All-in-one setup
The telescope, cameras, focuser, mount, filters and control system work together. I can spend more of a clear spell collecting data instead of assembling equipment.
The telescope behind the images
My Seestar
S30 Pro.
I used to think meaningful astrophotography required tens of thousands of pounds, a huge telescope and years of technical experience. The Seestar S30 Pro finally made the sky feel reachable from my own garden.
Latest Seestar capture · Eastern Veil Nebula — Caldwell 33 (C 33), NGC 6992/6995 →Why I chose a smart telescope
A proper beginning,
without the impossible barrier.
I have been fascinated by space and the planets since childhood, helped along by many hours watching documentaries with my dad. The sheer scale of the universe has always blown my mind. Seeing people such as Professor Brian Cox bring astronomy to life—and later seeing his live shows—only pulled me in further.
For years I assumed taking my own deep-sky images was financially and technically out of reach. Smart telescopes changed that. Since March 2026, the Seestar S30 Pro has allowed me to locate, track and capture galaxies, nebulae and star clusters while I learn the craft one clear night at a time.
It automates the intimidating first steps, but it does not remove the learning. Weather, light pollution, choosing targets, collecting enough integration time and processing the data still matter. That balance is exactly what I wanted: accessible enough to begin, with plenty of room to improve.
The useful numbers
Telephoto cameraSony IMX585 · 8.3 MP
Optics30 mm · 160 mm · f/5.3
Field of view4.6° telephoto · 63° wide
Storage128 GB eMMC
Battery6,000 mAh
Weight1.65 kg
MountAlt-azimuth · EQ mode supported
Image filesJPEG and FITS
Specifications are based on the manufacturer’s current product information. See the official Seestar S30 Pro page ↗
What makes it work for me
Portable, automated and still genuinely rewarding.
Smart tracking
App-controlled GoTo and automatic tracking make finding a target practical from a light-polluted Yorkshire garden.
Real data to process
JPEGs make sharing quick, while FITS files give me the deeper data needed for stacking and more careful processing.
Room to progress
Mosaic, planning and supported equatorial modes mean the telescope can grow with my ambitions rather than being a one-night novelty.
See what it can do
The proof is in the photons.
Every gallery image includes its real capture details, integration time and processing notes.
Explore the gallery →See how I process with AstroWizard →