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Download our step-by-step guide to preparing your Seestar account, connecting to your allocated telescope, capturing and saving images, and finishing your session. Covers Inner Mongolia and Texas, with separate location instructions.
Download after-booking instructions (PDF)
3 pages · Please read before your session. DCS arranges timed telescope sharing separately from payment. Use your confirmed booking times and contact paul@darkclearskies.co.uk if you need access help. Never send passwords or verification codes.
Dark Clear Skies · Remote astronomy
Bookings open · Sessions from 16 October 2026New location · Starfront Observatories, Texas
Texas Seestar S30 Pro — book online for £30 per night
Book a nine-hour night on our additional Seestar S30 Pro at Starfront Observatories, Texas, USA. Online booking is now open at £30 per night. Sessions run 01:00–10:00 UTC; the calendar displays your selected timezone. Texas has a separate timetable from our Inner Mongolia telescopes.
Choose an available date and time, provide your Seestar / ZWO account email and complete payment to confirm your booking.
Live remote observing from home
How Seestar S50 Pro remote telescope rental works
Book live access to a hosted Seestar S50 Pro in Ulanqab, Inner Mongolia. Use the official Seestar app from home to choose suitable targets, control supported observing functions and watch your images build under Bortle 2 skies.
Observing location & weather
Our original Seestar S50 Pro and S30 Pro observing site is in Chahar Right Front Banner, in the Ulanqab area of Inner Mongolia, China.
To check the local forecast, search for “Chahar Right Front Banner” in your weather app, or use the forecast link below. Check cloud cover, wind and rain for the telescope’s location when planning your session.
Forecast for Chahar Right Front Banner, Ulanqab, Inner Mongolia: check cloud cover, rain or snow, wind and temperature. Check the forecast date and displayed timezone against your booking; China uses UTC+8.
This is an area forecast; conditions at the telescope may differ. Follow the confirmed session times in your booking and any observatory weather updates.
From booking to your first remote observing session
- Book a full-night session of up to nine hours for £30. We will confirm your observing slot.
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Prepare your Seestar app access
You need an internet connection and the official Seestar app on a compatible device. Follow the joining instructions supplied for your booked session and use the ZWO account associated with the booking.
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Observe and capture remotely
Control supported observing and capture functions during your session. Choose targets that are suitable for the telescope’s location, local sky, season and available observing time. DCS provides joining guidance and can help you identify a sensible first target; continuous one-to-one tuition is not included unless arranged separately.
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Save your images
Use the Seestar app’s current export workflow to save JPG files, FIT files or both. If a particular target matters to you, plan for its visibility from Inner Mongolia at the time of your session.
Observing from another location
The sky is local to the telescope
The Seestar S50 Pro is hosted in Ulanqab, Inner Mongolia, China. The session follows conditions at that site, including darkness, weather, horizon and seasonal target visibility. A clear evening in the UK does not guarantee clear skies at the telescope.
Session times are shown in UK time on the booking page. They correspond to observing activity at the hosted telescope, not to night-time in the UK.
Before your session
What to check before booking
- Choose the correct date and UK time slot.
- Check that your device, internet connection and Seestar app are ready.
- Consider target visibility from Inner Mongolia during your selected session.
- For a full night, allow for up to nine hours; exact start and finish times depend on the operating window.
- Read the booking page for weather arrangements and session information.
Frequently asked questions
Is this live control or a pre-recorded image service?
It is timed access to a hosted Seestar S50 Pro. You use the official app to operate supported observing and capture functions; it is not a pre-recorded feed or a pack of images selected by an operator.
Is this suitable for beginners?
This is a self-guided service for experienced Seestar users and astrophotographers. You should already understand target selection, imaging and Seestar operation. Joining guidance is provided; continuous one-to-one tuition is not included.
Can I download the images?
The Seestar app supports export of JPG files, FIT files or both, subject to the current app workflow.
How long is the full-night session?
It is up to nine hours, not a guaranteed nine hours. Seasonal darkness, observing windows and safe operating conditions can affect the exact start and finish times.
What happens if weather prevents the session?
If weather prevents observing for four hours or more in total, choose a proportionate refund for all weather-lost time or equivalent booking credit. If fewer than two usable observing hours remain, choose a full refund or replacement night. Technical faults are assessed separately. Read the full booking terms below.
