The AM3 Harmonic Equatorial Mount from ZWO - Arrival and First Impressions

The AM3 Harmonic Mount from ZWO - First Impressions

AM3 stands for Asi Mount 3 represents the model # (3 for the smaller model, 5 for the larger).

The AM3 Mount & TC40 Tripod arrived very quickly (in only a few days) to me; in (upstate) New York. I was happy to learn that ZWO has a US location, which isn't very far from me at all! Since I don't have a tripod which would be worthy of holding this amazing AM3 Mount: I requested the loan of ZWO's TC40 carbon fiber Tripod as well.

Happy Day!

This was so exciting! That I had to share my "first look" at the boxes!

Beginning to remove The TC40 from it's shipping box.

Each piece of equipment arrived double-boxed, and in perfect condition. 

Regarding The TC40 carbon fiber Tripod: When I first learned the retail price of this tripod; I was taken aback a bit. However, after having hands-on experience with it:

I realized it is truly amazing. It is a very well-designed, carbon fiber tripod, and is very sturdy! While being very lightweight at the same time. It's easy to set-up and fold-up for transport - Both for temporary transport: from one observing spot to another (when you move 5 to 10 meters); as well as more "permanent" relocation: Such as from one city or town to another! It's simply a pleasure to use; and it's obviously the perfect match (in fit & finish) when coupled with either an AM3 or AM5 Mount.

The legs only extend one length, so the tripod doesn’t sit very high, when at maximum extension. I found it to be perfect for my needs, although some people might prefer a taller tripod.

When moving from one observing spot to another (just a few meters, for instance), I can lift and move it very easily. Try that with a typical mount! Try that with a large SkyWatcher mount...You may end up getting tripped-up! They are very awkward and heavy to move - even if only a few meters! High Point Scientific also has them in stock.

I remember reading many good things about The AM3 / AM5 Mounts, from fellow hobbyists on The Cloudy Nights Forum. They have always been highly regarded; and frequently recommended as excellent astrophotography mounts. Especially for users of medium to large refractors; as well as those seeking a grab and go mount for visual observing!

Can you recall anyone ever recommending one of the larger/bulky GoTo mounts for visual users? Me either. I think it says a lot about the value and utility of these mounts from ZWO. Even though there seem to be differing opinions, regarding it's suitability for visual-only users. 

I've come across forum posts, where some say it's not a good choice for visual use. Well, I've used it as a visual-only mount, with my Astro Tech 80EDT refractor, and it served the purpose well.

So, as part of my evaluation and testing: I used The AM3 for visual observing only, for several nights. I found it to be be very comfortable and intuitive to use. I used all of the basic/default settings; and became very familiar, and comfortable with the scope's movements in relation to the joystick control.

Coming up next, will be Part 1 of a 2-Part full Review of The AM3 Mount...

Until next time,

Clear skies!

How Affordable Smart Telescopes Are Changing The Hobby (Part 2 of 2)

Continued from a previous Post - How Affordable Smart Telescopes Are Changing The Hobby (Part 1 of 2)

So… I was thinking of buying this telescope for a while… if you click on that link, it will bring you to the Amazon page where I ordered it. 

I actually had this 6 inch Dobsonian reflector, on my Amazon Wish List… Then out of nowhere, the price dropped by $70 - so I got it.

Collimating The SkyWatcher Virtuoso 6” Dob

I surprised myself, with how easily and accurately I was able to get it’s mirror perfectly collimated; and also get the red dot finder zeroed in. It’s been so long since I set up a telescope (almost 2 years). Yet, I felt as though I could do it in my sleep; or on autopilot, without even thinking about it.

Not the best Pic... I was just fooling around basically: I simply held my iPhone up to the 25mm eyepiece. This was taken through a double pane glass window

So the reason why I wanted this SkyWatcher scope, was so that I could do Astrophotography of planetary nebulae (and other DSO's) - using a dedicated ZWO Astro (CMOS) camera.
There are one or two people on YouTube and Instagram, using this same scope to get nice Astrophotos of small, deep sky objects - So I wanted to get it...
It’s my first computerized, “GoTo“ scope. Luckily, you can use it as an old-fashioned, point-it-yourself, telescope as well. 

