The Seestar telescope is an imaging telescope. There is no eyepiece. You view the image from your smartphone or tablet through a free app that you must download to your smartphone or tablet.

This telescope requires very little knowledge of the night sky to use. It is a self-aligning device that automatically determines where in the sky it is pointing. It gets the time, date, and location from the smartphone or tablet that you are using to control it. You do not need to know the names of any stars or their location in the sky to use this telescope. You simply set the device onto its table-top tripod that has been leveled in a location with a clear view of a major part of the sky. The alignment can only occur at night when stars are visible. It does not align itself during the daytime.

This is a "go to" telescope. Using the app, you can tell the telescope to "go to" any of the thousands of celestial objects in its database. The 'scope will then automatically move itself so that it points at the object you selected. You do not need to know where the object is located in the sky - the telescope knows how to find it. Once the object has been found, the telescope will track the object automatically. You can view it for as long as you like. If you need help in choosing objects, the app includes a list of the top sights for that night.

You do not need an internet connection to use this telescope - it has its own WiFi and Bluetooth built into the device. If you do have your own WiFi network, you can control the telescope from that network - so, you can be inside your home, sitting in a comfortable chair, and control and view the images as they are obtained.

Here is an example of an image of the Orion Nebula that a club member obtained using this telescope:

The telescope weighs approximately 5.5 pounds - so it is easy to carry and set up. The lens aperture is 50mm (2 inches) with a focal length of 250 mm (f/5). The telescope automatically focuses - although you can fine tune the focus if you like. The telescope can also be used as a spotting scope to view terrestrial objects, such as birds or scenic sights. Because the telescope does not have a "finder" it can be challenging to point the telescope at a terrestrial object.

The device comes with rechargeable batteries installed. You will need to charge and recharge the telescope after you use it (cable is provided). The batteries usually last for about 6 hours.