Make tonight
worth capturing.
Your smart-scope starting point. Find a target, check the frame, and head outside with a plan.
What are you taking out?
About this model & frame estimate
A narrower view for clusters and smaller deep-sky targets.
Native telephoto camera, portrait dimensions at 1×. Calculated from active pixels, pixel size and focal length—not the advertised diagonal field. Cropping, distortion and mosaics change the delivered image.
Profiles checked September 2026. Feature availability can depend on your app and firmware.Your next clear-night targets
Your first capture, in six steps
- 01
Get connected before heading out
Charge the scope and phone. Install the official Seestar app, connect to your telescope and check its setup instructions while you still have internet access.
- 02
Give it a stable, open view
Use firm ground with room for the telescope to move. Follow the app’s levelling and calibration prompts. Keep trees, roofs, lights and loose cables out of the way.
- 03
Choose one approachable target
Use the shortlist above. Start with something that fits comfortably and stays up long enough. Search its catalogue name in the Seestar app.
- 04
Centre it and check focus
Let the app find and centre the target. Run autofocus, then inspect the stars before committing to a longer capture.
- 05
Let a stack develop
Start with the app’s normal Stargazing workflow. Watch accepted integration accumulate. A short first test helps you spot clouds, shake or poor focus before spending the whole window.
- 06
Keep the result—and what you learned
Save the image. Record accepted integration, your model and any processing in the diary or gallery. Keep original FITS data if you want to practise processing later.
Get more from your smart scope
Why isn’t the integration time increasing?
Elapsed time and accepted exposure time are different. Clouds, trailing or an obstructed view can prevent useful frames from joining the stack. Check the app’s capture status, star shapes and the sky before changing settings.
Seestar’s stacking guide ↗Why do the edges rotate or get cropped?
In alt-az imaging, the field changes orientation as the sky moves. Aligning frames leaves less shared area at the edges. Give targets some breathing room. EQ mode needs the appropriate setup and alignment; it isn’t just a framing switch.
Official EQ-mode guide ↗Which filter should I use?
Start with the normal imaging path for galaxies and star clusters. A dual-band filter is intended for emission targets. It does not remove clouds, and it is not a universal cure for Moonlight or light pollution. Check the app’s target-specific guidance.
Manufacturer filter information ↗How do I improve my first image?
Keep an untouched original. Try stacking good frames of the same target, then make restrained adjustments. Compare at the same scale and record what changed. Our gallery can hold processing notes and versions alongside the capture.
Manage my captures →