I eventually did that, because I was losing patience with its GoTo system’s alignment process. The GoTo alignment application didn’t give any confirmation/feedback on whether or not it was successfully aligned, etc. So I found it a little confusing at the time. Pointing wasn't exactly spot on.

So, there’s a perfect illustration of how these new smart telescopes have really spoiled me! Did you ever stop to consider, how accurately these smart scopes are at centering objects? They never miss!

Well, in any case, it’s been sent back: because, I feel like I was somehow “going backwards” with no good reason to do so.

That is not to say, that I am through with visual astronomy, and observing. No way. 

I’ve always had a great appreciation for vintage optical instruments, especially microscopes and telescopes. 

In the case of microscopes, I consider myself at the intermediate level of experience - In restoring vintage microscopes; I have successfully restored dozens of them. 

This was the last vintage microscope I restored (and sold). It was equipped with the legendary Heine Condenser.

Here’s my latest project, a slightly more modern fluorescence microscope. I have equipped this microscope with a blue UV LED for its fluorescence light source.

This one recently sold on eBay

(needed to raise funds for astrophotography equipment).

During this past Autumn (October and November 2023): I was actively seeking vintage telescopes to restore and use!

Restoring and using classic, vintage telescopes, could be considered a hobby all by itself. There’s the challenge of finding a working, and/or restorable instrument. As well as the appreciation of its craftsmanship, optical performance, and history.

Well, back to the SkyWatcher 6 inch Virtuoso GTi Dobsonian. I set up the scope, and decided to just do some casual observing with it. The targets, were, of course, my favorite: Deep sky objects. 

I set the scope up on top of a sturdy, glass top, outdoor table on the deck. What I found out right away, was that it was difficult to look through the eyepiece whenever I had the scope pointed above about 45°. 

It got a bit worse when trying to observe DSO‘s closer to the Zenith: I had to stand on my tiptoes, in most cases.

So, it was quickly becoming less, and less fun. That’s when I decided to go and grab one of the smart telescopes. I believe it was the Seestar S50; and I simply set it up, alongside the scope on the same table. Of course, I had to be careful not to touch or move the scope; or touch the table at all basically – or the images being taken by the smart telescope, would be ruined due to the minor vibrations, completely messing up the stars/image, etc. 

However, it was an experience which quickly made me appreciate (once again!) the convenience and value of owning a smart telescope! 

I also found, that I was not happy with the images being produced by the two low cost eyepieces, which were included with the Skywatcher. I mostly used the 25mm EP; then switched to the 10mm EP, after centering the scope on M57 (The Ring Nebula) for example. 

I did get to see a fairly large scale image of The Ring Nebula. Which was somewhat reminiscent of the views I used to get with my 8 inch Dobsonian - not quite, of course!  But again, I did enjoy seeing The Ring Nebula at a much larger image scale. It happens to be one of the things that are lacking, when it comes to the affordable, smart telescopes: The ability to get close-up looks at the DSO‘s of interest.

Just to reiterate, and to make a long story short: The ultimate plan, was to image DSO’s using this 6 inch Skywatcher GoTo Dobsonian - and a dedicated ZWO Astro camera. I’ve seen one or two hobbyists doing the same thing (via Instagram posts). And, let’s not forget Tiago from Dobsonian Power! He does it all the time, of course – and very, very successfully! 

I decided that I wanted to give it one more try. So, I went ahead and ordered a Skywatcher virtuoso 150P GTi from a large/well-known telescope dealer. 

When the scope arrived, I could hardly believe that UPS was even able to deliver it: the outer and inner box were almost completely ripped in half! 

As if that wasn’t bad enough, when I took the scope out, set it up, and tried to use it: it didn’t work! 

It seemed that the Wi-Fi was defective. I was unable to connect to it using any device I tried (and I tried several). The icing on the cake, was when I went to carefully box it back up for a return – I had to do my best repairing, both outer and inner boxes, which again, were almost in two separate pieces. 

When I went to remove some of the original UPS labels: I saw that underneath, was the name and address of the previous customer who was sent this telescope! Yes, pretty awful, I know. 

So it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out, that this telescope was sent to some other customer, who then returned it for whatever reasons, and then the dealer just sent it back out to the next unsuspecting sucker: me. 

