Seestar Store

Many years ago, my workplace offered a catalog to choose a 5-year anniversary present. I picked a telescope. My son and I had our first target - the moon’s crater. However, as soon as we aligned the moon in the eyepiece, it drifted away. The Earth’s rotation can be clearly felt with a 30X magnification power. I learned that a real astronomical telescope requires at minimum an equatorial mount and an automatic tracking system. Recently, a smart astronomical telescope has appeared on the market, which can be networked with mobile phones, featuring GPS and automatic star finding functions, and, best of all, it is very affordable. The whole unit weighs only 3 kilograms and is very easy use. All you need to do is set up the tripod and tap a celestial body on the mobile app, and the S50 will automatically find it for you. It can take photos and videos and can be used for 6 hours after a full charge. It comes with a sun filter and is packed in a suitcase for conveniently pickup and go.

Using an astronomical telescope is a learning process. Common sense, such as avoiding cloudy and rainy days, is reinforced here. Keep updated on weather forecasts. Certain stars may be hidden in the Eastern or Southern Hemisphere on the night you go out. Patience will pay off. Additionally, light pollution in cities interferes with finding and observing celestial bodies. It's best to drive to the suburbs in darkness to see the beauty of the starry sky. Prior to 1920, humans still believed that the Milky Way was the universe, indicating how far away and dim other galaxies are. I tested the Seestar S50 for shots of the sun, moon, Spiral Galaxy M51, Needle Galaxy NGC4565, Whale Galaxy NGC4631, and Pinwheel Galaxy M101. The Whirlpool Galaxy has two galactic cores and is 31 million light-years away from Earth. Galaxies are so faint that repeated exposures are needed to see their shapes. I was in a hurry, exposing each galaxy for ten minutes only. Some later images were even shortened by passing clouds. Nevertheless, I am still satisfied with the outcomes of the galaxy photos. Exposing for a full hour would make them even prettier.

The only drawback I’ve experienced was an overheating issue when taking a solar photo. In about 20 minutes, the black case became hot. The unit lost connectivity with the iPhone App. I had to hold the button on the unit to shut it down three times. Eventually, it resumed normal function likely after cooling off in the shade. The local temperature was 19-31 degrees Celsius. I wish there was a white color model to choose from.

It's been cloudy ever since I received the telescope 😐.. but the scenery setting works great 👍🏻

Was ist das beste Teleskop? Antwort: Das beste Teleskop ist das Teleskop, dass man dabei hat. Früher saß ich im Winter im Hochnebel und hatte keine Lust 150 kg Ausrüstung ins Auto zu packen, in die Berge zu fahren und dort alle mühsam bei - 8 Grad aufzubauen, oder wenn es nachts doch noch aufklart, um 12 Uhr nachts das "Geraffel" aufzubauen. Das Seestar ist da eine echte Ergänzung. Sicher, ein 50mm/250mm Objektiv ersetzt kein RASA, aber was das kleine Gerät mit 2 Zoll Öffnung bietet,ist schon erstaunlich. Die Verarbeitung ist sehr gut (den USB-C Anschluss hätte ich gerne stabiler), die Optik gut (ohne den zuschaltbaren Dualband-Filter gibt es etwas blaue Höfe um helle Sterne, ist aber "Gemecker auf hohem Niveau". Der Autofokus funktioniert ausgezeichnet. Die Motoren sind super leise. Die Positioniergenauigkeit und das Platesolving wünsche ich mir bei meinen anderen Teleskopen. Ein kleines Powerpack mit 10000mA ist hilfreich, sonst kommt man nicht über eine Winternacht. Das passt in den Koffer. Es lohnt sich, die Rohbilder zu speichern und selbst das Bild zu erzeugen und zu bearbeiten, das ist deutlich besser als das automatisch erstellte jpg, die aber o.k. sind, wenns schnell gehen soll. Was würde ich verbessern? Ich würde mir eine optional gekühlte Kamera wünschen. Jetzt im Winter bei -8 Grad ist das Chiprauschen gering, aber im Sommer? Ich würde mir auch einen größeren und moderneren Chip wünschen, der IMX 462 ist sehr klein, vielleicht ein IMX 585? Ein optionaler Handgriff am Gehäuse würde es erleichtern, das Gerät aus dem Koffer zu heben und sicherer zu tragen. Das Gehäuse könnte ein Filtergewinde aus Metall haben oder einen Filterschieber. Ein Seestar S80 mit 480mm Brennweite, gekühltem Chip IMX 585, mehr Speicher als großer Bruder? Die Begrenzung auf 10 s Belichtung in der Standardeinstellung macht aktuell Sinn, weil ansonsten durch die Nachführung zuviel Ausschuss produziert wird (20s). Also eine etwas bessere Präzision des Getriebes wäre super. Und eine Anbindung nicht nur an die eigene Communitiy... Und es könnte ja auch ein Bildfeldrotator eingebaut sein. In jedem Fall ist es so, wie es ist super brauchbar. Ein großer Bruder mit 80mm/400mm mit den vorgenannten Features und eingebauter Nachführung (Dual Chip) wäre dann ein ultimatives Aufnahmegerät. Unten zwei Aufnahmen mit PI bearbeitet (10h 10min M42, 36 min der Pferdekopfnebel (20s-Frames, gab aber viel Ausschuss....)

