Telescope Polar Alignment Tray for iPhone 7 or similar size

thingiverse

The cell phone tray mounts directly onto the handle of the Explore Scientific 102 refractor telescope rings, but it can also attach to any setup using 1/4-20 x 0.75" screws. This tray aligns perfectly with the axis of the telescope and allows an iPhone 7 or similar-sized iPhone to point in the same direction. Using the Polar Scope Align Pro App on the iPhone, you can then point the telescope toward the north celestial pole even when Polaris is not visible. This may happen when there are trees or buildings blocking the view or during the daytime when stars are not visible. The iPhone app features a cross-hair that displays both the telescope's angular orientation and elevation. By leveling the mount, rotating, and tilting the mount head while centering the cross-hair, you can get within a few degrees of being polar aligned, which is usually sufficient for visual applications. This tray also allows you to attach a Celestron 51630 Star Pointer Telescope Finderscope along the same axis as the telescope. An Amazon purchase link to this finderscope is provided below.