Frequently Asked Questions

StellarLog is a web-based astrophotography session logger. It helps you manage your deep sky targets, log imaging sessions with detailed conditions and filter data, track your equipment, and monitor your integration progress over time. It's designed to work on your phone in the field and on your desktop for planning.

StellarLog is a mobile-first web app. You access it through your browser, so there's nothing to download or install from an app store. It works on any modern device, including phones, tablets, and desktops. You can add it to your home screen for an app-like experience.

You need an internet connection to log in, save data, and fetch new information from SIMBAD or the weather API. However, previously looked-up SIMBAD data and weather results are cached locally on your device, so repeat lookups can work without a connection. We recommend having at least a basic mobile signal at your observing site.

StellarLog works on all modern browsers including Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Edge. For the best experience on mobile, we recommend Chrome (Android) or Safari (iOS).

Yes. Every new account starts with a 7-day free trial with full access to all features. No credit card is required to sign up.

When your trial ends, you'll see a paywall screen prompting you to subscribe. Your data is never deleted . Everything you entered during the trial will be waiting for you if you decide to subscribe later.

Go to Settings → Manage Subscription . This opens the Stripe billing portal where you can update your payment method, change your plan, or cancel at any time. Cancellation takes effect at the end of your current billing period.

No. Your targets, sessions, equipment, and profile are all preserved. If you resubscribe later, everything will be exactly as you left it. You can also export your data at any time, regardless of subscription status.

If you're logged in, go to Settings → Edit Profile and use the password change section. If you've forgotten your password, use the "Forgot Password" link on the login screen to receive a reset code via email.

Absolutely. You can add as many telescopes, cameras, mounts, and filter wheels as you own. Each piece of equipment can be assigned a role (Main or Guide) and optionally marked as part of your Primary Rig.

Main (imaging) is your primary data-capturing equipment, the telescope and camera producing your final images. Guide is for your autoguiding setup, typically a smaller scope and camera used for tracking corrections. These roles help StellarLog display your rig clearly and determine which camera type (mono/OSC) to use for filter tracking.

Your Primary Rig is the set of equipment you use most often. It's displayed prominently on the Equipment page and is used as the default when creating new targets. Toggle the "Primary" switch when adding or editing equipment to include it in your Primary Rig.

This setting changes how filter tracking works throughout the app. With a mono camera, you can set per-filter integration goals (L, R, G, B, Ha, OIII, SII) and track progress for each channel individually. With an OSC (one-shot colour) camera, you track total integration time only since all colour data is captured simultaneously.

SIMBAD is an astronomical database maintained by the Centre de Données astronomiques de Strasbourg containing millions of objects. When you type an identifier like "M31" or "NGC 7000" into the target form, StellarLog queries SIMBAD and auto-fills the coordinates, object type, and magnitude. Results are cached locally for 90 days so subsequent lookups are instant.

Preview images are fetched from the STScI Digital Sky Survey (DSS) , a photographic survey of the sky. These are low-resolution survey images used to help you visually identify the object, not high-quality astrophotography.

StellarLog sums up the integration time from all sessions linked to a target and compares it against your target goal. For mono cameras, it also tracks per-filter progress. The percentage and progress bars on the Target Detail page update automatically each time you log a new session. Abandoned sessions are not counted toward integration totals.

Deleting a target also deletes all sessions associated with it. A confirmation dialog will warn you about this and tell you how many sessions will be removed. This action cannot be undone, so consider exporting your data first if you want to keep a record.

Yes. The SIMBAD lookup is optional. You can skip it and manually enter the target name, coordinates, object type, and any other details. This is useful for lesser-known objects, specific fields, or targets with non-standard designations.

If you have an observing location set in your profile (with latitude, longitude, and Bortle class), the session form auto-fills current weather conditions from and populates the seeing, transparency, and temperature fields. Weather data is cached for 30 minutes to avoid excessive API calls.

Night Mode transforms the entire UI to use deep red tones. Red light has the least impact on your dark-adapted vision, making it safe to use your phone at the telescope without ruining your night sight. Toggle it on from Settings before heading out to image. For best results, also lower your screen brightness.

Yes. Go to Settings → Data & Storage and tap the export option. This downloads a complete copy of all your targets, sessions, equipment, and profile data. You can export at any time, even if your subscription has lapsed. Your data belongs to you.

Clearing the cache removes locally stored SIMBAD lookups, weather data, and DSS images from your browser's storage. It does not delete any of your actual data (targets, sessions, equipment, or profile). The cache will rebuild automatically as you use the app. This can help if you're seeing stale information or want to free up local storage.

The Bortle scale ranges from 1 (pristine dark sky) to 9 (inner-city). If you're unsure of your location's rating, use a light pollution map such as lightpollutionmap.info to check. Enter the value that best represents your typical observing site. This helps StellarLog factor sky quality into your imaging forecast.

Yes. StellarLog uses industry recommended tools for authentication and for data storage. All communication is encrypted via HTTPS. Each user's data is isolated with owner-based authorization, meaning you can only access your own records.

No. All data in StellarLog is private by default. Every record is scoped to your account using owner-based access control. No other user can view, edit, or access your targets, sessions, or equipment.

Payments are processed securely by Stripe . StellarLog never sees or stores your credit card information. All billing is managed through Stripe's PCI-compliant infrastructure, and you can manage your payment details at any time through the Stripe billing portal.

Make sure you're using a recognized catalogue identifier such as "M31", "NGC 7000", or "IC 1805". Common names like "Orion Nebula" may not work directly. Also check your internet connection, as the lookup requires reaching the SIMBAD servers. If a previous lookup returned "not found", the result may be cached for 7 days. You can clear the SIMBAD cache from Settings to retry.

The auto-fill feature only works when you have an observing location configured in your profile with latitude, longitude, and Bortle class. Go to Settings → Edit Profile and fill in your location details. The weather data should appear on the session form after that.

Per-filter integration goals only appear when your primary imaging camera is set to Mono. If your primary camera is set to OSC, the app tracks total integration time only. Check your camera settings in Equipment → Cameras and verify the sensor type and Primary Rig assignment are correct.

If you've run into a bug or something doesn't seem right, please reach out via the Contact page . Include as much detail as possible, including what you were doing, what you expected to happen, and what device/browser you're using. We'll get back to you as soon as we can.