Ive had the Seestar s50 for just over 2 weeks now. I recently got interested in Astro Photography from a good friend who showed me the possibilities of layering technology. Unfortunately the price bracket on these Telescope was out of my range. The Seestar popped up on my radar and after a few views of comparison videos on youtube I decided to purchase one. The price was more than affordable however get ready for a £100 import tax bill to follow. That said the Seestar is MORE than worth the money. First of all the setup was very easy and flawless.. its as simple as power it on.. place it.. level it using the app you can download for PC or Mac, then your good to go. The clarity on the Sun and moon shots is amazing and you can even video them, use time lapse and even RAW footage for the more professional among us. The stargazing app is user friendly with over 90000 targets and show live satelight movement.. there are a plethora of modes to use including galaxies, nebula, planets, solar, moon, comets and even normal photography in daylight mode. You have the access to files downloaded to your phone tablet and on the Seestar on a 64 drive. You can even individually save the stacking photos to process yourself on 3rd party software. Dont be put off with the 1080P sensor it brilliant and clear and you can even process images to high clear detail unsing software like topaz photpo AI. I would recommend you get a fine tune add on for leveling like this Andoer Tripod Leveling Base Leveler Tri-wheel Leveler with Bubble Level and also invest in a 3d Printed lens cap and batinof mask like this one SPANSEE Lens Cap for The Seestar S50 also an extended battery that can be plugged in whilst use to keep batter charged for longer uses like this one I use TalentCell Power Bank, LiFePO4 Battery, 12/9/5V Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery Rechargeable 12.8V 6.5Ah 83.2Wh with Charger for LED Strip Lights, CCTV Cameras, Etc (Black). ZWO have produced a amazing bit of kit at a phenominal price and Im on board for the next iteration. Must not forget regular firmware updates, 4 times zoom on planet and ability to change inbuilt filters, exposure and focus. This really is amazing for the price and has given many people the option to photography deep sky targets with a magnitude of 13.9. If you want to see amazing nebula, galaxies and other astra bodies.. this is a highly recommended platform BRAVO ZWO just amazing!

Have received my seestar about 3 weeks ago and unfortunately only had 3 clear nights. Very impressed with it so far and excited about really putting it to use. Hopefully more advanced features, such as mosaic, will be released soon as some targets are a bit too big for the frame we have now.

This little scope blew me away. Not only it helped me introduce to the astrophotography world but astronomy too. Of course this won’t replace a traditional astrophotography rig, but it delivers incredible results for just 499 usd. And its so small its very portable, plus its a triplet refractor!.
My best purchase ever no regrets and the quality its sturdy and durable.
I will gladly suggest this as an entry scope to anyone that wants to get in the hobby of astrophotography.
Well done ZWO👏

Im am SO SO SO happy with this little scope. It is so easy to use and gets great shots! Highly recommended.

I have been a traditional reflector/refractor astronomer for a few years and time for setting up has always been the issue when skies are unpredictable. I bought the Seestar as a compact Self-contained Travel setup but if there is a gap in the weather at home I can be setup and ready to shoot in 5 minutes. Image quality and ease of use are fantastic. I tend to post process with different software and the results are incredible. Like it so much I have bought my son his own unit.

I’m really pleased with the SeeStar S50. Weather had stopped me trying it for a week but once the clouds cleared it was so worth the wait. Brilliant piece of equipment.