That is the kind of stuff you would expect from a small “Mom and Pop” shop, but not a large, well-known telescope dealer. Needless to say, I won’t ever order from them again. No, I'm not gonna reveal which dealer it was (not now, anyway).

So I was pretty bummed out for a while that things didn’t go my way – and that it didn’t work out for me.

In my case, the plan was for my dedicated camera to be the ASI178MC. 

However, I got frustrated enough not having the ZWO camera here yet… that I simply boxed it back up and returned it to Amazon.

The ASI178MC did finally get ordered, and is here now. However, it’s now attached to the back of an Astro Tech 80EDT  apochromatic (triplet) refractor! 

So, I am going to finally try to do some Astrophotography, using a dedicated Astro/CMOS camera. 

Well, there will be a lot more details and information on how that project is coming along in my next post. It’s coming along very nicely!

Until then, clear skies!

How Affordable Smart Telescopes Are Changing The Hobby Part 1 of 2

There are some interesting factors to note, about the new, affordable, smart telescopes; and their huge impact on amateur astronomers.

Of course, I’m referring here to The Dwarf 2, and The Seestar S50. These are the two affordable, smart telescopes, which are quite impressive (and affordable!).

It’s quite obvious how welcomed, and useful they are, to experienced Astrophotographers. As I’ve written before, I believe those who have done (or even tried) conventional Astrophotography, will be the ones who appreciate these telescopes the most!

However, there are certain (possibly unexpected) results/outcomes due to the release, and availability of these adorable devices:

• Their simplicity and ease of use, will get folks trying Astrophotography – who might otherwise had never had even considered it. ✔ *Note: This is a confirmed fact - as per the myriad of posts on social media!
• They will be instrumental, in getting visual only astronomers to finally give Astrophotography a chance! ✔ *I've been seeing this too!
• They are sure to get many of those who have left the hobby of Astrophotography back into it. Like me! I'm getting back into AP again!
• I am sure they will also be responsible, for many beginner-level astrophotographers getting involved in conventional/traditional Astrophotography. ✔ Yep!
• And last, but not least, I believe they will get people interested in astronomy, who had never even considered it before. Due to the sheer ease of use of these devices! ✔ Yes! I've seen this too!

Of course, I’ve been involved in visual astronomy for a relatively long time. Once, a long time ago, I figured-out which hobby I'd spent the most money on...And it was astronomy! (visual, at the time). So I figured, it must be the hobby I love most? lol!

This was followed by my foray into conventional Astrophotography. As was mentioned in my story (see this page on Dwarf Labs). In my case, I left the hobby of Astrophotography several times over the years. And again, in my experience, it was my unwillingness to spend so much time in front of a laptop screen, post processing images.

However, there are a multitude of reasons, and many different steps required to complete the final processing of an astrophoto; which some individuals may not be fond of.

For some, it might be the polar alignment of a traditional rig. For someone else, it might be the time required, waiting for the stacking of images to complete. For another, it might be the investment in software, typically required for an Astrophotographer (to get really nice results). Or, the fact that non-image frames need to be taken and organized (darks, biases, flats, etc.). For others, it may simply be the overall expense of the hobby. Who can say?

Everyone is a unique individual, and there can be many reasons why some people avoid conventional Astrophotography. Although generally speaking, these same folks, would really enjoy capturing their own photographs of deep sky objects! - if somehow, it could be done more easily…

And, of course, just so that I don’t leave anyone out – we are aware of many astrophotographers, who still enjoy conventional/traditional Astrophotography as a hobby. Many of these folks still wouldn’t give serious consideration to these new, affordable, smart telescopes. Some of them may tenaciously cling to traditional astrophotography, and might not even consider using a smart telescope, no matter how advanced. And, of course, that’s totally fine too – more power to them. There should be some people still keeping the fine art of traditional astrophotography alive…

I’ll use myself as an example. I’m happy to report, that I own both The Dwarf 2, and The Seestar S50 smart telescopes. I also own several pairs of binoculars, and telescopes for visual observing of deep sky objects (in my case). One of the last things I was involved with, before taking a short break from the hobby – was sketching deep sky objects; using binoculars.

Deciding to buy these smart telescopes was extremely easy for me. As I’m sure it is for many people interested in, or involved in, the hobby of amateur astronomy. So in my particular case, owning and using these remarkable smart telescopes, eventually led me to becoming fully immersed in the hobby again.

