Smart Telescopes for the Eclipse? Two Astrophotographers Weigh In…

[@ianlauerastro]

Two great astrophotographers in the same video, love it! I'm really interested in seeing how folks shoot totality with the ZWO and Dwarf scopes.

[@DeveshPande]

I just got my Seestar yesterday and was thinking about using it for the solar eclipse. This video comes at the right time. Thanks Nico. Watching it as soon as I got the notification

[@huf67]

I bought my SeeStar just for the video purpose. I've got 2 dslr's for stills. I also bought some solar film and thought about making my own filter that was easier to remove during totality.

[@liquidl5380]

Perfect! I went in on a Seestar with my uncle and I'm going to take it to Dallas with me for the eclipse

[@TexDrinkwater]

Thanks for this. I bought my Dwarf II specifically for this event, and the first time I used it was during the recent partial eclipse.

[@jacobrichards8359]

I actually picked my SeeStar up for my trip to TX for my Totality pilgrimage! Great vid!

[@Night_Tim]

Exactly what I was looking for regarding the Dwarf II. Thank you!

[@NMHC1978]

For the Hestia print a addapter so you can mount it on a skywatcher az-gti or Skywatcher solarquest. A low cost mount is also possible like a small mount with RA motor

[@ericfrancis7816]

Thanks very much! We'd ordered the Hestia and it still hasn't arrived, and your reviews make me think the Dwarf II is the better telescope, so I have just ordered it to make sure we have one for the eclipse. I'll figure out later what to do with an extra smart telescope.... :)

[@macgyver5108]

Did a road trip to Idaho with friends for the total Eclipse in 2017, definitely an impressive and unreal sight to behold... 9:30 all you really need is weight on the _bottom_ of the tripod feet, not so much up high. 3 smaller Crown Royal bags are kinda handy to tie onto the lowest leg joints and then load up with some softball sized stones ETC. I usually just bring my heavy tripod and have a loop of cord that I slip a 20 lb dumb bell into, sucker's rock solid in the wind!

[@VRzichtbaar]

The best advice was to stop imaging and experience the total eclipse :-) The response to the eclipse of the nature and people around you should not be missed my 2cts, Bob

[@huuing]

I’ll be using the Dwarf II - I just think with the filter system and the wider field of view and it’s extremely portable size just works for me.

[@jgilchristmusic]

I think the best bet with the Seestar is to shoot in raw AVI and vary the exposure. You can then stack frames in Autostakkert for a clean image.

[@MrKhagol]

cool..both Nico and sarah treaming up..

[@erewhon42]

The Seestar just got an update over the past couple days that gives more manual control over the exposure in solar mode. Just in time for the eclipse! (The Dwarf would still win on field of view during totality.)

[@astrojeff1]

I have the SeeStar and the Dwarf2 and the Hestia coming. I can't yet comment on the Hestia but so far my preference is to use the Dwarf2 just because I can get the whole corona and the filter is so much easier to get on and off. I will also have my mirrorless camera with zoom lens on a camera tracking mount so I want to keep the things I have to "fiddle with" at a minimum and just enjoy the eclipse. I think it was good advice to just abandon the rigs at the half-totality point and just enjoy it visually from then on.

[@NebulaPhotos]

Yeah, the DWARF definitely wins for the ease of removing it's filter - neither the Seestar or Hestia are ideal in this regard, and if I have time, I'll be making custom Baader film filters for both. Good luck with your eclipse Jeff - hoping we all get clear skies!

[@cosmic_sailor_]

Your thumbnail is so sweet😂Thanks for this video. I am waiting for my seestar to come and cannot wait to try with its solar filter.

[@dhaupert]

I went through this process earlier this month and I have decided I’m just going to enjoy it and take a few pics of it with my iPhone 15pro with a makeshift filter covering the lenses. Seems less finicky and allow me to enjoy the moment much better.

[@shawn9992]

I’ll be in the path of totality. Should I just leave the solar filter on and adjust exposure manually on the Seestar or should I remove the filter during totality? I’m taking video so didn’t want to risk shaking the device.

[@P38eagle]

I was in Albuquerque, NM, for the Oct. 2023 annular eclipse. I only had a Dwarf II then. Let me tell you the problem I encountered right off with my Dwarf II. I was at a resort site that probably had several hundred visitors and local to both view and photograph the eclipse. Although prior to this eclipse, I had no problem using my Dwarf II to track and focus on the sun, at this eclipse site my Dwarf II got flaring of the sun's image and the Dwarf II wouldn't focus at all on the sun. There was another individual there also with a Dwarf II that had the same problem. I contacted Dwarf II when I got back home to tell them about this. They said I had leakage from the solar filter into the lens. That didn't seem correct to me because I went out the next day to exactly the same site set-up site I was at for the eclipse and the Dwarf II could focus and track the sun perfectly with beautiful images. I believe the problem was the electronic interference from all of the other camera set ups during the time of the eclipse. Any thoughts?

[@KingLoopie1]

Good comparisons! Got the s50, I am now thinking about the dwarf 2 in light of "the cute little bag"! (sorry Sarah.... I couldn't resist. 😉 Please, keep on being you! )

[@SOLARIS-CHRONIQUES]

Hi Nico, Thank you very much for your fast response. This is perfect because I already have an Explore Scientific CLS filter that I use on other astronomical instruments. So I'm ready to use the Hestia to see the brightest deep sky objects. Unfortunately there is no solar eclipse visible from France, so I have to look back at other objects in the sky. Thanks again.

