ZWO Seestar S50 Smart Telescope

ZWO Seestar S50 Smart Telescope

Seestar S50 integrates a telescope, electric focuser, astronomical camera, dew heater, ASIAIR intelligent controller, altazimuth mount and filter wheel (UV/IR cut, duo-band, dark) into a single unit, with a body weight of only 2,5 kg.

With the use of a mobile app, it allows for easy capturing of sky objects such as the Sun, Moon, galaxies and nebulae.

Astrophotographic results obtained with this telescope on Astrobin

Here you can find some astrophotographs made with this telescope model: Link to Astrobin

Fully control your imaging

Quickly learn the weather and recommendations for tonights viewing, then select the celestial targets or landscape mode you are going to shoot.

Click to start shooting - that´s how easy it is!

Discover the hidden universe

Observe the universe like never before: Seestar S50 allows you to create stunning images using live stacking mode. The more images you capture the more color and details will grow before your eyes. Things you can not witness with your naked eye will be gradually revealed.

Immersive visual experience

The professional grade triplet apochromatic optics offers beautifully crisp images of the night sky with excellent control of chromatic aberration. The high-quality coating also helps reduce light loss.

To increase the contrast of emission nebulae, it is possible to replace the UV/IR cut filter normally in the beam path with a UHC filter by means of a built-in filter changer. This filter will block much of the light pollution and natural sky lightening.

Built-in Wi-Fi/Bluetooth

It comes with Wi-Fi/Bluetooth and can be used anywhere.

Built-in sensors

Built-in sensors assist in tripod leveling using your mobile phone screen.

Low power consumption

Low power consumption for extended battery life. Can be recharged via power bank while in use. Battery life when fully charged is 6 hours (Data resource: ZWO experimental laboratory).

Light weight design

The body weighs only 3.0 kg, so the Seestar S50 can easily accompany you when travelling.

Automatic setup and guidance

Using the built-in sensors and star maps, combined with your phone´s GPS sensor, Seestar S50 will automatically complete the self-calibration and alignment process.

Seestar is simple to use and easy to learn, you don´t need to be an astronomy expert - Seestar will guide you along your journey.

Auto focus

The auto focus system takes the hassle out of focusing. Seestar´s auto focus will ensure your images are sharp and crisp every time, it will even provide auto foucs in scenery mode.

Auto GoTo and tracking

Finding your object is easy. Choose the object on your phone and Seestar´s will automatically align to the target and start tracking, and also compensating for earth´s rotation ensuring your object remains centered.

Star map and object database

Turn your smartphone or tablet into your telescope command center.

With a few clicks, you will have access to Seestar´s amazing star and deep sky object lists and get detailed information about your chosen celestial target.

Just minutes between you and the universe

Seestar, using its built-in sensors, star maps, the innovative Sky Atlas and "Night´s Best Objects" will help you plan your evenings viewing.

Share what you discover

You may add the #Seestar tag when sharing the photo to AstroNet.

The worldwide astrophotographers will find you and communicate with you through that.

Link to product site with manual

ZWO has opened a dedicated website specifically for this telescope: www.seestar.com

Field report from a customer

Our customer Jörg Meyer sent us a field report with photos, which we publish here:

"Field Report: ZWO seestar S50

The seestar was very well packed in 3 boxes before the actual "black box" with contents came to light.

The case has the dimensions : 31 cm*31 cm*16 cm and thus fits well in airline luggage


Weight specifications :

Tripods: 617 grams
Telescopes: 2,240 grams
Black box empty: 556 grams

Total: 3.413 kg


The quick start guide is written in Chinese and in English.

Since I did not read the instructions, I was connected within an hour the first time.

I had to charge the battery with my smartphone plug before.

Now the connection with the smartphone takes max. 2 minutes.


The first thing I did was to use the "Scenery Mode" and take a picture of the edge of the roof of a neighbor´s house. The start-up and autofocus are almost silent, which my neighbors will appreciate. There seestar already got further plus points from me in my mind.

Then came the "Lunar Mode", here I had to turn according to APP: tripods with telescope a few times around its own axis, serves for compass calibration. After that, it found the moon during the day.

Before " Solar Mode" I put the free supplied solar filter on the lens; it is a plug-in mount, but fits relatively tightly. Had my reservations before. The sun a bit sharper than expected for the small aperture.

My first deep sky object was the Dumbbell Nebula M 27. The image was taken with the PL filter, which is placed in the beam path via the APP. And after 16 minutes of exposure time, a very nice Dumbbell Nebula was created in the smartphone.

This was followed by the well-known globular cluster M 13, which I shifted a bit from the center to the bottom, so that I still get the galaxy NGC 6207 (vis. 11.4 mag) with on the picture.

Was surprised how well the software processes the images, because the center of the globular cluster is not "burned out" to the uniform mush.

M 16 I took with PL filter in 30 minutes.

NGC 6960, Cirrus Nebula in Swan was clearly visible on the display after 60 minutes and PL filter.

From the North America Nebula NGC 7000 I got only a section on the picture: Above the "Cygnus Wall" and further below LDN 935 "Gulf of Mexico"; here I wished for a mosaic mode.


Imaging conditions: SQM-L indicated 19.40 to 19.60 at zenith, corresponding to Bortle 5.



That I could image stars with 17.50 mag on most images at 50 mm aperture, I was more than surprised.

A second carbon tripod from TS (C255FMO) was very useful on the balcony, so that the seestar came higher and can also image low objects.

Summary:

For an APO telescope with the installed technology, to acquire at such a low price, the equivalent of only 2 good eyepieces, was not even imaginable for me a year ago.


The solar filter and the ZWO dual band filter I consider as an addition, because you have to buy it for comparable telescopes.

The APP is constantly being expanded, as last I found lots of comets under "Tonight´s Best" also Nishimura is represented.

For planets it is unsuitable with 250 mm focal length and for fine moon and sun details of course !

All images were taken without any postprocessing on my part and reproduced here !!!


Five stars from me and a clear recommendation..."

Another image followed a day later:

"A little extra NGC 7331 and at the edge the Stephans Quintet ."


Here now the pictures:

The first thing I did was to use the "Scenery Mode" and take a picture of the edge of the roof of a neighbor´s house. The start-up and autofocus are almost silent, which my neighbors will appreciate. There seestar already got further plus points from me in my mind.



Then came the "Lunar Mode", here I had to turn according to APP: tripods with telescope a few times around its own axis, serves for compass calibration. After that, it found the moon during the day.



Before "Solar Mode" I put the free supplied solar filter on the lens; it is a plug-in mount, but fits relatively tightly. Had my reservations before. The sun a bit sharper than expected for the small aperture.



My first deep sky object was the Dumbbell Nebula M 27. The image was taken with the PL filter, which is placed in the beam path via the APP. And after 16 minutes of exposure time, a very nice Dumbbell Nebula was created in the smartphone.



This was followed by the well-known globular cluster M 13, which I shifted a bit from the center to the bottom, so that I still get the galaxy NGC 6207 (vis. 11.4 mag) with on the picture.

Was surprised how well the software processes the images, because the center of the globular cluster is not "burned out" to the uniform mush.



M 16 was taken with PL filter in 30 minutes.



NGC 6960, Cirrus Nebula in Swan was clearly visible on the display after 60 minutes and PL filter.



From the North America Nebula NGC 7000 I got only a section on the picture: Above the "Cygnus Wall" and further below LDN 935 "Gulf of Mexico"; here I wished for a mosaic mode.



A little extra NGC 7331 and at the edge the Stephans Quintet .