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ZWO Seestar S50: Capturing Planets and the Moon

The ZWO Seestar S50 has revolutionized amateur astrophotography, making deep-sky objects accessible with push-button ease. While its short focal length of 250mm makes it a deep-sky darling, the temptation to turn this smart scope toward the bright, magnificent objects of our own Solar System-namely the Moon, Jupiter, and Saturn-is irresistible.

Planetary imaging presents a different set of challenges than capturing faint galaxies. While the S50 may not deliver the planetary detail of a dedicated, high-magnification setup, it is more than capable of providing satisfying and impressive results, especially for beginners. The key lies in changing your approach from long-exposure stacking to the rapid-fire technique known as “lucky imaging.”

Here is your guide to maximizing the Seestar S50’s potential for planetary and lunar astrophotography.

The lunar Advantage: Sharp and Stunning

The Moon is the Seestar S50’s easiest and most rewarding solar system target. Its sheer size and brightness eliminate the core challenges of capturing the distant, dim planets.

Capture Settings for the Moon:

1. Select the “Lunar” Mode: Use the dedicated mode in the Seestar app.
2. Focus: Let the autofocus do its job, but always manually check on a sharp crater or feature. Planetary and lunar objects sometimes require minor manual fine-tuning for a crisp edge.
3. Capture Videos (Raw): rather of standard “Enhancing” mode, switch to the Video capture option and select the RAW format. The S50 will record a high-speed video (typically an MP4 file).
4. Video Length: capture videos between 30-60 seconds long. This provides ample frames for stacking.
5. Gain: Keep the gain low (around 50-80) to minimize noise.

Processing Lunar Images: Use stacking software like AutoStakkert! or Registax. These programs analyze hundreds of frames, selecting the sharpest ones and aligning them to create a final, detailed image. Adjust brightness and contrast in post-processing to bring out lunar features.

Jupiter and Saturn: A Lucky Imaging challenge

Jupiter and Saturn demand a different approach. Their smaller apparent size and the blurring effects of atmospheric turbulence require the “lucky imaging” technique. This involves capturing many short videos and stacking only the sharpest frames.

Capture Settings for Jupiter & Saturn:

1. Select “Planetary” Mode: Use the dedicated mode in the Seestar app.
2. Focus: Achieving critical focus is paramount. Use the app’s zoom function to carefully refine focus on a cloud band (Jupiter) or the Cassini Division (Saturn).
3. Capture Videos (Raw): As with the Moon, capture in RAW video format.
4. Video Length: Shorter videos (10-30 seconds) are ideal for Jupiter and Saturn due to atmospheric turbulence.
5. Gain: Increase the gain slightly (80-120) to compensate for the planets’ lower brightness, but be mindful of introducing noise.
6. Frame Rate: The S50’s high frame rate is your friend. Aim for the highest possible frame rate within the app.

Processing Planetary Images: The same stacking software (AutoStakkert! or Registax) used for lunar images works well for planets. Expect to discard a larger percentage of frames due to atmospheric distortion. Experiment with wavelets in Registax to enhance detail.

Tips for Success

• Seeing Conditions: Planetary imaging is highly dependent on “seeing”-the stability of the atmosphere. Clear, still nights are essential.
• Cooling: Allow the Seestar S50 to cool down before imaging. This reduces thermal
  
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