I've been meaning to build an adapter to let me attach my webcam to the polar scope on my Orion Sirius mount. I've seen videos online where people have done this and it looks handy. You don't have to crawl around on the ground to look through the scope anymore!

Here is a 3D model of what I designe:

Here is the 3D print part:

I designed the holder to fit my Microsoft HD5000 webcam. You can find these on ebay for $15.

Here is Polaris through the webcam adapter:

It is the small white dot at the bottom of the black circle.

This circle represents 1 degree from the North Celestrial Pole (NCP) and is the approximate distance of Polaris from the NCP. This changes over time due to precession - but I find it is close enough for most my imaging and visual needs.

Here is an image with the LED illuminator on and Polaris at the proper location on the 1 degree circle to result in the mount being polar aligned:

It is a little hard to see Polaris - it is near the 3:30 positon on the circle.

You can find lots of utilities to show you where Polaris should be at a given location and time. I use an Android app called PolarFinder.

My next project will be to write a utility that overlays a window over my webcam capture program (I use Sharpcap) with a digital reticle pattern that includes the position where Polaris should be located. Then it will be even more accurate than my current method, as it can take into account precession.

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