Distorted stars

Digital Don

Overall, I'm pleased with the Seestar S30. But I do have a concern. If you look at the stars in the attached image, specifically the ones inside the red rectangle, you notice that they are distorted. By comparison, the stars in my S50 are round across the entire field.

I've also seen distorted stars in two other S30 images posted online, so this is apparently not unique to my unit. In my case, the distorted stars are not the first thing you notice, but the fact that they are there is disappointing. I find it odd that only one part of the image is affected.

Is there a solution?

Don

Support@Seestar

Digital Don
Is this true for all imaging please? Is there a single fit image for me to analyze? It could be caused by too few stars at the edges.
In optical design, a certain degree of aberration may occur at the edges of the field of view. Even professional-grade telescopes cannot completely eliminate this. The Seestar S30 features a compact design that enhances portability but also results in a more intricate optical path. Considering its positioning and cost-performance balance, certain components of the device are manufactured using injection molding, which has slightly lower precision compared to professional-grade equipment. Additionally, environmental factors such as temperature and humidity may also affect the components to some extent, potentially causing edge star distortion. However, this phenomenon is limited to the field's edge and does not impact the clarity or primary performance of the central viewing area.

Digital Don

Because of the weather, I was only able to take three images with the S30 since I received it. The distortion does appear in the same area of all three. It was cold and windy the night I took the images but since I have not been able to use it since, I can't determine whether or not that had any effect.

I agree that the S30's price is very low considering its capabilities and the overall performance of my specific unit, while not perfect, is still pretty good.

Hopefully the weather will cooperate soon and I'll be able to take additional images under different conditions.

Thank you for your reply.

Don

Support@Seestar

Digital Don
Don't worry. If possible, please send me a single picture in fit format. Maybe it can be solved.