[@drdentin3215]

I always learn from your content, Thanks Again. I see snow on the ground your Mom said to put a coat on.

[@jhn1987]

Nice review. I have a Vaonis Vespera. I wish you would’ve included that smart telescope in your review.

[@kevss1993]

It's not available anymore. They've been on Vespera 2 for a while now and are coming out with the Pro model soon. The Vespera 2 is also 3 times the cost of these smart telescopes. I think they're trying to capture people that are newer to the hobby and only want to spend around $500 or less.

[@markattardo]

Great video! I've been going back and forth about the Dwarf and Seestar in general for a while. Probably won't have either for the eclipse but your results should be interesting just the same. Still not sure if I'll be able to get closer towards totality or if I'll be stuck on the Seacoast, but am planning On shooting some (filtered) images with a camera and telephoto lens. Would there be any benefit to using a full spectrum camera vs non modified one? I really don't understand the purpose of the Hestia. It looks like a very impractical cell phone tele lens. What am I missing? BTW, are you on a deck or platform? Trying to understand the synchronized scope wobbles😂

[@NebulaPhotos]

No benefit to full spectrum for the eclipse - stock will work just as well if not better. RE: the Hestia - I'm not sure as I've never used those tele lens add-ons for phones. In my mind it's closer to doing afocal photography with a dob and an eyepiece, but obviously more compact than a dob. The deep sky part also has built-in finding and stacking. Re: wobbles. I had them setup on a folding table (the standard tripods are very short), and it was super windy that day.

[@SOLARIS-CHRONIQUES]

Hello, Your video is very instructive, thank-you. I will receive my Hestia in about 3 weeks (I am in France). As the aperture of the Hestia is 30 mm, can classic 1.2 inch filters be adapted? I live near a big city and I would like to install an anti-light pollution filter (city light suppression filter). Is the solar filter thread 1.2 inch, or actually 30mm. Thank you for your reply. François

[@NebulaPhotos]

Hi François, Yes, the Hestia is threaded for standard 1.25" filters (the astronomy standard like those used with 1.25" eyepieces). So any filter of that type will screw in to the front. Cheers, Nico

[@tariqalkindi8045]

Thanks for the demo nice can i click sunset instead of sun?

[@gg80108]

Why is the color of the sun different with different scopes? What color should it be?

[@katelynbeecroft917]

Hey Nico, loving the eclipse video series. I was wondering, do you think the Dwarf wide angle lens could be used to capture the full eclipse as a wide-angle composite of the whole eclipse with some foreground?

[@bryanphillips3075]

Subscribing to @SarahMathsAstro. Looking forward to seeing the colaboration. Thanks for the tip about the solar eclipse app.

[@Steve.Daugherty]

Do we know what angle the moon will be crossing the disc of the sun at? Put a simpler way, where on a clock face would the diamond in the diamond ring appear during 2nd and 4th contact? I can't find this info anywhere.

[@NebulaPhotos]

Approximately, yes. You can use this calculator: xjubier.free.fr/en/site_pages/SolarEclipseCalc_Diagram.html After you fill in all the information, click the link labelled "Display the lunar limb profile" to get an idea of where the diamond ring will be at C2 and C3 for your location.

[@Steve.Daugherty]

@@NebulaPhotos thanks so much!

[@LukeKwan78]

The forecast for Texas is out. And it’s not looking good. Where were yall planning to meet up. And will u be pivoting to a new location that is forecast friendly.

[@briancampbell5243]

Noob here. What kinds of images can you do with the first two besides rh eclipse?

[@NebulaPhotos]

They can do bright deep sky objects and the moon. Here's my review of them for deep sky: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jIOvmJV5gN1pjtU

[@AmatureAstronomer]

Interesting.

[@TheLumberJacked]

I’m surprised honestly, that the Hestia is about half the price of the other two options in spite of the phone owner providing all of the power, electronics and imaging technology in the form of their phone so the Hestia can do it’s thing. I understand it has some optics and a nice design, as do the other options, but the Hestia lacks critical automation and flexibility for the price. I can’t imagine the Hestia should cost more than 150USD or 200Cdn. But that’s just me.

[@NMHC1978]

for the seestar be attentioningfull that you do not frie your cmos chip of the camera

[@КакойтоЧеловек-к9ы]

Hestia, this is ridiculous! The ONLY plus she has is a smartphone app. I'd rather save up for any celestron starsense explorer than this "smart telescope".

[@gptravel531]

Ten Thumbs Up!

[@seventhsun1]

15:37 what? not the most kind of way to say what she ment to really say...dang

[@OroNZ]

Totally triggered by the mounts all wobbling. Were they all standing on a trailer? Attached to a dune buggy? With a hungry bear riding shotgun?

[@JasonParr]

Total noob question. If you aren’t in the path of totality, I assume you leave the solar filter on throughout the duration? Common sense tells me yes, just verifying.

[@NebulaPhotos]

Correct!

[@JasonParr]

@@NebulaPhotos thanks for the quick response! I got my Seestar today, of course it’s overcast and snowing. Haha. Can’t wait to dig into what it can do.

[@artyombeilis9075]

Honestly this "Hestia" is just a scam since you can basically have same effect with real scope or even binoculars and smartphone attachment. But you'll get much more useful and powerful system for same price as Hestia.

[@tobiasyoder]

Idk none of these seem like good options