Can a club, school or organisation enquire?
Yes. Use the questions and group enquiries page to describe your audience, timing and support needs. Group demonstrations and specialist projects need a suitability discussion.
Ready to choose a session?
Open the booking calendar on the S50 Pro product page, select an available date and UK time, and book your remote session.
Check availability and bookEmail address required for telescope access
You need a free ZWO/Seestar account. Please use the email address linked to that account when booking, so we can identify the correct account for timed telescope access. If your checkout email is different, reply to your booking confirmation with your booking reference and your ZWO/Seestar account email before your session.
We need your account email only. Never send us your password or verification codes. Access must be arranged before you connect; completing payment does not itself activate telescope access.
Seestar S50 Pro remote observing — booking terms
Your booking and preparation
Your £30 booking provides remote access to our Seestar S50 Pro in Inner Mongolia during the confirmed observing window of up to nine hours. Check your date and exact start and finish times carefully. Times are shown in UK time, including GMT or BST as applicable. Refund calculations use the duration confirmed for your booking, not an assumed nine hours.
This is a self-guided service for experienced Seestar users and astrophotographers. Read your joining instructions and have the required app, account and a reliable internet connection ready before your session.
Weather and safe operation
Remote astronomy depends on conditions at the telescope’s location. Clear skies, uninterrupted observing and particular imaging results cannot be guaranteed. Cloud, rain, snow, excessive wind, humidity or other unsafe conditions may delay observing or require the observatory to close. Safety decisions must be respected.
Our weather-refund policy
If weather prevents observing for four hours or more in total during your confirmed session, you may choose a proportionate refund for all time lost to weather, or the same value as credit towards another booking. Separate interruptions are added together; they do not need to occur consecutively.
The refund is calculated using the price you paid and the duration of your confirmed session. For example, four hours lost from a nine-hour booking costing £30 gives a refund of £13.33. Once the four-hour threshold is reached, all weather-lost time is included, not just the time beyond four hours.
If weather leaves fewer than two usable observing hours during your confirmed session, you may choose a full refund or a replacement night, subject to availability.
Weather disruption totalling less than four hours does not qualify for a refund under this voluntary weather policy, unless fewer than two usable observing hours remain. This does not affect your statutory rights.
What counts as lost time?
Lost time means periods within your confirmed booking window when weather prevents the telescope from being used for observing. We assess this using available observatory records, weather information and any supporting information you provide.
Reduced transparency, moonlight, atmospheric turbulence or disappointing image quality do not alone count as lost observing time where observing remains possible. Time lost because a chosen target is below the horizon or obstructed is also excluded. If the service is otherwise not provided as agreed, your statutory rights still apply.
Equipment and connection problems
If a fault with the telescope, observatory equipment or observatory internet connection prevents access, contact us promptly. These problems are assessed separately from the four-hour weather threshold. We will offer an appropriate remedy, which may include replacement time, a price reduction or a refund, without limiting your statutory rights.
Problems with your own device, internet connection or failure to use access that was available do not normally qualify for a refund, unless caused by incorrect instructions or another failure on our part.
Cancellations and changes
If Dark Clear Skies cancels your session, you may choose a full refund or an alternative available date.
If you need to cancel or change your booking, contact us as soon as possible. We will consider whether the slot can be rebooked and any costs saved. Any cancellation deduction will reflect our reasonable net loss, and any statutory cancellation rights remain unaffected.
Safe use
Use only the controls covered by your access instructions. Do not change account credentials, network settings, firmware, calibration or observatory settings without our agreement. Do not share access details. Never power down the telescope remotely.
We may temporarily suspend access where reasonably necessary to protect the equipment or other bookings. Any refund will be assessed according to the circumstances and your statutory rights.
Reporting a problem and refunds
Email paul@darkclearskies.co.uk with your booking reference, approximate interruption times and any relevant screenshots. Please report problems promptly, ideally during the session, so we have an opportunity to help.
We aim to review reported disruption within three working days. Approved refunds will be issued to the original payment method within 14 days of agreement. Bank processing times may vary.
These terms do not affect your statutory consumer rights.