I should take this opportunity to remind the reader, that many objects still look very good when observed with optical instruments (visual observing). 

Deep Sky Objects like:

• Open clusters
• Globular clusters
• Large/bright nebulae 
• Planetary nebulae 
• Certain galaxies 

Well, in my case, owning these smart telescopes jump-started my interest in ALL things astronomy-related: Visual, sketching, and...conventional astrophotography!

I've spent the better part of last week, scouring the Web: Trying to figure out which combination of scope + mount + camera to get! 

So, if it's happened to me - there's a good chance it'll happen to many others.

In any case: Suffice it to say, that anything which helps to promote the hobby of amateur astronomy is a good thing!

As it turns out, I'm very happy to report - that I've been given the opportunity to test and write a detailed review of The AM3 Harmonic Drive Mount by ZWO!

Just look at that engraving! See, I love what some might consider the "little touches" or "minor things" I think it looks very classy...

I'm super-excited about it - and I've been busy making preparations, and adding accessories to my Astro Tech 80mm EDT refractor! 

I've purchased: A Guide Scope, Guide Camera, Field Flattener/Reducer (which is a must). I thought about some applications...but you know what? You can do a lot with the free Apps from ZWO! ...And N.I.N.A (which is also free). I did buy a full license for SharpCap and StellarMate.

There has been a lot of red items added to this scope (pics coming soon)…

Thank you, to my friend Scott, for giving me a great deal on this Astro Tech 80mm EDT refractor and Twilight mount! As you can see, it's set-up for visual; this was soon after unboxing. Sky conditions weren't very good, but I did take a quick look at M45; using a vintage, Edmund Scientific 28mm RKE eyepiece. Also a look at Jupiter and it's moons, with an 8mm Edmund RKE eyepiece - And it looked wonderful. Clear and crisp, with excellent color rendition. However, this is going to be my main imaging scope as well! 

In the upcoming Part 2 of this post, I will discuss my experience (in more detail) of exactly what it was like, to have a brand-new GoTo reflector in use, whilst having access to both of these smart telescopes! This was The Sky Watcher 150P GTi Virtuoso, purchased from Amazon (they had a sale).

Very interesting indeed…

Don't forget: In the not-too-distant future, I'll be testing and writing a detailed review of The AM3 Harmonic Mount, which is here on loan from ZWO. It functions as both an equatorial or alt-azimuth, user-selected. Absolutely fascinating mount!

Until next time, clear & steady skies!

The Next Upcoming Product Review: The AM3 Harmonic Mount from ZWO!

Just a quick update (for now) I wanted to let you know, that I will be testing, and writing a full review - of one of ZWO’s most amazing recent products: 

The AM3 Harmonic Mount for Astrophotography!

They’re even available in a special, Red Cat Limited Edition!

High Point Scientific also has them in stock.

This is really exciting, cutting-edge, Astrophotography gear!

I’m really looking forward to it! 

Much more to follow soon! 

Note: ZWO has recently released updated firmware & software for The Seestar S50 (smart telescope) giving it some amazing new features and capabilities!

Detailed posts coming soon! Until then,

Clear Skies!

A Series of Awesome Books I Came Across

I wanted to share some good news, about these books I recently came across. It’s just been a long time, since I found a book, which is so useful, that I consider it a must have.

Now these books have been out and available for quite a while, which makes it even more surprising that I’ve never come across them before. 

In any case, the main book, entitled 'Objects in the Heavens, The Complete Mag–10 Northern Deep Sky Viewing List and Fieldbook' by Peter Birren.

The 'Goals List - Log Book - Sketch Book' is on the right-hand-side.

I like this book so much, I bought a spiral bound printed copy as well as the electronic version. After all, the electronic version is only $6.50 and you can print out whichever page covering whichever constellation that you’ll be focusing on for the evening's observing session. 

The other thing I like about them, besides being spiral bound, is that they are small and easily portable. The other book, also bears the title 'Objects in the Heavens Goals List – Log Book – Sketch Book'  'Plan Your Viewing - Have More Fun', and is an excellent place to keep your sketches. All I know is, when I stumbled across the website, and saw these books – I immediately knew I had to have them. I knew they would be very useful, and they haven’t disappointed me – only exceeded my expectations. 

