<p>If you have sun hitting your balcony, you could draw a line of a shadow during solar noon.
You can put your place here and get the exact time: <a href="https://gml.noaa.gov/grad/solcalc/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://gml.noaa.gov/grad/solcalc/</a></p>
<p>I used a black water bottle, a ruler and a pencil to make a line on the floor.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-09-27T13:06:12.447Z
It doesn't need to be solar noon, you can use the shadow at any time and just look up the azimuth of the Sun in a planetarium app, then use a protractor to find North.  But this will be very rough.  A "one start alignment" where you move the mount to center the star would be better, but this requires perfect elevation and level of the mount.
Greg Miller
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-09-27T11:19:48.370Z
2022-09-27T11:19:48.370Z
Walucas
<p>My mount is located on balcony where I can't see the polar star. I have only one window here which points to the eastern south. I limited by small piece of sky near the ecliptic plane between 120 degree and 140 by horizontal and 20 degree and 60 degree by vertical.</p>
<p>So, how can I align my mount in this case?</p>
<p>I tried to align it by aiming jupiter and saturn one by another and rotate the mount between. I get good enough result, but objects in frame is slowly move to out of frame (so, can't use long exposures).</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-09-16T20:05:19.217Z
With that little of the sky available, your results will likely be pretty limited.  Your best best is probably to try NINA/ASTAP alignment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJos0stpJvA
Greg Miller
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-09-16T23:18:39.657Z
This should certainly be possible, and the ease will depend on details of your mount. Is it computer controlled or just a motor on one axis. How precisely can you read the RA and Dec from the mount? Are you reading from mechanical indicators or a digital readout?
uhoh
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-09-17T21:14:22.490Z
Possibly helpful: https://explorescientificusa.com/pages/polar-alignment-using-the-drift-method
chili555
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-09-17T21:32:21.830Z
@uhoh Computer controlled, not guided. Mechanical indicators
Robotex
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-09-19T17:06:30.177Z
which mount do you have? can it be connected to a computer? if so then use kstars/ekos to do polar alignment: https://wthomaskelly.com/ekos-new-polar-alignment-routine-is-the-bees-knees (disclaimer: also requires camera connected to a computer)
Aaron F
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-09-21T11:38:12.420Z
@AaronF EQM-35 with SynScan EQDrive. Connected. But visible sky is limited
Robotex
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-09-21T21:03:30.830Z
perfect - you'll be able to use the ekos polar alignment tool if you put an astrocamera in the eyepiece holder. a lot of the time i don't even bother polar aligning mine - i put it roughly in the right position and let the ekos plate solving routine get me pointing in the right place :-)
Aaron F
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-09-27T13:13:41.283Z
@Robotex, you have a computer controlled mount, but you have to rely on mechanical indicators?  The computer will display a digital readout of a EQM-35.  You should explain why the methods already mentioned won't work for you.
Greg Miller
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-09-28T14:05:34.437Z
@AaronF you could write your answer, I will accept it
Robotex
<telescope><alignment><polaris>
How to polar align equatorial mount if I see only small part of sky at south-east?
Robotex
# How to polar align equatorial mount if I see only small part of sky at south-east?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-09-16)

My mount is located on balcony where I can't see the polar star. I have only one window here which points to the eastern south. I limited by small piece of sky near the ecliptic plane between 120 degree and 140 by horizontal and 20 degree and 60 degree by vertical.

So, how can I align my mount in this case?

I tried to align it by aiming jupiter and saturn one by another and rotate the mount between. I get good enough result, but objects in frame is slowly move to out of frame (so, can't use long exposures).

**Tags:** telescope, alignment, polaris
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: With that little of the sky available, your results will likely be pretty limited.  Your best best is probably to try NINA/ASTAP alignment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJos0stpJvA  
> **username_2**: This should certainly be possible, and the ease will depend on details of your mount. Is it computer controlled or just a motor on one axis. How precisely can you read the RA and Dec from the mount? Are you reading from mechanical indicators or a digital readout?  
> **username_3**: Possibly helpful: https://explorescientificusa.com/pages/polar-alignment-using-the-drift-method  
> **username_0**: @uhoh Computer controlled, not guided. Mechanical indicators  
> **username_4**: which mount do you have? can it be connected to a computer? if so then use kstars/ekos to do polar alignment: https://wthomaskelly.com/ekos-new-polar-alignment-routine-is-the-bees-knees (disclaimer: also requires camera connected to a computer)  
> **username_0**: @AaronF EQM-35 with SynScan EQDrive. Connected. But visible sky is limited  
> **username_4**: perfect - you'll be able to use the ekos polar alignment tool if you put an astrocamera in the eyepiece holder. a lot of the time i don't even bother polar aligning mine - i put it roughly in the right position and let the ekos plate solving routine get me pointing in the right place :-)  
> **username_1**: @Robotex, you have a computer controlled mount, but you have to rely on mechanical indicators?  The computer will display a digital readout of a EQM-35.  You should explain why the methods already mentioned won't work for you.  
> **username_0**: @AaronF you could write your answer, I will accept it  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_5 on 2022-09-27. Score: 1

If you have sun hitting your balcony, you could draw a line of a shadow during solar noon.
You can put your place here and get the exact time: <https://gml.noaa.gov/grad/solcalc/>

I used a black water bottle, a ruler and a pencil to make a line on the floor.

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: It doesn't need to be solar noon, you can use the shadow at any time and just look up the azimuth of the Sun in a planetarium app, then use a protractor to find North.  But this will be very rough.  A "one start alignment" where you move the mount to center the star would be better, but this requires perfect elevation and level of the mount.  

---

