SEESTAR S50 · ATLANTA, GA — SEESTAR S30 PRO · HOSTED AT STARFRONT, TX

Smart telescope astrophotography, from the South.

Field notes, gear reviews, and honest results from a Seestar owner shooting out of an Atlanta driveway — and remotely, from Bortle 1 skies at Starfront Observatories.

Read the latest See tonight's targets
BORTLE 8
← ATLANTA DRIVEWAY STARFRONT, TX →

Latest posts

Session logs, gear breakdowns, and guides — new most clear nights.

The Elephant's Trunk Nebula and the wider IC 1396 complex in Cepheus, captured with a Seestar S30 Pro dual-band filter and processed into the Hubble Palette with AstroWizardPost
SEP 11, 2026 · 7 MIN READ

The Elephant's Trunk Nebula in the Hubble Palette: What AstroWizard Pulled Out of My Widest Shot Yet

Dual-band data off the S30 Pro, remapped into the Hubble Palette — here's what it shows that natural color never would.

Read the full breakdown →
The North America Nebula (NGC 7000) captured with a ZWO Seestar S30 Pro
SEP 10, 2026 · 6 MIN READ

DWARFLAB Draco Review: Is DWARFLAB's New Flagship Worth the Wait?

DWARFLAB's new 90mm flagship isn't shipping until December, so here's the real spec sheet breakdown while we wait.

The Heart Nebula (IC 1805) captured with the Seestar S30 Pro at Starfront Observatories
SEP 8, 2026 · 8 MIN READ

AstroWizard vs. Siril vs. PixInsight: Which Astrophotography Editor Actually Gets Your Photos Out the Door?

I put all three head to head — here's why one keeps winning my actual editing time.

Gear I'm using

Atlanta

ZWO Seestar S50

Backyard unit, Bortle 8

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Starfront

ZWO Seestar S30 Pro

Pier-hosted, Bortle 1

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Mount

Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer Latitude (EQ) Base — S20530

Used with the S50 in Atlanta

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Hosting

Starfront pier plan

Monthly reservation, TX

Power

Anker Portable Charger, 20,000mAh, 22.5W

Used in Atlanta

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Starfront

ZWO ASI662MC

Planetary camera, used at the Starfront pier

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Tonight's targets

What's up this month, split between my two setups.

FULL PLAN →

S50 · Atlanta (Bortle 6-8)

  • M8 Lagoon + M20 Trifid — bright enough to punch through backyard sky glow, dual-band filter doing the heavy lifting
  • M57 Ring Nebula + M27 Dumbbell — compact planetary nebulae, reliable backyard picks once Sagittarius gets low
  • Perseids on the 12th-13th — no scope needed, but I'll try a few wide shots with the S50 if the clouds cooperate

S30 Pro · Texas (Bortle 1, Starfront)

  • Veil Nebula + North America Nebula (NGC 7000) — faint and sprawling, exactly what Bortle 1 skies are for
  • Eagle Nebula (M16) + Swan Nebula (M17) — the "Pillars of Creation" region, worth the longer integration a dark site allows
  • Racing the clock before the Aug 28 full moon and partial eclipse wash everything out

Worth following

Other creators and channels I actually watch — YouTube and Instagram.

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Seestar S50 Seestar S30 Pro Starfront Light Pollution Beginner Guides Deep Sky Targets Planetary Imaging Gear Reviews Atlanta Astronomy Filters & Accessories

Follow along.

Session photos and quick updates go up on social first — full write-ups land here.