Frequently Asked Questions
Seestar S50 is an entry-level intelligent astronomical telescope that sets itself apart from other entry-level telescopes by allowing users to "see" various deep space celestial objects through photography. Compared with traditional astrophotography equipment, Seestar S50 has a higher level of integration and intelligence. It integrates a motion tracking motor, electric focuser, electric filter wheel, high-sensitivity image sensor, and intelligent controller. It can automatically find and photograph any target in its star database, and help the user get more and more clear images with the method of image stack and enhancement. However, due to its highly integrated design and lightweight body, it may not meet the requirements for "serious astrophotography".
Seestar S50 is equipped with a built-in lithium battery with a capacity of 22Wh, which complies with the standards set by the Civil Aviation Administration for air transportation. Based on our experience, it can be carried in your luggage. However, if you plan to check it in as baggage, some airlines may require the battery to be removed from the device. We recommend checking with the specific airline you are traveling with to ensure compliance with their lithium batteries regulations.
Specification
Name: Lithium-ion Battery Pack
Type:CH-18650-1S2P 20230606 1INR19/66-2
Max Charge Volt: 4.2V
Rated Capacity: 6000mAh
Rated Volt: 3.7V
Rated Power: 22.2Wh
Seestar S50 is not waterproof. If you use Seestar S50 in changeable weather, please make sure you can store it in a short time. The telescope is a precision instrument and it is not recommended to store it in high humidity environments. It's important to note that mold growth, water damage, and similar issues are not covered under the warranty.
The telescope is a precision instrument and it is not recommended to store it in high humidity environments. Using or storing the telescope in a moist environment can pose a greater risk, such as mold on the lens and potential water damage. It's important to note that mold growth, water damage, and similar issues are not covered under the warranty. Therefore, it is advised to exercise caution and avoid exposing the telescope to excessive moisture.
Seestar S50 is fully controlled through the mobile app. The Type-C interface on the device is reserved solely for charging and data transfer purposes and does not participate in the shooting control. If you need to control the S50 from your PC, you can connect the Seestar iOS app on macOS (M1 or later) or use the Seestar Android app on Windows 11 or HarmonyOS.
Download Seestar app:
If active Seestar S50 failed, you can leave a message or contact the support team at https://www.seestar.com/. Or, you can also check the networking status of your smartphone or tablet and then try again.
You can try to replace the cable or connect to a different USB port on your computer. If it still doesn't work, please leave a message or contact the support team at https://www.seestar.com/.
⚠️Please note that it is strictly prohibited to point Seestar S50 directly towards the sun. Please follow the instructions in Seestar app to install the solar filter correctly first.
It's easy and quick to observe and shoot the sun with "Solar Mode" in Seestar app.
Seestar S50 is equipped with three built-in filters: UV/IR Cut filter, dark filter, and dual-band anti-light pollution filter (OIII 30nm/Hα 20nm). The switching of the dark filter is automatically controlled by Seestar. As for the UV/IR Cut filter and light pollution filter, users can switch between them in the app based on their own needs.
Seestar S50 is a lightweight astronomical telescope so wind can affect its tracking accuracy. We recommend using it when the wind scale is 4 and below.
The Seestar S50 uses Alt/Azimuth mount for target tracking and capture, which indeed introduces field rotation issues. To address this problem, we have imposed a maximum exposure time of 10 seconds for its IMX462 sensor. Additionally, during the post-processing stage, we apply software algorithm to eliminate field rotation and enhance the overall image quality.
Seestar S50 doesn't support equatorial mount mode.
Seestar S50 does not support guiding. And since its exposure time for a single frame is only 10s, there is actually no need for guiding. Additionally, the S50 features a target auto-center function, ensuring that the target remains in the center of the view throughout the entire capture process.
Seestar app is currently under development for multi-language support. The completed versions include Simplified Chinese and English. The development and adaptation of the app for French, Japanese, and Spanish languages are in progress. Additionally, Seestar S50 is undergoing wireless certifications for various countries to ensure compliance with local regulations.
Not supported. It is possible to connect only one mobile device simultaneously on Seestar S50.
S50 Size(mm): 142.5*130*257
EPP Case(mm): 320*160*310
Paper Packing Case(mm): 332*168*334
Seestar S50 is 2.5kg. Tripod is 0.65kg. EPP Case is 0.6kg.
The sensor of Seestar S50 is IMX462. It has a high sensitivity along with a 1/2.8 inch format and a resolution of 1080*1920. The diagonal length is 6.46mm.
Seestar S50 is a triplet APO (including one piece of ED glass) with excellent control of chromatic aberration. Focal ratio F5. Focal length 250mm. The imaging performance is as good as a professional refractor of the same aperture.
The FOV of Seestar S50 is 0.73°x1.29°.
The Seestar S50 comes with built-in 64GB eMMC storage, providing approximately 50GB of available space for data storage. Users can conveniently transfer the images stored in the Seestar using a USB cable or through a Wi-Fi network. In order to ensure data stability, Seestar S50 does not support TF (microSD) cards.
The format of shooting files are JPEG and FITS with 1080*1920 resolution.
The format of shooting video is MP4 in Scenery Mode and the duration is limited to 100 minutes.
In Sun Mode or Luna Mode, the formats of shooting video are MP4 and AVI. The duration is limited to 100 minutes for MP4 and 10 minutes for AVI.