After unpacking my SEESTAR yesterday I was excited to try it out in my back yard. Since the Sun was out I took a picture of the Sun and to my surprise the photo was better than photos I take with my Coronado Solar Telescope. As nightfall approached , the sky was hazy and the transparency was below average. The humidity was about 45%. . The moon was rising over the horizon and as it came up I took a photo. It was far above my expectation. With the moon now in full sight and rising, I tried a a few minutes of the Orion Nebula. Having recently spent 4 days out in Borrego Spring at the Nightfall Astrophotography and Star party with my 6 inch Explore Scientific APO triplet Carbon Fiber refractor telescope with the ZWO 533 camera, I decided to compare images taken by my scope and the Seestar, and to my surprise, there was very little, if any differences. It was amazing how close they looked. To test the limit of the Seestar I pointed it to the Horsehead Nebula to see if it would image anything. I thought it was a waist of time and didn’t expect anything, especially on such a below average night. I was shocked and amazed at what this little telescope captured, the Horsehead in all its glory(see image). Now I can’t wait to test it out at a dark sight on a clear night. This little telescope is absolutely AMAZING!!!

I don't know how ZWO manages to pack so many features into this unit at such a great price, but they do. I can put my SeeStar on its tripod and be gazing at the cosmos in under 10 minutes. I live in a light-polluted city and can probably count how many stars are actually visible, but this lets me easily see past that pollution. The pictures are of a good quality, they're easy to take, the telescope is easy to operate... it's wonderful! If you want to casually get involved in astrophotography, or just want to be able to gaze at the cosmos and find interesting nebula and star clusters and galaxies, this will give you everything you need. I love this thing!

I am really happy with my Seestar. It came promptly even when it was rapidly sold out in December. Beautifully made , wonderful imaging. Easily transportable. Good value for money. The sun and moon look fantastic and nebulae are surprising. Intuitive and easily operated.

The Seestar 50 is a “Hit in the neighborhood” !!
This smart little Mighty Mouse is a great way to get introduced to Astrophotography and the incredible satisfaction that Astronomy can bring.
With Seestar 50, you don’t have to spend $5 K to $10 K just to find out if this hobby is for you.
$500 and your done !!
Extra benefit is that while the Seestar 50 is outside in the cold photographing the heavens, you are inside nice and warm while it works its magic !!

Started to use scopes at the age of 14. Now I am 55 old, 41 years later...
My (n-1) is a SC 8" weighting 35 kgs. It was nice to travel with it 20 years ago, but it becomes very heavy, takes a lot of space into my car and except planets, nebulaes look like pale clouds into the eyepiece. And never touch / push the scope/fork, otherwise you have to recalibrate it (point at least 2 stars to re-initiate tracking and so on).
So for me, the dream was to integrate CCD + Goto fork + soft + tracking + battery (important) into a 1 in all device : you made it !
I was dubitative at the beginning : how such a small thing can "see" nebulaes ?? and is it still astronomy or more IT device ?. To my mind, this is progress : for the oldest, remember when the Goto mounts were introduced, purist were decrying this, claiming that manual pointing and very good sky knowledge was the best. Yes and no. For sure it is better to know the sky. Now goto mounts are a standard in classic telescopes and no one claims for it.
And now ?
Purchased this 2.5 kg S50 scope that I can bring everywhere. This is a strong point.
The first night I have seen more nebulas than in 41 observing years !

What I appreciate :
- Compact size
- Low weight
- Included filters
- Extra solar filter
- Tripod, even if I will use a bigger one with 3/8" screw size
- THE SUITCASE, not a detail, very impotant. It protects the scope and extends its life ! I can tell you
- Possibility to use USB C plug while observing : I have actually at least around 10 hrs operating time, using an extra 20V 2000mAh battery plugged to usb port. When extra battery "dies" the internal one starts.
- The software, very well made and continously updated : go on !
- The cost. Very good ratio quality/price. Yes there is better even at Zwo, but not at the same price. You have to balance if you want to make it an occasional activity/hobby or if you are a serious astrophotographer wanting "big material" with more detailed pictures you will tune after, not the same thing

Cons :
- Almost nothing.
- Eyepiece ? This disturbed me at the beginning, but this is not required after all. As digital scope, the eyepiece is your phone/tablet and adding physical one on the scope should have enlarged dimensions with limited interest. And should have lead to a strange shape also :-)

To improve :
- Software with more options, maybe possibility to "upgrade" pictures instead of using alternative softs
- On this base, of course, higher resolution coupled with higher optical diameter(s) -will improve planets imaging- like 80/90/100mm but maybe is it "in the pipe" ??

I’m an experienced astrophotographer, and picked up the S50 for quick grab and go and a scope I can take when I travel. So far I am impressed. I was able to easily take it to the bottom of my yard where I cannot take my full sized setup, and was able to shoot some targets like the horse head nebula. Using some framing tricks to shoot mosaics and stacking tje raw subs I have been able to get some pretty impressive results.

Looking forward to the eclipse and using the Seestar on it!