Polar Scope Align Pro

Name: Polar Scope Align Pro
Rating: 4.96326 (245 reviews)

Utilities

View in App Store

Polar Scope Align Pro

Utilities

245 ratings

Age Rating

Seller

Dimitrios Kechagias

In-App Purchases

$0.99 – $9.99

View in App Store

Price Intelligence:

Average for the Utilities category The most popular in-app price for the app

Grow your in-app revenue

while we take care of your subscription management.
Mobile SDK by Qonversion.

Learn more

Price Intelligence based on:

213,518

apps aggregated

8,172,290

in-app prices defined

main categories

In-App Purchase Price (Subscription or Non-Recurring)

vs. average for the Utilities category, $, by region

Build, analyze, and grow in-app subscriptions

with the most powerful mobile SDK for subscriptions

Explore

User Reviews for Polar Scope Align Pro

Surprisingly Useful

I purchased the Pro version to give it a try and help me setup an Orion Atlas Pro mount. The app was surprisingly easy to use with great functionality. It can be as easy as opening it up to see what position to align your mount or dive into more detail about various objects in the sky and where they’re located. You can change the mount type being setup for a variety of brands that any backyard astronomer would be familiar with. Additionally, there’s an exceedingly huge catalog of information under the menu. Press the cog wheel and you open up the object list which was a delightful addition that justified supporting the app and purchasing the Pro version.

Annoyed consumer 6613, Dec 08, 2018

So much utility from this app !!

I have been using equatorial mounts for celestial body photography for a little under a year now and this app has been a critical part of my workflow.It provides so much relevant information from polar scope alignment, night viewing weather conditions, light pollution maps.. and much more. If your star photography ‘lifestyle’ boarders on mild obsession, your going to love this app :)

anomalymedia, Dec 10, 2020

Very Useful

I use the “un-inverted” view to visually rough-align my mount before using Sharpcap Pro for fine alignment. I have a small laser parallel to the RA axis and use Polar Align Pro to determine where the NCP is in relation to Polaris. It typically gets me within a half degree of the refracted pole which I then fine align with Sharpcap Pro for accurate tracking. This is a very useful app to me because it is so simple to use. There are of course many more great features.

art2action, Sep 03, 2020

Not Sure about Usefulness

I recently purchased the Pro version of this app. I use it with and Explore Scientific iEXOS-100 eq mount and a William Optics Z61 scope. I have an extremely limited view of the northern sky (none at all — trees and other obstructions). Therefore I need a way to polar align with no view of Polaris. I tried over and over again to “align” my mount. However, I use the compass to get a rough setting for North. Place my iPhone on the mount head and, as I do so, it drifts toward the West. When it finally settles, it wants me to make a correction by almost 15-18 degrees. This is way off. I take the iPhone off the mount, open the compass away from the mount and it again shows the correct North. There must be a way to compensate for this aberration. If there isn’t, the app is worthless for my use. By the way, I do love all the positive responses but, for me, it has not be useful so far.Update: (3/7/19) Update: I’ve made some adjustments, including purchasing a five inch dovetail and an inexpensive smart phone mount. This gets my iPhone away from the core of the mount. I tried a few nights ago (3/3/19) and was able to do a decent polar alignment using just PS Align Pro. Now I am able to give the app five stars.

BigTenDad, Mar 08, 2019

Great utility for manual polar alignment

Shows you where Polaris should be for your polar alignment scope (inverted or rectified scopes are both supported. It’s been very reliable for me.It also has a mode for rough alignment to the celestial pole using just your cell phone. That’s only as accurate as your cell phone of course (and the compass on phones is terrible, tilt is usually a little more accurate). You can probably just eyeball it but I like it for just setting up.Lots of other random features.

Dimsum99, Jul 03, 2023

Takahashi mount accuracy

I use the app to visually check and get the mount on target every time. My mount was built in 2006, and thanks to this app , I am continually amazed by how easy the alignment process can be done ,visually. Fine alignment is accomplished using the Pole master finder app, as a redundant check. Using both, the NJP mount continues to acquire, point and track, any desired object in the observable night sky. Thank you for making such a useful product,All the additional calcs work beautifully as well , taking a lot of the prep headaches off the table for any visual or astrophotographers planning and executing a night under the night skies Cheers!

Edtaknjp, May 30, 2022

Great app

I’ve been using the free version of this app for several years and after just recently purchased the pro version to go along with my new mount. For the price of the pro version, it has a lot of great features. I would recommend getting this app for sure. However, what would make this app even better would be have it interface with a guide camera or even have its own accessory camera to get spot on polar alignment. I know there are electronic polar scopes already with their own proprietary software, but if this app offered a polar alignment assist using a guide camera and without being obligated to an annual subscription like some of the competitors, this app may very well earn 5 stars from me.

george lucas was better, Nov 07, 2021

Keeps getting better

I've been using this app for over a year. It was great when I started it and gets better with added functionality after each update. I seem to find hidden gems tucked in the app quite often as well. The Pro version gives me the best ROI by far compared to any other app I have on my iPad and iPhone. The app is also the most used astronomy/Astro photography app in my arsenal. Absolutely, feature-packed TOP-SHELF app.

