Polar Scope Align Pro app for iPhone and iPad

4.6 ( 9056 ratings )

Utilities
Developer: Dimitrios Kechagias

2.99 USD

Current version: 6.5, last update: 9 months ago
First release : 04 Mar 2015
App size: 28.49 Mb

Apart from the most reliable app for polar alignment (with or without a polar scope), PS Align pro has become the astronomers 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 phones 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).

Pros and cons of Polar Scope Align Pro app for iPhone and iPad

Polar Scope Align Pro app good for

Very handy little tool that enables me to have my HEQ5 pro aligned in a breeze.

Using this app for astrophotography with Star Watcher Adventurer mount. It works great and its easy to use - even for the "astro-newbie" ;) Lots of features, often updated, runs smoothly on iPad mini. Could not ask for more. Worth every single penny!

Anyone who wants to know there exact polar align for their location, time and for their reticle setup this is imho the perfect choice. Not only is the app is fairly easy to use but the developers website is very helpful in understanding the app and also on how to do a proper alignment of your reticle. No regrets in purchasing the Pro app.

Great app for astronomy and it works well. I use it every time I set my scope up.

This app is incredibly well designed, even in the cramped space of an iPod it manages to pack a lot of features including a night-vision torch, a level and of course a very accurate polar finder. Ive been using this app for a while and I am very happy with it!

I dont know how he does it but Dimitrios just keeps adding feature after feature to this app. Every time I see a new thing added, I just think to myself, "What a great idea. I didnt even realize that I needed that." Support is also terrific, he even added the finder scope for my ancient Meade manual scope that Im probably the only one using. And he did that in about two days! We need to support developers like this. Get this app!

Some bad moments

This app does it all! I originally installed the other app and I decided to use this one to verify the alignment. That other app is very good, but it didn’t take me a long time to decide to use Polar Scope Align Pro as my “go to” app. From the built-in level and compass to the moon phases this is the best polar aligner out there. All necessary information is in there. I emailed the developer with an obscure Meade reticle from the mid ‘80s on my ancient 10” SCT and he agreed to include it even though I’m probably the only one in the world who would ever use it. That ability alone just completes my experience. This app is a bargain at whatever price one pays for it!

This app gets the basics right and has many useful features for the power user. The developer has been responsive, too, continuing to improve on a great tool.

Very well done and a significant improvement over the default iOptron polar app. The author is always updating the app and adding great new features.

The app is fantastic. It can be used with many polar finder reticles. This is a full featured app allowing much more than the iOptron scope I was using. The algorithms used give a more accurate position which is important to anyone that is imaging. It also has a feature that allows the correction of an off center reticle. Theres too much to list here. The developer of the app uses this app, and knows what observers need. Its rare I get to say how well I like an app. This is one of them. A really useful well thought out app.

Nice app to have to assist in polar alignment. Very nicely done with a few extra features. Highly recommended.

This app provides essentially all the information a person needs to polar align their mount and start gazing quickly. It also provides a number of tools that work with different mounts to fine tune the alignment to improve tracking. I have a new Orion Atlas Pro AZ/EQ mount and there have been a number of changes/improvements added to the SynScan handset. In at least one case the app already uses this information to correct alignment error.

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