ZWO has introduced a new feature for its Seestar telescope: the Seestar Plan Mode, designed to help automate imaging sessions with the little guy. The tool allows users to create customized observation plans that can be executed automatically, eliminating the need for constant manual adjustments during a stargazing session.
The Plan Mode enables users to select multiple targets they wish to capture, set up the necessary parameters for each, and schedule when to shoot them. By using this feature, users can plan a series of targets for a specific time frame, ensuring they capture their desired celestial objects without having to be present throughout the entire process. This is particularly useful for astrophotographers who want to take multiple images across a long night without interruption.
To get started, users first open the Seestar app and navigate to the new "Plan" section. This section allows them to create a new plan by simply naming it and adding the targets they wish to capture. Once the plan is set up, users can adjust the framing for each target, ensuring that the telescope is positioned optimally for the best shot. The app’s intuitive interface offers the ability to rotate and move the target frame to achieve the desired composition, helping users avoid issues like field rotation, especially when using alt-azimuth telescopes like the Seestar.
After selecting and adjusting the targets, users can set the timing for when the telescope will capture each object. The Seestar Plan Mode allows users to adjust the timing for each target, ensuring that the telescope shoots at optimal times for each celestial object. Once all targets are added and the time frames are adjusted, the user can simply click “Execute,” and the Seestar will begin automatically capturing the images at the scheduled times. The telescope will move to each target, capture the images, and follow the plan without the need for further intervention.
One of the primary advantages of the Seestar Plan Mode is the ability to automate the imaging process, saving valuable time and effort during astrophotography sessions. Users no longer need to manually adjust the telescope between targets or worry about losing time as they attempt to capture multiple objects in a single night. The Plan Mode allows users to set up a comprehensive schedule, ensuring that all targets are captured according to the preset times. This can be particularly useful for those who want to focus on other activities while their telescope works on capturing multiple targets over several hours.
Additionally, the Seestar Plan Mode addresses the challenge of field rotation, which is a common issue when using alt-azimuth telescopes. By allowing users to schedule their imaging sessions at specific times each night, they can ensure that their targets are captured at the same angle, reducing the effects of field rotation. This ensures that the final images are crisp and clear, even for long exposure times.
The Seestar Plan Mode also includes the ability to create mosaic images, a feature that allows users to capture larger areas of the sky by stitching together multiple images. While creating a mosaic manually can be time-consuming, the Plan Mode makes this process much easier by automatically capturing and stacking the necessary frames over several nights. This can be especially beneficial for those looking to capture large, complex objects like nebulae or galaxies.
For users who wish to leave their telescope unattended for long periods, the Seestar Plan Mode also offers a convenient solution. By ensuring that the telescope will execute the entire plan without requiring user intervention, the Seestar can operate autonomously, saving time and reducing the need for constant monitoring. However, users are advised to ensure that the telescope is connected to an external power source if they plan to leave it unattended for an extended time.
Luca from The Space Koala Channel recently tested the new planning functionality on the ZWO Seestar, comparing it with similar features of the Vaonis Vespera Pro and Dwarf 3. Her review covers the ease of use, effectiveness, and unique features of each telescope's planning system. She discusses how planning functionalities are essential in astrophotography, particularly with smart telescopes like the Seestar, Vespera, and Dwarf, enabling users to plan multiple target captures and adjust settings to avoid time loss during a night of observation.
The Seestar, following a recent update, introduced a planning feature that allows users to create and schedule target capture sessions. She demonstrates setting up a plan with multiple targets, such as the Orion Nebula (M42), Horsehead Nebula (Barnard 33), and Rosette Nebula. The app allows users to locate, frame, and rotate targets to fit within the desired field of view. She appreciates how the Seestar integrates planning with framing and mosaic modes, noting how it helps mitigate the issue of field rotation, a limitation with alt-azimuth telescopes. The ability to control when each target is captured based on its position in the sky adds flexibility for long-term projects or multi-night imaging sessions.
She emphasizes that the Seestar’s new plan feature is highly intuitive, user-friendly, and effective. The planning function is easy to set up, and the app works smoothly after the update, with everything functioning out of the box. Users can adjust the timing of the shooting window for each target and rotate the frame as needed. She also appreciates the Seestar’s capability to handle mosaic captures, which require multiple nights to collect data over larger sky areas.
In comparison, she found the Dwarf 3’s planning functionality more limited. While it lacks mosaic and rotation features, it does allow advanced scheduling and can adjust for multiple targets over a period. She highlights that the Dwarf’s ability to polar-align, a feature the Seestar lacks at the moment, is an advantage in preventing field rotation. However, the Dwarf does not have the same ease of use and flexibility as the Seestar, making the latter a more attractive choice for users looking for a straightforward planning experience.
