Take your first image (from a telescope)

Use this guide when you already know which telescope you want to use — you'll plan directly from the telescope rather than browsing targets first. (Prefer to pick a target first? See Take Your First Image Using Discover.)

Part 1 — Opening the telescope

1. Select a telescope from the Dashboard

   Click any telescope to open it. You can select one even if it shows as Offline or In Use — you can still create and save plans at any time. In this example we use T72 at Deep Sky Chile.

2. Review the telescope status

   The status page shows the instrument's current state. When an observation is running, every field is populated; here T72 is Offline and idle. See Monitoring a Live Session for a full tour of this screen.

3. Click New Plan

   Click New Plan in the top navigation bar to open the observation planner.

Part 2 — Building your plan

1. Find your target

   The planner opens with a blank target editor. Enter a target name (e.g. M 83) in the Target Name field and click the search icon to look it up. You can plan three kinds of target:

   • Deep-sky objects — galaxies, nebulae, and clusters, searched by common name (e.g. Southern Pinwheel) or catalog designation (e.g. M 83, NGC 5236).

   • Asteroids — minor planets, looked up by name or designation.

   • Comets — looked up by designation.

   Asteroids and comets move against the background stars, so StellarDock tracks their motion automatically — you don't enter fixed coordinates for them.

2. Name your plan and confirm your target

   Once your target resolves, its coordinates and framing load automatically. Give the plan a meaningful name in the Plan Name field — e.g. M 83-Luminance.

3. Review the framing

   The framing view shows how the target sits within the telescope's field of view. Click and drag the FOV box to adjust the composition — the coordinates update automatically.

   

   The framing view: drag the FOV box to compose your shot.

4. Add more targets (optional)

   A plan isn't limited to a single target. Click Add Target in the target sidebar to queue more — they're imaged in sequence during the same session, and the sidebar keeps a running count of targets and total time. It's a great way to capture several objects in one booking. Each target carries its own exposures and a type badge (RA/DEC, MPC, or Mosaic), and you can remove any target once you have more than one. Try it:

   

5. Build a mosaic (optional)

   To frame an object larger than the telescope's field of view, set a target's type to Mosaic. Choose the panel grid (e.g. 2×2) and an overlap percentage so adjacent panels share an edge for seamless stitching. StellarDock expands the mosaic into one framed panel per tile — each carrying a copy of your exposure table — and images them across the session. The framing preview shows the full panel grid so you can position it over your target.

   

   A mosaic target: the panel grid tiles across an area larger than one frame.

6. Check the Altitude and Sky Track

   The planning charts show the target's path through the night. Hover the current-position marker to read the exact altitude now, and move along the curve to see where it'll be later in your session. A high altitude means cleaner data — aim to image while the target is well above the horizon.

7. Add your exposures

   Scroll to the Exposures table and click + Add Row for each exposure set. Choose the Qty, Filter, Exposure (s), and Bin. The plan summary totals your exposures, time, and estimated cost as you go. Try it:

8. Save or run your plan

   When your exposures are set you have two options: Save Plan schedules it as a future reservation; Run Now starts immediately (the telescope must be idle and it must be past your start time).