What can Seestar S50 shoot?
Stargaze Mode: Photographs deep sky objects.
Scenery Mode: Equal to a 1750mm ultra telephoto optical prime lens. Can photograph landscapes or animals.
Solar Mode: Photographs the sun. Solar tracking will be turned on automatically.
Lunar Mode: Photographs the moon. Lunar tracking will be turned on automatically.
Can Seestar S50 shoot any objects in deep space?
With its built-in anti-light pollution filter and good enough atmospheric transparency, Seestar S50 is able to shoot deep-sky objects even in city.
However, if we want to get good enough results, we still need to go to a dark site. We define the degree of light pollution into different levels. The larger the number is, the heavier the light pollution is. ZWO provides simple photos under different levels of light pollution after testing. We can compare them by ourselves. Also, don't forget that the moon is the biggest light pollution source at night, we must avoid such a time period as the full moon.
Does Seestar S50 support shooting photoes and videos.
Seestar S50 supports photo capturing and video recording in Scenery Mode, Files are saved as JPEG and MP4.
How can I get the photos and fits files?
You can get JPEG file in your smart device in Scene Mode and get Fits file in Seestar S50's internal memory in Stargazing Mode.
Remind that, when you use "live" function, the JPEG output file is in your smart device and raw file Fits format is in Seestar S50's internal memory.
What software do you recommend to edit the raw files?
You can edit the raw files delivered by Seestar S50 with software such as ASIStudio (stacking & processing). We encourage you to browse the different topics available online and to follow tutorials to learn how to use this software.
Does Seestar S50 support custom setting of exposure time?
When you select the scenery mode, exposure per frame and gain are based on image brightness automaticly, with a maximum value of 33ms.
Is the focusing performed by Seestar S50 manual or automatic?
The focus is managed automatically when Seestar S50 startup (autofocus). If you feel your picture is blurry or out of focus, you can start autofocus through "AF" button on the observation screen.
How does the shooting show in high-light pollution?
There are nine levels of dark space on the Bethel scale:
Level 1: Completely dark sky, color base black;
Level 2: Typical true dark observation site, color base gray;
Level 3: Starry sky in the countryside, color base blue;
Level 4: Rural/suburban transition, color base green;
Level 5: Suburban sky, color base yellow;
Level 6: Bright suburban sky, color base orange;
Level 7: Suburban/urban transition, color base red;
Level 8: Urban sky, color base white;
Level 9: Downtown sky, color base white;
The visibility of celestial objects through a telescope is closely related to atmospheric transparency, and to achieve optimal results, it is necessary to go to the darkest and most transparent locations. The commonly used classification for light pollution is the Bortle Scale, where higher numbers indicate higher levels of light pollution. We provide reference sample images for targets observed in different light pollution levels for comparison.
The impact of moonlight on the brightness of the background light in the sky is also very large, and can be considered as naturally occurring light pollution, which is scattered by the atmosphere and will be dispersed throughout the sky. There is even a twilight-like effect when the moon is about to rise or just after setting. Therefore, conventional deep space photography should be carried out when the moon is below the horizon, during the period from the 25th to the fifth day of the lunar calendar, the night without the moon is the longest, which is more suitable for deep space photography. We remind everyone to avoid observing or capturing astronomical events during the full moon phase for better observational outcomes.
When shooting the sun, do I have to use the standard solar filter?
⚠️ DO NOT OBSERVE THE SUN DIRECTLY! For solar photography, We offer high quality solar filters as a standard accessory to meet the needs of different usage
Can Seestar S50 shoot artificial celestial objects such as ISS and CSS?
Seestar S50 does not support the tracking of near-Earth satellites. Users can try to shoot the space station by transiting the sun or the moon.
How to update the comet list in Seestar App Objects?
When you open the Seestar App, the App will automatically connect to the internet and update the comet list in the Object library to ensure that the comet data is up to date.
To avoid inaccurate comet positions and to ensure that the comet will be within Seestar's field of view after a successful GoTo, please make sure your cell phone or tablet device has access to the internet when you open the Seestar App.
At the bottom of the comet list, you can see when the data was updated and the version number of the comet list.