For as long as he could remember, Michael Siward had been captivated by the night sky — the swirling galaxies, distant stars, and the mystery of it all. As a seasoned photographer, astrophotography seemed like a natural next step. But every attempt left him discouraged.
Traditional gear came with steep costs — not just money, but time, frustration, and complexity. Living in a neighborhood where Polaris is completely blocked, even basic alignment proved nearly impossible. After repeated failures and growing disappointment, Michael shelved his dream of capturing the cosmos.
That changed when he discovered a post about the Seestar smart telescope.
At first, he was skeptical. Could something so compact and affordable really capture deep-sky objects — without polar alignment or heavy gear? But the images he saw, especially from beginners, sparked a glimmer of hope. When the Seestar S30 launched, he asked for it as a birthday gift. After waiting through backorders, it finally arrived.
Miraculously, the skies were clear that night.
Setup took seconds. He downloaded the Seestar app, tapped on M51 – the Whirlpool Galaxy, and watched as the telescope aligned, locked on, and began stacking exposures. Within minutes, the swirling arms of the galaxy appeared on his screen. It was, in his words, "magic."
Overwhelmed, he ran inside and called his children — and his 78-year-old father. Together, three generations watched the galaxy grow clearer, frame by frame. Wonder returned to his children’s eyes, nostalgia welled in his father’s, and in Michael — a long-lost spark was reignited.
Since that first night, clear skies have been rare. But every opportunity has felt like a gift.
Just recently, after a firmware update, he tried EQ (equatorial) mode — even though he still couldn’t see Polaris. Guided by the Seestar app’s intuitive steps and phone compass, he aligned the telescope in minutes and captured 60-second exposures — with no star trails.
“It’s unbelievable,” he said. “After years of frustration, I’m finally living the dream I thought I had to give up.”
Michael hopes to one day upgrade to the S50 for even greater reach. But for now, the Seestar S30 is his perfect companion — a telescope that brought the universe back within reach, and proved that astrophotography doesn’t have to be complicated.
Here are some of the images Michael has captured—all processed directly on his phone through the Seestar app.
