Polar alignment

Polar alignment is the act of aligning the rotational axis of a telescopes equatorial mount in parallel with the rotational axis of the earth.

There are various ways to schieve this:

Dedicated Polar scope

A small telescope usually with an etched reticle that is inserted into the rotational axis of the mount.

Drift Alignment

A roungh alignment is performed - then refined by pointing at different stars and observing any drift that occurs. The mount is then adjusted according to the direction of the observed drift.