JAYhawker!!, Oct 07, 2018

All in one tool box!

This makes the arduous task of setting up my EQ Mount soo much easier. This app is just packed with features. The bubble level/compass is especially useful when getting my mount roughly orientated. Love the display of date/time/location all in one shot. It has weather/observing conditions.. really this has just about everything you need. So happy I found it. Thank you for creating this!

JoeyBocc, Jul 02, 2018

New to Tracking—Very Helpful!

I recently bought my first tracking mount, iOptron SkyGuider Pro, and found it much easier to find polar alignment with this app. Same for solar alignment—a little difficult to find a way to mount the phone (which is not the app’s fault), but kept the sun in my camera’s viewfinder at 500mm for more than an hour. Probably could be better if I worked harder on it, but I was able to get an ISS transit. I wish I bought this before the 2017 eclipse!

kjdfkifIUFIUWFUEWW, Sep 23, 2018

Description

Apart from the most reliable app for polar alignment (with or without a polar scope), PS Align pro has become the astronomer's swiss-army knife with all the tools added over the years. Remember, all features & updates are free forever, the only in-app purchases are donations (tip jar). Polar Scope Align will calculate the position of Polaris or σ Octantis in your Polar Scope reticle for your location (using your phone's GPS or manually), allowing a quick and accurate polar alignment.

It is one of the few programs that are accurate in lower latitudes by correcting for atmospheric refraction (so expect results to agree only with precise software and not most simplistic "polar align" apps - see the "Accuracy" section in help for details). In the settings you can select the polar scope reticle that matches your own, from a vast collection: iOptron old & new, Astro-Physics RAPAS & PASILL, various versions of Takahashi EM-10/11/200/400/500, NJP, PM-1, P2-Z, the latest Orion / Skywatcher, the Classic Skywatcher / Orion / Celestron / Meade / EXOS2 / Bresser, the Telrad, Rigel QuikFinder, a couple for Astrotrac / Losmandy / Kenko / Avalon, the Vixen PF-L/Atlux/SX/SXD/SXP/AXD/GP/GP-DX/Polarie Polar Axis Scopes, a Konus and several Polar Finders: Tuthill, Explore Scientific 8x50, Meade 9x60, Vixen Polaris, Celestron 7x50, Carton Optical. PoleMaster help view for South Hemisphere users. If you have one not included, just ask the developer to add it! Feature list: -Accurate calculation of Polaris or Sigma Oct for any date and location, including effect of atmospheric refraction (and annual aberration, nutation). Most other apps do not perform precision calculations, so please only compare app readings to accurate sources (USNO, scientific software etc). -Use device time/date/location, or enter your own, or pick from online & offline world databases via the Location Manager. -Approximate daytime / no polarscope polar alignment tool. Great for visual use, solar imaging (inc. eclipses) and even limited short focal length astrophotography. Now with sun shadow calibration for more accuracy! -Laser / Hop Align for nighttime alignment using a calibration star for obstructed or not visible polar star, or for improving laser align. -Full app in red-color (or alternative green, white) night mode - tools switchable to daytime view. -Deep Space Object (DSO) Database with 22000+ objects from several catalogs (Messier, Caldwell, NGC, IC, Herschell 400, Sharpless 2, Barnard), along with stars (Yale Bright Star) & planets. Search, apply filters, sorting, download DSS color images for all items, or get help finding them with your non-goto telescope with the Push-To function. -Connect to and control WiFi-enabled iOptron mounts. -Over 30 calculators useful for observing and astrophotography, from eyepiece magnification and field of view, to imaging resolution and reducers. -Xasteria: World astro-weather report based on multiple sources, including 7Timer. -Water vapor satellite images. -List of visible ISS and bright satellite passes. -Moon phase & lunar Calendar with solar/lunar rise/set and twilight times. -Wizard to calculate your reticle centering offset and correct or compensate for it. -Zoomable reticle view and customized routines & tools: Alt-az alignment error display for mounts that calculate it after star alignment (e.g. iOptron iEQ45, CEM60), polar alignment when your scope is not in zero position (for mounts like iOptron ZEQ/CEM on which you can always access the polar scope), remember zero position on Celestron / Skywatcher / Orion etc reticles. -Bubble level (using either gyro or accelerometer) and Compass heading, as well as magnetic declination reading. -GPS accuracy & elevation data. -Red/White/LED light. -Dimming slider. -iOptron, NexStar and Meade LX200 Star Lists. -Support for iPhone & iPad from iOS 9 (and iPod Touch, except tools that require the compass).