One of the things that kept me from doing astrophotography was the cost and the learning curve. The Seestar S50 resolves both issues. It’s very reasonably priced, of high quality and it doesn’t take long to learn how to use it. If you’re are the least bit interested in astrophotography don’t hesitate. You won’t be disappointed. And you will have a new hobby and see the night sky in a way you would never have dreamed possible.

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.

A wonderful device for space exploration and my children really liked it!

And then some! You can take incredible pictures out of the box on day 1

Seestar S50 All-in-One Smart Telescope