I really, really like these. I especially like the 'Goals List – Log Book – Sketch Book' subtitled 'Plan Your Viewing – Have More Fun'. The reason why I like it, is because it’s the perfect book to keep your sketches in. Basically one book, to keep all of your pencil sketches in. What I plan to do is create my rough sketches, while observing (as usual) - then create the final sketches on the pages of this book. This way, all of my sketches will be in one place. The books are spiral bound, so the sketches can be easily scanned (right from the book). This will be very convenient when it’s time to make the electronic/shareable image of your sketch. I think it’s perfect! 

I can’t wait to start collecting sketches in it! because before now, my various pencil sketches have been kind of all over the place... I do my best to keep them all in one place – One general area... but they’re on different sheets of paper, different types of paper, different sizes, textures, (and levels of neatness!). This little sketch holding book is the answer. 

I was actively shopping for an astronomy sketchbook, and just for the convenience of it: I went to Amazon...

And I basically looked at every single type of astronomy sketchbook which they had available on Amazon. But for one reason or another, I never actually ordered one I guess I couldn’t decide on which one was the best or something? I can’t recall. I’m actually very glad that I stumbled upon this one, because it suits me perfectly. In fact, it’s not like some of the other sketchbooks I’ve seen, and considered buying (on Amazon). 

This one has useful features to help you achieve your viewing goals, and to keep things organized. I’d say, this is because it’s a sketchbook made for astronomers by an astronomer. It stands head and shoulders above the generic astronomy sketch books you can find on Amazon.

Signed by the Author.

The author, Peter Birren, happens to be a very nice gentleman as well. As seen in the photo above, he personalized it.

Since you’ve read this far, I will share with you the email I sent to Peter Birren – which I wrote in response to an email from him, informing me that my book would be signed, and in the mail that day. I just have to point out that the entire experience was just a pleasure. And I don’t know about you, but that isn’t always the case when buying anything, especially these days. 

So, here is a paste of the email which I sent:

Dear Peter,

Thank you for your email; and thank you for creating these wonderful resources.

I discovered your work via recommendation on Rony De Laet’s website. I’ve always been impressed with the sketches he’s made with modest instruments.

I also enjoy making pencil sketches from binoculars.

Well, it only took a quick glance at the sample pages shown on your site, and I knew I had to have them. I’d purchased a used copy of the book just a little while before.

I took one look at the OITH Goals/Log/Sketch book-and I was ordering it that same moment, almost by instinct!

I didn’t know an electronic version was available, so for good measure I just purchased that as well 😀

It will be convenient to print out one to three pages for a few hours of observing.

I’ll be adding a link to your great stuff on my little blog (shortly) - 

https://urbanastronomy.blogspot.com/?m=0

I intend on focusing on planetary nebulae more, and would like to know which instrument you’d recommend for this task? Bortle 4.

Thanks again! And best wishes!

Clear skies,

-Al

I received a very nice response; which, in addition to other things, included his recommendation – for a telescope, to use when chasing planetary nebulae:

"...For planetary nebulae viewing, I’d suggest the largest APO and equatorial you can afford. It’d also work well for AP. A member of the Naperville (IL) Astro. Assn. has done some great PN imaging though I have lost his name to the fog of time, but I recall his awesome setup, especially the mount as being large and very steady."

Well, these days, I can't afford an Apo refractor (let alone a large one) but, it's still good to know. It's always good to get advice from a mature and experienced astronomer. I hope to get some kind of telescope pretty soon...
It looked like I'd found a decent scope for casual observing; on Facebook Marketplace - Of all places! But, I believe the seller is having second thoughts. She may be under the impression that the telescope is more valuable than it actually is. Well, I can be somewhat fickle myself sometimes, and I have changed my mind after all. In case anyone was wondering: it was, a still new-in-the-box, Edmund Astroscan 2001. Purchased in 1986, made in Japan, and never used. However, while just doing some casual research on it – even though I do know quite a bit about it – I discovered something really interesting about this iconic little telescope. The primary mirrors, did not start off life as parabolic mirrors. But instead, were spherical/elliptical mirrors, which were then built up “to be parabolic mirrors" using aluminum deposits. Very strange – definitely very unique as well. 

