Mounting Your Phone

AstroHelm needs the rear camera to have a clear, unobstructed view of the sky in the same direction as your telescope. The mount must be rigid — any flex or play between the phone and the scope will shift your alignment every time you slew.

Caution

Do not rely on friction or tape. If the phone can shift even a fraction of a degree, plate solving will succeed but your pointing will be off.

MagSafe Mount

MagSafe phone mounts attach magnetically to the back of iPhone 12 and later. Many camera manufacturers sell MagSafe-compatible cold shoe adapters that also screw into a standard ¼-20 tripod thread. This makes them easy to attach to a telescope dovetail or camera body. If you would like to attach to the finder bracket, you can purchase a finder dovetail.

Clamp Mount

A universal phone clamp with a ¼-20 stud is a versatile option. The clamp grips the sides of the phone, and can be screwed directly into a dovetail plate.

Dedicated Telescope Phone Mount

Several astronomy accessory makers sell mounts designed specifically to attach a phone to a telescope, typically to the finder bracket.

Unsupported

Smartphone Eyepiece Adapter

Eyepiece adapters hold the phone’s camera over the eyepiece so you can photograph through the telescope. AstroHelm does not support this configuration. The field of view is typically too small for plate solving to work.