scope to the Trapezium and I have no drift, that should be Polar aligned, right?
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Babalyon (Babylon?) - Uhmm.. no. I still reckon you're not polar aligned properly. If you were attempting to base your whole polar alignment purely by pointing your polar scope at the "Trapezium", (which I interpret you mean as Octans, at the SCP) and thinking that if you couldn't "see" it move for a while that you might be polar aligned, you need to do more. The polar scope will land you in the rough vicinity, but really isn't for getting accurate drift alignment from. You need to be well off-centre to do that - not pointing at the pole.
You need to drift align in azimuth by using a star way away from the SCP, on or near the meridian, near zenith, or straight overhead. Then you could try to drift align in elevation using a star to the east near the horizon - or if that's not easily visible then to the west. You'll need an illuminated reticle for this and use your scope's optics to detect the drift.
Just looking at Sigma Octans through you polar scope, seeing it spin slowly and assuming that if it doesn't shift too much then you're aligned won't get you aligned for anything other than 30-second (maybe) photographs. You won't get adequate magnification to see the trend - which is why you need to use the other stars and a 12mm reticle.
Your focus is out a little too. Good luck with the alignment.