And just very recently, another (extremely) experienced amateur astronomer (my friend Scott) gave me some more fascinating information about those little red Astroscans...Which, let's just say isn't very flattering. In any case, that little round red scope still has a cult-like following! They even have a serial number registry in place (forum members of Cloudy nights).

Finally, to give you an idea of some of the upcoming posts, to be featured next on this blog…You know what they say, unlucky in love telescopes...

Honestly, I don’t know how the rest of that expression normally goes. Well, in my case, I’m unlucky in telescopes. I’ve seemed to have had my share of bad luck in acquiring telescopes. Well, not always of course, that is to say – not every, single, time. I have bought some really nice, quality, telescopes in the past without issues.

So, I did get a non-functioning, dud from a telescope dealer recently. And had to go through the whole headache of sending it back, etc.

Well, it looks like I'll be getting a classic, vintage scope to chase down (and sketch) Planetary Nebulae with...In the near future. So that's excellent news!

Also, in even cooler news: ZWO liked my recently posted review of their Seestar S50 so much, they placed it on their blog! Excellent!!

Until next time,

Clear skies!

Review Of The Seestar S50 (Smart Telescope) by ZWO

The Seestar S50 is a smart astronomical telescope; more specifically a smart telescope, designed and manufactured by ZWO.

Incidentally, I'll be doing a live webinar (presentation/review) on The Seestar S50 and The Dwarf II smart telescope; as well as Astronomy in general, for The BatAbility Club! On December 11th!

This is really unique and marvelous! I'll be doing my best to present amatuer astronomy, and smart telescope astrophotography to the club members; who are all experienced bat and/or wildlife professionals.

As always, it will be viewable to Club Members only (you might consider becoming a Member!).

The telescope arrived (via FedEx in my case) and was well packaged & protected for it's long journey (from Mainland China).

This is where the FedEx delivery guy left the box for me – right next to the carbon fiber tripod I was using the night before 😀

The Seestar S50 weighs only 2.5kg, the tripod is only 0.65kg, and the carry case is 0.6kg.

The Seestar S50 can be ordered directly from ZWO, right from their webpage, dedicated to the Seestar S50. It may also be ordered from many different telescope dealers online - So you can try some of the places where you normally order your telescope/astronomy equipment from.

The Seestar S50 - Removing the product box from the shipping box.

The Seestar S50 shares many features with other smart telescopes, such as:

• It's small and compact.

• It's controlled by your smartphone (or tablet) / Android or iPhone based.

• Object GOTO ability / and Automatic star tracking.

• Automatic stacking of your images from space.

• Ability to do daytime photography (and video).

• Comes with built in rechargeable battery. For comparison, The Dwarf II's (rechargeable) batteries are removable.

In the case of The Seestar S50 - The memory for storage of photos, is built in memory, of 64GB.

 

Additional technical specifications include:

• A resolution of 2.1 Megapixels

• Pixel size of 2.9um

• A 50mm apochromatic lens aperture, @F/5

• A 250mm focal length refractor

• Utilizing a Sony IMX462 sensor chip

The Seestar S50 in its carry case.

The Seestar S50 sports a very slick design. It has a nice futuristic look to it, molded in black and dark gray. I find it very cool looking!

I am almost reluctant to describe how easy it is to use this smart telescope. Simply because sometimes, if something is very easy to use, it may not be taken as seriously as it should. Many people have a tendency to equate complexity, and difficulty of use, with something that is comprehensive and effective. 

So there’s a bit of a paradox here, the Seestar S50 is indeed very easy to use, however, the results it produces are very impressive:

NGC 7789  - Also known as Caroline‘s Rose named after Caroline Herschel (William Herschel‘s sister)

NGC 281 - Also known as the Pac-Man nebula.

NGC 2175 - The Monkey Head Nebula

I happen to like the blue Seestar banner on the bottom of the resulting photos. The Seestar S50's operating software is very advanced.

When it comes to who I would recommend this product for, the answer is: Anyone! Anyone, ranging in age from a (patient) teenager to someone of advanced age. Why?

Because operating the Seestar S50 couldn’t be any simpler – It only requires the main unit to be attached to the included tripod. The tripod legs opened, and the telescope placed on a flat, level surface. 

After which, you power the unit on - by holding and pressing the power button for a few seconds. The unit powers on with an audible beep, and the red and amber LEDs illuminate, indicating that the unit is powered on. 

