polaris

[Andy McK]

I'm having the same trouble.

I was pointed to this Precision Polar Alignment no pun intended

enjoy

[tony]

my problem was a lower than normal observing spot with very high trees just over the road, my normal spot is a lot higher up with no trees.

add trees together with cloud wind and showers and i was finding it hard to pick out polaris in amongst all these. i'm waiting till its clear and less windy.

by the way i found this a lot better than the normal manuals

Astronomy Shed UK Astronomy Forum • View topic - Complete Setup From A to Z

[661-pete]

I'm not quite clear what the problem is here, but one of the first things anyone remotely interested in the night sky ought to get to grips with, is memorise the Plough and know exactly how to recognise it in the night sky. If you're not used to the 'real thing' and have drawn your knowledge from Stellarium etc., you may at first get confused as to how large it appears in the sky and how bright.

And remember there are no connecting lines!

Also remember (some beginners find this a bit difficult) that the Plough asterism is circumpolar and appears in different orientations depending on the season. As a rough guide:

Autumn: 'right way up', fairly low in the sky (may be hidden by buildings or trees).

Winter: 'tail' pointing down, over to the right of North.

Spring: upside down, high up near the zenith (the best time for finding it).

Summer: 'tail' pointing up, over to the left.

Once you've firmly committed to memory the Plough, in all its orientations, following the 'pointers' should be a doddle. If they lead you to somewhere behind a tree or building, hard luck!