Classroom Guide
Processing Your Seestar S30 Photos
A simple guide to turning your captured images into a finished photo — using the Seestar app, and a free app that works on any phone or tablet. Written for teachers and students aged 9 and up.
Good habits before you start
- Always keep your original saved photo untouched — make edits on a copy, so you can start again if you don’t like the result.
- The Seestar S30 already does most of the hard work for you (it “stacks” many exposures automatically). Processing just polishes what it has already built.
1. Two ways to process your images
There are two simple options, and you can use either one, or both together:
1. The Seestar app itself
Use the app’s own Deep Sky Stack tool to combine your best captured frames into one clean image — right on the phone or tablet you used to control the telescope.
2. Snapseed (free, any device)
Use Snapseed, a free photo-editing app from Google, to polish the finished image — adjusting brightness, contrast, and sharpness. Works the same on iPhone/iPad and Android.
2. Finding your photos
Every session, the Seestar S30 saves a stacked JPEG photo straight to your phone or tablet’s gallery, and also keeps the original data on the telescope itself. Start by finding tonight’s photo in your gallery, or in the app’s own Gallery tab.
3. Combining frames with Deep Sky Stack
If you captured several images of the same object, the Seestar app can combine your best frames into a clearer final photo:
- Open the Gallery — In the Seestar app, make sure the telescope is powered on and connected, then go to the Gallery.
- Tap “Deep Sky Stack” — Choose this option from the app’s home page.
- Add your images — Tap “Add Images”, then choose the target you photographed, and select the frames you want to use.
- Pick your best frames — Choose images that are sharp and not overexposed, that show the whole object, and that don’t have obstructions, plane trails, or satellite streaks crossing them. Use “Edit” to change your selection if needed.
- Stack — Tap “Stack” to combine your chosen frames, then tap “Check now” once it finishes to view the result.
4. Polishing your image in Snapseed
- Install Snapseed — Download the free “Snapseed” app from the App Store (iPhone/iPad) or Google Play (Android). There’s nothing to pay and no account needed.
- Open your photo — Open Snapseed, tap to open a photo, and choose your saved Seestar image from the gallery.
- Adjust brightness and contrast — Tap “Tools” then “Tune Image”. Gently increase contrast and brightness to bring out more detail in the object — small changes go a long way.
- Sharpen (optional) — Tap “Tools” then “Details” to slightly sharpen the image. Use a light touch — too much sharpening makes the photo look grainy.
- Crop (optional) — Tap “Tools” then “Crop” to frame the object more tightly if there’s a lot of empty sky around it.
- Save a copy — Tap the export icon and choose “Save a Copy”, so your original photo stays untouched.
5. Sharing your finished photo
Once you’re happy with the result, the saved copy can be shared, printed, or added to a classroom display or project — straight from the phone or tablet’s gallery.
6. If something goes wrong
| If this happens… | Try this |
|---|---|
| Deep Sky Stack won’t find any images | Make sure the Seestar is powered on and connected to the app, and that you captured more than one frame of the same target. |
| The stacked image looks worse than expected | Check you didn’t include blurry, overexposed, or obstructed frames — remove them with “Edit” and stack again. |
| Snapseed changes look too strong | Use a lighter touch on each slider, or tap “Undo” (the back arrow) to remove the last change. |
| I can’t find my saved photo | Check the device’s main Photos/Gallery app first, then the Seestar app’s own Gallery tab. |
Going further — desktop processing (for older students / astronomy clubs)
- For more advanced results, the raw data can be transferred to a computer and processed with free desktop software: Siril (stacking and calibration), GraXpert (background and noise removal), and GIMP (final touch-ups).
- This gives more control than a phone app, but takes longer and needs a laptop or desktop computer — a good extension activity rather than a first session.
Quick recap for the classroom
- 1. Find your saved photo in the gallery.
- 2. (Optional) Combine your best frames using Deep Sky Stack in the Seestar app.
- 3. Open a copy in Snapseed and gently adjust brightness, contrast, and sharpness.
- 4. Save a copy and share your finished photo.