The only section which may require a bit of dexterity (or "skill"), is the navigation of the Seestar software. This software is an astronomy/planetarium-like application. 

I may be going out on a limb here, but if a person already has an interest in astronomy, there’s a very good chance, that they will feel at home, navigating this easy to use software. I've found the software to be very intuitive to use.

The only thing required of the end-user, in essence, is to simply select what celestial objects they would like to have the Seestar S50 photograph. I hardly think that the entire system could possibly be made any easier to use.

The Seestar S50 smart telescope, would be well suited for anyone who enjoys, or is interested in the night sky. 

It would be fitting for anyone, ranging from being simply intrigued by the night sky, and especially deep sky objects – to someone who always wanted to take photographs of deep sky objects, but wasn't sure how they'd begin.

This runs the gamut to someone who has previously tried Widefield Astrophotography, or conventional Astrophotography.

This smart telescope would be well suited for anyone who is fascinated with the subject of astronomy. It would be well-suited for anyone who has owned a telescope in the past, and has dabbled in the hobby of amateur astronomy. 

I contend that those who have enjoyed conventional Astrophotography in the past, will really be blown away by both its simplicity and raw capability. And by this, I’m referring to the outstanding results which this unit produces. 

M27 - The Dumbbell Nebula

(Some minor post processing)

M13 - The Hercules Star Cluster

(cropped and post processed)

NGC 7635 - Also known as The Bubble Nebula

(only very minor post processing)

The following, could be considered my version of a Quick Start guide:

(although there's nothing wrong with the one provided)

• Open the case, remove the Seestar S50 unit and plug it in via the provided USB cable, to begin charging it’s internal battery.
• While waiting for the unit to charge, you can download and install the Seestar software on your smart phone.
• When the unit is fully charged, as indicated by the red LEDs, it’s ready to begin taking images of objects in the night sky.
• Again, the Seestar S50 excels at capturing images of deep sky objects (referred to as DSO’s).
• You launch the smart phone app, connect to the Seestar S50 (This is via Wi-Fi) and you’re ready to select your first object to begin imaging.

No, I didn’t forget anything - those are all the steps.

Things like Polar alignment. Something which is a must, when doing conventional astrophotography don’t exist when using The Seestar S50. 

Many astrophotographers (myself included) are not fond of polar aligning a set-up. Depending on your equipment, it can be quite annoying. As evidenced by the existence of so many funny memes on the subject!

Things like:

• (1.) Polar alignment - Not only is it not needed, but it cannot even be done! 

• (2.) Having to take Calibration frames: Darks, Biases, and Flat frames - again, not required, and also not possible (practically speaking).

• (3.) Having an autoguider to purchase, and then worry about.

• (4.) Having to wait until the next day (typically) to sort through, organize, and stack your frames.

• (5.) Stacking and post-processing "your data" - this necessitates being in front of a computer screen, for substantial lengths of time (always my least favourite part).

I found the GoTo system and pointing (finding) accuracy to be excellent!

NGC 2237 (aka Caldwell 50) - The Rosette Nebula 

Pros:

• Requires almost zero prior knowledge of astrophotography. 
• Features an intuitive planetarium-like software, enabling the user to explore & select objects to photograph.
• Is rated to continue operating down to a temperature of -15℃
• Has a built-in dew heater, which is easily turned on & off (via phone).
• Features a built-in Duo Band nebula filter (which is amazing!). 
• It may be used to photograph the Sun, utilising the (included) Solar Filter.
• It may also be used for daytime/terrestrial (wildlife) photography.
• The software gives you the ability, to easily join a worldwide network of S50 owners: Enabling you to share your "works" and "Like" other's. Like a "Facebook for astrophotographers" - Neat!

Cons:

• Cannot enter Right ascension / Declination coordinates (for unlisted objects).
• Exposures are "locked-in" at 10 seconds each (end user cannot [currently] modify).
• Lower Megapixel resolution than The Dwarf II (2.xMP vs 8.xMP on Dwarf II).
• There is currently a bit of a wait, after you order a Seestar S50 (they are still catching up on back orders, etc.). The Dwarf II may be had without delay.