She also reviewed the Vaonis Vespera Pro, which has a unique feature called "Perseverance." This allows users to continue stacking images from previous nights, ideal for long-term projects that require multiple nights to complete a single target. She explains that the Vespera is the only telescope among the three to offer this feature, which is especially useful for large images with the Vespera's higher megapixel sensor. While the Vespera’s plan feature is similar to the other telescopes, it stands out because of its mosaic capabilities and the added continuity function for multi-night stacks.
She reflects on how each telescope has its own advantages. The Seestar’s integration of planning and framing is particularly beneficial for users who want to automate the imaging process and ensure that the targets are framed properly. The Dwarf excels in scheduling and polar alignment, though it lacks some of the other features that make the Seestar stand out. The Vespera shines in its advanced continuity mode, perfect for users who need extensive integration time for their images.
In conclusion, she is satisfied with the new planning feature on the Seestar and praises its ease of use, flexibility, and seamless integration into astrophotography. She also notes that while each telescope has its unique strengths, the Seestar’s intuitive design makes it a great choice for users looking for a reliable, user-friendly astrophotography tool. She encourages viewers to try the planning feature for themselves, particularly for those looking to capture multiple targets over several nights. Despite the cloudy conditions affecting her observations, she expresses optimism about the feature's potential and the future of smart telescopes in astrophotography.
Curtis recently released a comprehensive video detailing the new Seestar Plan mode, part of the Seestar app update by ZWO. This new feature, which he explored over three nights, allows users to plan and automate astrophotography sessions. The tutorial he provided walks through the process of creating, managing, and executing plans, offering tips and insights on its use.
The Seestar Plan mode enables users to select one or more targets for imaging, set the timing for each target, and have the app automatically execute the plan at the appropriate times, even in the user’s absence. He walks viewers through the essential steps of creating a plan, emphasizing that users can prepare their plans well in advance, whether earlier in the day or even days before the planned session. Importantly, plans can be edited anytime and do not require an immediate connection to the Seestar unit for initial setup, which allows users to create their plans from a mobile device and later upload them to the Seestar.
In his demonstration, he selects three deep-sky objects — the Orion Nebula, Horsehead Nebula, and the Rosette Nebula — to create a sequence of imaging targets for the evening. After setting up the plan and selecting the appropriate timing for each target, he highlights the importance of considering the altitude of each object. For optimal results, he suggests that targets should generally not be above 70 degrees in altitude to avoid issues like field rotation. He also explains how users can adjust the start and finish times for each object, with the time scale divided into 10-minute increments.
One key feature of the Plan mode is the ability to create mosaics, and he demonstrates this while working with the Rosette Nebula. By adjusting the framing and scale, he creates a mosaic to cover the full area of the nebula. He also shows how to adjust the exposure time, set autofocus, and enable dark frame subtraction for each target.
Throughout the demonstration, he points out important considerations. For instance, when planning a session, users should ensure that any external accessories attached to the Seestar, such as a dew shield or external filter, will not obstruct the arm when it closes at the end of the session. He also notes that users should consider stacking efficiency when estimating their total stack time, as the time displayed in the plan is based on clock time rather than actual imaging time. This could affect the accuracy of stacking predictions, given that stacking efficiency can vary.
He further illustrates how the plan can be executed. Once the plan is created, the user can execute it by connecting to the Seestar, which will automatically begin imaging the selected targets at the scheduled times. During his demonstration, he highlights that the Seestar executed the plan seamlessly, capturing images of the Orion Nebula, Horsehead Nebula, and Rosette Nebula, with each object captured according to the preset times. He also uses the opportunity to remind users that they should ensure they have an external power source connected to the Seestar if planning to leave it unattended for an extended period.
Despite the success of the demonstration, he offers several recommendations for future updates. He suggests that ZWO could improve the user interface by making the ongoing plan more prominent, rather than displaying a separate plan list. Additionally, he notes that while the app allows autofocus and dark frame calibration at the beginning of the session, it currently does not support refocusing between targets or the creation of a new dark frame set between targets. He expects that future updates may address these limitations.
He also discusses the potential for future improvements, including the ability to shut down the Seestar after the plan is completed. Currently, the app allows the arm to close at the end of the session, but the power remains on. He suggests that the app could benefit from the option to turn off the power once the session is finished, particularly for users who may want to conserve energy.
Despite these limitations, he praises the Seestar Plan mode for its potential to simplify astrophotography sessions. For users looking to automate the capturing of multiple targets throughout the night without having to be present, this feature is a valuable addition to the Seestar app. He concludes by acknowledging that ZWO’s implementation of the plan mode is a strong first effort, with room for further refinements. He encourages viewers to experiment with the feature, offering his video as a helpful resource for anyone looking to get started with the Seestar Plan mode.
For anyone new to the Seestar app, he also recommends watching his previous tutorial, "Seestar for Dummies," to gain a deeper understanding of the app’s capabilities and setup.
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