S5-OP: Star Spikes & Focus Kit for Seestar S50

Description

The Story: A "Happy Accident" from 3D Printing

This project began with a fortunate mistake. While printing a lens hood, a thin "stringing" of filament accidentally crossed the lens. To my surprise, the resulting photo of the Pleiades featured a beautiful, sharp diffraction spike. Usually, placing obstructions in front of a lens is considered bad practice in astrophotography. However, by intentionally controlling this phenomenon, I’ve created a kit that adds a "gorgeous" and artistic touch to your celestial captures.

The "S5-OP" 6-Part Lineup

All models are designed for a direct mount to the Seestar S50 lens for maximum precision.

• Hex & Oct (6-point / 8-point): These masks add elegant, multi-pointed spikes to bright stars. The 40mm aperture maintains a perfect balance between light intake and spike clarity.

• Squ (4-point): Specifically optimized with a 35mm aperture. This deliberate "stopping down" ensures the 4-point spikes are razor-sharp and free of unwanted interference.
• Nov (Nova): Creates a unique halo and rainbow-colored spikes around stars, giving them a brilliant, "exploding star" appearance.

• B-TNV (Bahtinov Mask): A vital tool for those who aren't satisfied with just "Auto-Focus." Achieve perfect manual focus by visually aligning the diffraction spikes in the preview.
• Shield (Hood): This 30mm hood provides physical protection, though please note it may cause internal reflections depending on the light source. It is included here for those who wish to experiment with its unique light-shaping characteristics.

• Lens Cover: A simple, reliable protector for your optics when the Seestar is not in use.

Important Note on Sample Images: To provide an honest comparison of the diffraction effects, the following images are "Raw Stacks" only. No AI denoising or advanced post-processing has been applied.

• Pleiades: Approx. 5-minute stack
• Alnitak & Flame Nebula: Approx. 10-minute stack

Please use the "Shield" image as your baseline for the "Normal" Seestar star image when comparing the spike effects.

Key Features

• Lightweight & Efficient: Each mask uses approximately 3g to 8g of filament (depending on the model and AMS usage).
• Quick Production: Ready to use in about 10 to 20 minutes.
• S5-OP Branding: Features clear embossed labels. The AMS version provides high-contrast white-on-black text for easy identification in the dark.

Print Recommendations

• Material: PETG or PLA (Black is highly recommended to prevent internal reflections).
• 7-Plate Profile: To minimize stringing and ensure the highest quality for the diffraction edges, I have separated each part onto its own plate.
• Important Note for Batch Printing: If you decide to print multiple parts on a single plate, I highly recommend changing the "Print Sequence" from "By Layer" to "By Object" in your slicer. This will help prevent stringing between the parts and keep the masks clean.

The "Gorgeous" Rosette Nebula In the world of traditional astrophotography, placing an obstruction in front of your lens is usually considered a total "no-go." But personally, I think rules are meant to be broken when you're having fun with art.

I tried using the "Hex Mask" to capture the Rosette Nebula, and I must say, the result is pretty striking. Those six-point diffraction spikes add just the right amount of elegance to the central star cluster, turning it into what I like to call a "Gorgeous Rosette." A satellite decided to crash the party, unfortunately... but it's still a nice shot, don't you think?

Image Data:

• Total Integration: 52-minute stack
• Post-Processing: AI Denoise, Contrast +5, Saturation +60

New Sample - The Great Orion Nebula (M42)

"The 'Sword of Orion' now shines with a razor-sharp brilliance. By using the S5-OP [Squ or Hex] mask, the stars surrounding the nebula have been transformed into piercing diamonds. It’s as if Orion has truly sharpened his blade for the night sky."

New Sample - NGC 2175 (The Monkey Head Nebula)

"The stars embedded within the rich gas of NGC 2175 now feature crisp, clean spikes. These masks don't just add flair; they help define the brilliance of the stars against the complex nebulosity of the Monkey Head.

"The Path to the Final Design"

To reach the designs for this Dew Shield and the SUN-F mask, I went through a long process of trial and error. The photo shows just a few of the many prototypes I’ve built. I’ve been testing various lengths and slit patterns under the stars to ensure there is no vignetting.

I am currently continuing to develop and refine the shield for even better performance. This "Essential Kit" represents what I’ve found to be the most practical version for everyday use at this stage of my research.

If you're curious about the "weird" prototypes that didn't make the cut during this ongoing process, I’ve put them together in a separate profile called "Unique Masks." They aren't exactly practical, but they might be fun to play with if you're looking for something different.

Check out the sister model! I have also completed the JW×S5, a specialized mask for capturing JWST-style photos. Please take a look at this one as well!

https://makerworld.com/ja/models/2332867-jwxs5-diffraction-spike-mask-for-seestar-s50#profileId-2548868