I have a feeling I'll be revisiting the subject of smart telescopes on this blog again, in the near future. Believe it or not, there are some fundamental (yet simultaneously amazing) topics, which may still need to be discussed:

Like how these smart telescopes are changing the way many people enjoy the hobby of amatuer astronomy now... Astrophotography, to be more specific. 

Until next time,

Clear skies!

Story #2 - Being Disabled and The Convenience Of Smart Telescopes

I was on the fence for quite a while, about whether or not to discuss this subject on (any of) my blogs. 

So, I've decided to go ahead and post my little story here ('Story #2') on my Astronomy Blog. This topic coincides with the wonderful convenience which the "new" smart telescopes provide.

I've made some new (online) friends over this past year: Both in the world of Bat Research, and Amateur Astronomy. So, as an 'FYI' for them, and as a way to illustrate the usefulness of smart telescopes...

There are 1 billion people, 15% of the world's population, disabled today. At the age of only 39 - I would've never expected to have my career come to a halt. I wouldn't have expected it in million years.

In an effort to make a long story short: I found myself coming home from work, not just tired (like everyone else), but with increasing levels of back pain, and body-wide inflammation. When it got to the point where normal movement became difficult, I consulted Doctors.

It's interesting to note: The first couple of Doctors I visited (General Practitioners), attributed these issues as being: "muscle related", "possibly arthritis", or other run-of-the-mill issues.

The third Doctor I visited (a Pain Management Specialist), sent me for X-Rays & MRI's. It was discovered that I had 8 damaged spinal discs: 4 in the mid-back; surgery not an option (due to proximity to thoracic region). 3 discs in lower back (Lumbar region) surgery not an option there, as a perfectly healthy disc would be affected. As well as 1 slightly damaged disc in the neck (cervical region).

I was also diagnosed with Fibromyalgia; by more than one Rheumatoid Specialist. In the years which followed, I had many tests done, and several medical procedures. I'm not going to go off on a tangent here, or get into all the details, etc. - The main points I'd like to make are that living with chronic pain & fibromyalgia (and most recently, diabetes) isn't easy.

The majority of my time is spent in bed. I never know when I'm going to feel okay; which makes planning to enjoy astronomy, or astrophotography (on clear nights) close to impossible. 

I was involved with both the visual, and AP facets of amatuer astronomy, since I was a freshman in high school. For about the past decade, trying to enjoy astrophotography was very difficult. There were quite a few steps involved in the set-up of the equipment, for a night of imaging. 

As you might imagine, there were many nights when the sky conditions were excellent - and I simply couldn't manage to set anything up. To say it was frustrating, would be a gross understatement.

With the development of these compact, smart telescopes - I've found that this is no longer the case. These new smart telescopes for astrophotography are practically effortless to set-up. The Seestar S50, for example - can simply be placed on a flat surface outside, and powered on. Then, you can just go back into your home, and control everything via smartphone or tablet. The Dwarf 2 is amazing - and almost as easy to set-up: You simply need to let it go through it's calibration process (successfully) and then you can also go indoors!

People sometimes like to say that the Dwarf II's lens is too small...But, have you ever seen what some (dedicated) astronomers accomplish with cell phone cams??

Anyway, this is a real game changer for just about anyone with disabilities. Which is really amazing, and is the reason why I'm sharing all of this.

For the first time in about 15 years, I won't have to miss out on any clear nights! I'll be able to just go out on the deck, and place a smart telescope on an outdoor table (or other flat/sturdy surface) and that's it! The rest is smooth sailing...

Well, that's my short post (for now). I'm happy to report, that:

• The 2-Part Review of The Dwarf 2 has been posted here (Pt.1 - Pt.2).
• The Seestar S50 review will be posted here soon!
• And, last...but certainly not least: Instead of my (usual) live webinar/presentation on the lastest bat detector, I'll be talking about these two new smart telescopes! As well as the hobby of amatuer astronomy! For the members of The BatAbility Club (based in Scotland).

Stay tuned - More interesting stuff coming soon!

I just got a new telescope today! So, I'll be reporting on it - All I'll say for now, is that it's the first GoTo telescope I've ever bought... I want to especially share what it's like, having a new "conventional" telescope next to a smart telescope...

Also: A few of you may remember me posting about some beautiful vintage telescopes a while back? ...Well, they may yet find their way here! We'll see...

Looking forward to it!

Clear skies!