Polar Scope Align - Reviews, Revenue and Downloads - Apple App Store

Description

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). It will even allow you to measure and correct a centering error of the reticle. In the settings you can select from a vast collection of reticles, one that matches your own. Pretty much every reticle in the market is supported:
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 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.
Feel free to contact the developer with any questions, feature/reticle requests and any problems you have with the app. If you like Polar Scope Align, please consider leaving a review on the app store.

Main features:

-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).
-Automatic Time/Location.
-Calculation and correction/compensation for off-center reticles.
-Remember zero position on Celestron / Skywatcher / Orion etc reticles.
-Full app in red-color night mode.
-Moon phase.
-Messier, Caldwell and Bright star database.
-Download and explore DSS color images of the DSO database entries.
-8 calculators useful for observing and astrophotography.

This free version is ad-supported. You can also try the ad-free Pro version with many extra features:

-Ability to manually enter time/date and location (including saving favorites, list of recent locations, loading from world location database, searching online).
-Zoomable reticle view.
-Approximate daytime / no polarscope polar alignment tool. Great for visual use, solar imaging (including eclipses) and even limited short focal length astrophotography. Now with sun shadow calibration for more accuracy!
-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 on which you can always access the polar scope).
-Lunar Calendar with solar/lunar rise/set and twilight times.
-Bubble level (using either gyro or accelerometer) and Compass heading, as well as magnetic declination reading.
-GPS accuracy & elevation data.
-Switch to alternative night mode colors, or daytime mode for the tools.
-Red/White/LED light control.
-Deep Space Object Database with 22000+ objects from several catalogs (Messier, Caldwell, NGC, IC, Herschell 400, Sharpless 2, Barnard), along with stars (Yale Bright Star) & planets. The database is searchable and fully configurable with filters, various sorting methods etc.
- Get help finding the DSO Database objects 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.
-World astro-weather report based on data from 7Timer!, Met.NO & more.
-Water vapor satellite images.
-Solar Eclipse Simulator.
-List of visible ISS and bright satellite passes.
-iOptron Named Star list, Meade LX200 star list.
-Screen dimming.

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In-Apps

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Screenshots

User Rating

4.65 out of 5

153 ratings in United States

5 star

133

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3 star

2 star

1 star

Ratings History

Reviews

Amazed it has my 1989 Meade LX6 9x60 Polar Alignment Scope reticle!

I recently took a chance on a dusty dirty 10” Meade LX6 (f/6.3). It works! It came with the Meade 9x60 Polar Alignment Scope. I was amazed to see it available as one of the reticle options in this app! I look forward to exploring this app and am sure I will upgrade to PRO version very soon. Thanks for your development efforts!

Exactly what I was looking for

I am pushing the limits of my Skywatcher Star Adventurer GTI shooting unguided with a 600mm telephoto lens, so I needed the most precise polar alignment possible. This app came through and helped me reduce my PA error over what was possible with Synscan Pro. Many thanks.

Awesome App

The free version is awesome. I’ve been using it for years. I’m going to get the pro version partly as a way of expressing my gratitude to the developer, and partly to get one of the pro features. Really grateful for this app. Thank you to the developer!! (I believe this app would be even more widely used if there was a good online video demonstrating all the features.)

Polar alignment

Easy to use, clear instructions.

Great help when polar aligning

This app is very easy and straightforward. When you begin your polar alignment just open the app and it tells you, based on your latitude and time of day, where Polaris needs to be in the reticule. Just that simple.

No instructions, no idea how to start it

Unusable. Can’t find a way to make it work. Downloaded the app. Set to southern hemisphere and it shows me a fixed drawing of sigma octantis. That is it.

Best app for astrophotographers

I recommend this app to beginners and also professional astrophotographers and skywatchers. Will help you to get precisely polar alignment.

Fantastic app!

The creators of this app certainly have an eye for detail! Each reticle style has excellent instructions for setting up. This really helps alignment be beginner friendly!

Works

Very handy and accurate.

Very clever and useful

Thoughtfully designed app packed with unexpected and useful features. Really surprising depth for a free app like this, and the inclusion of tips for getting more accurate polar alignment out of old-fashioned Celestron/Skywatcher/Orion alignment scopes is extremely helpful. The battery saving features with the temporary "force GPS" mode is extremely clever. Also much better night vision friendly app design than even a lot of much more expensive astronomy apps. Kudos on every front.

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