The effective Wi-Fi communication distance at 2.4G or 5G of Seestar S50 is 10m.
The effective Bluetooth communication distance of Seestar S50 is 5m.
The results were tested in an open and simple environment with no shelter between the devices.
No. Seestar S50 uses a Wi-Fi network to communicate with your mobile device, but that doesn't mean it needs an Internet connection. When you shoot or stargaze, you simply need to connect to the signal emitted by Seestar S50.
You only need the Internet to :
- Active your Seestar S50 at first time,
- Create your account or load your data,
- Browse, Nearby and share works on Square,
- Update Seestar app.
Please note that in order to continue surfing the Internet, you will need to use the Data network (4/5G) of your mobile device as the Wi-Fi network will already be used by Seestar S50.
Not supported.
The recommended temperature of use is -10℃ to 40℃. Note that when the battery temperature exceeds 60℃, Seestar S50 will automatically shut down. Generally, the battery temperature is about 10℃ higher than the ambient temperature.
Seestar S50 adapts the tripod with a 3/8" screw connection in the center.
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.
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.
Seestar S50 supports photo capturing and video recording in Scenery Mode, Files are saved as JPEG and MP4.
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.
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.
In stargazing mode, the exposure time at the preview screen is 0.5 seconds per frame. It turns to 10 seconds per frame at the actual shooting stage. Due to limitations of machine performance and field rotation coming with the Alt-azimuth mount, the current exposure duration is restricted to 10 seconds per frame.
In scenery mode, exposure time and gain are set automatically based on image brightness. Maximum exposure time is 33ms.
The focus is managed automatically when Seestar S50 startup (autofocus). If you feel your picture is blurry or out of focus, you can start autofocusing through the "AF" button on the observation screen. The AF algorithm works great from our test. so MF is not there currently.
There are nine levels of dark space on the Bortle scale:
Bortle 1: Completely dark sky, color base black;
Bortle 2: Typical true dark observation site, color base gray;
Bortle 3: Starry sky in the countryside, color base blue;
Bortle 4: Rural/suburban transition, color base green;
Bortle 5: Suburban sky, color base yellow;
Bortle 6: Bright suburban sky, color base orange;
Bortle 7: Suburban/urban transition, color base red;
Bortle 8: Urban sky, color base white;
Bortle 9: Downtown sky, color base white;
The visibility of celestial objects through a telescope is closely related to atmospheric transparency. To achieve optimal results, it is necessary to go to the dark 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.
⚠️ 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.
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.
We currently recommend 276 targets. If you need more, you can get more than 90,000 Deep-sky objects in SkyAtlas in Seestar app.
It depends. It's normal under high load, especially in fast charging mode. If Seestar S50 heats up seriously when idle, please contact support.
The charging temperature range of Seestar S50 is 0℃ to 45℃.
The usage environment temperature range of Seestar S50 is -10℃ to 40℃.
The alarm temperature of battery overtemperature is 57℃. Seestar S50 will be forced shutdown automatically when the temperature of battery is above 60℃. There is no alarm of low temperature.
At the moment, the Seestar series products do not offer SDK or support for third-party development.
Perhaps you can check Seestar S50 battery and charge it before trying to turn it on. If Seestar S50 is still unable to startup, please leave a message or contact support at https://www.seestar.com/.
Seestar S50 supports USB BC1.2 of adapters. Type-C cable which is the normal charging mode, supports 5V 2A; The maximum support is 12V 3A with the fast charge cable which is the fast charging mode.
Support. Please note that it is getting less and less charging when the temperature of battery is above 45℃ considering safety. For battery life, the charging stops when the temperature of battery is below 0℃.
It takes about 4 hours to fully charge in normal charging mode which is 5V 2A.
It takes about 2 hours to fully charge in fast charging mode which is 12V 3A.
Seestar S50 battery has a rated capacity of 6000mAh, and the battery life verified by ZWO laboratory is about 6 hours.
Tips: in actual use, the battery life performance will be different due to the difference in ambient temperature, operation process, and shooting target, especially after the fog removal function is turned on, the battery life will be significantly shortened.
When you plug in the cable, Seestar S50's LED should be flashing a red color every second.
It will take two to four hours for the battery to be full. You can check the battery level when you're connected to Seestar S50 on home page.
The Seestar S50 comes with a lithium battery capable of over 700 charge and discharge cycles. Additionally, the battery is backed by a one-year warranty. Should you require a battery replacement, please visit our official website at https://www.seestar.com/ and follow the provided instructions for a seamless replacement process.
Seestar S50 supports physical buttons to turn on and off. In operation, press and hold the power button for 2s to shut down normally, or for 6s to forc shut down.
Launch the App and connect to Seestar S50. The App will automatically prompt firmware upgrade if necessary and power over 30%.
Battery low, insufficient storage, unstable network, etc, may cause upgrade fails. When upgrade failure, please restart Seestar S50 and try again.
Typically it takes 3-5 business days to receive your order. We’re doing our best to deliver it promptly for you.
Please track your order at our Tracking page https://17track.net/en
Yes, we do ship internationally. The shipping fee may vary depending on your location.
Please make sure you tracked your order from our Tracking page.
Seestar S50, Tripod, Type-C Cable, EPP Shockproof Case, Quick Guide, Solar Filter.
Please check our return/refund/exchange policy .
Returns are not available.
The warranty period can not be transferred, second-hand Seestar S50 will be handled outside the warranty.
Not supported.