Backyard astronomers benefit from the robotic telescope revolution, but the quality of these products can vary. Unistellar continues to stand out with its newly launched Odyssey and Odyssey Pro robotic telescopes, combining power with user-friendliness—but prospective buyers may be in for some sticker shock.
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Extremely easy to set up
No astronomy experience required
Captures both deep sky objects and planets
Digital eyepiece simulates traditional experience
Expensive, particularly Pro version
Larger within the compact range
Smaller aperture reduces imaging capabilities
Needs an app, unlike traditional telescopes
Robotic
telescopes
of
various
shapes
and
sizes
are
hitting
the
market
these
days,
each
promising
clear
views
of
the
cosmos
and
ease
of
use—attributes
not
often
found
paired
together
in
a
single
telescope.
Amateur
and
backyard
astronomers
are
now
fully
embracing
this
ongoing,
auto-GOTO
revolution,
but
not
every
manufacturer
delivers
on
its
promises.
Unistellar is not one of these companies; the French firm stands out from the crowd with its recently released Odyssey and Odyssey Pro robotic telescopes. They aren’t perfect, but they come pretty darned close.
Both telescopes are remarkably easy to set up and use and capable of capturing wonderful views of the cosmos. Each model connects to a user’s phone or tablet (iOS and Android), but the Pro version also includes an eyepiece—an essential feature for the purist astronomer. But that feature will cost you; the basic version, sans eyepiece, is currently retailing for $2,499, while the Pro version, with a micro-OLED display in the eyepiece (built by Nikon), costs $3,999. As of April 17, a sexy red version of the Pro model (specifically Pantone 485 C red) is available in limited stock and is retailing for $4,499.
The Whirlpool galaxy, as imaged by Unistellar’s Odyssey Pro (no external editing). Image: George Dvorsky
Unistellar
launched
its
Odyssey
line
of
telescopes
under
the
Discovery
Range,
while
the
larger,
older
eVscope
and
eQuinox
2
models
make
up
the
Expert
Range.
The
Odyssey
models,
announced
this
past
January
at
the
Consumer
Electronics
Show
(CES)
in
Las
Vegas,
are
smaller,
lighter,
and,
as
a
result,
more
portable.
They’re
also
designed
for
ease
of
use,
requiring
no
adjustments
such
as
collimation
or
focusing,
making
them
great
choices
for
beginners
or
for
anyone
just
wanting
to
get
on
with
the
business
of
astronomy.
The smaller focal length and aperture, however, do come with some imaging trade-offs compared to the larger models. That said, deep sky views of nebulae and star clusters were outstanding, given the size of the telescope. In contrast, views of distant galaxies, such as the Whirlpool and Pinwheel galaxies, were okay and not quite as good as images captured by the larger Equinox 2.
The Moon, as imaged by Unistellar’s Odyssey Pro (no external editing). Image: George Dvorsky
Unistellar’s telescopes utilize a feature the company calls “dynamic signal amplification.” According to the company, this combines high-quality long exposures with algorithms designed to preserve “only the most relevant signal” in the final image. The company’s proprietary Multi-Depth Technology enables clear and detailed views of nebulae, star clusters, galaxies, and planets—a significant limitation of previous Unistellar telescopes. When testing the Odyssey Pro, I used this feature to capture a long exposure of the Moon, and it came out beautifully.
The Odyssey telescopes feature a limiting magnitude of 17.2, which is outstanding for amateur astronomy. This means it can provide clear views of very faint objects in the night sky, allowing users to explore the deeper and dimmer corners of the cosmos. The telescope, with its main mirror measuring 3.35 inches (85 mm) and a focal length of 12.6 inches (320 mm), is well-equipped for detailed observations.
The Great Nebula in Orion. A mere 72 seconds of exposure was all that was needed to bring out this level of detail. Image: George Dvorsky
It
features
a
field
of
view
of
33.6
arcminutes,
roughly
comparable
to
the
size
of
the
Moon,
which
appears
about
30
arcminutes
across
in
the
sky.
This
makes
the
telescope
especially
good
for
viewing
larger
space
phenomena
like
nebulae
or
star
clusters
rather
than
individual
stars
or
planets,
which
require
a
narrower
field
of
view.
Although
views
of
planets
such
as
Jupiter
and
Saturn
may
appear
small,
the
level
of
detail
is
still
exceptional,
making
them
worthwhile
and
valuable
targets.
It
offers
a
hefty
64
GB
of
storage
for
saving
observations
and
data.
These robotic telescopes, weighing 8.8 pounds (4 kilograms) and measuring 19.9 inches in length, are reasonably portable. It can’t be described as compact, but it’s not a full-sized telescope. These models, being smaller than the company’s Discovery Range telescopes, could be packed into carry-on luggage. The telescope comes with a lightweight tripod, a power supply with adaptable plugs, and tightening tools.
Getting started is a cinch. The first step is downloading the Unistellar app onto the handheld device of choice and connecting to the unit via wifi. The app does a good job of walking you through the process. Ten users can connect to the telescope at the same time, with one person in control and nine in observation mode. After performing a quick and easy star calibration (the telescope orients itself by sampling the night sky), it’s then a matter of choosing a target object.
As already noted, the Odyssey telescopes don’t require focusing or collimation; they employ Nikon’s optical technology, marking these as Unistellar’s first series of mirror telescopes that don’t require manual adjustments. This is a major value add, one that further boosts the accessibility of backyard astronomy.
The Black Eye galaxy, as imaged by the Odyssey Pro, with Unistellar’s very helpful watermarking. Image: George Dvorsky
The
app
is
very
good,
offering
an
intuitive
interface
and
a
comprehensive,
searchable
catalog
of
target
objects.
It
also
includes
a
curated
list
of
the
night’s
most
promising
viewing
targets—a
feature
that
greatly
expedites
a
nightly
viewing
session.
Users
can
easily
sort
this
list
by
object
type,
such
as
solar
system
objects,
nebulae,
galaxies,
and
star
clusters.
Additionally, the app provides quick access to a dedicated science section, which caters to users interested in engaging in citizen science by allowing them to upload their observational results. These contributions assist professional astronomers in various research endeavors, such as tracking nearby asteroids, spotting distant exoplanets, or observing supernovae.
The Blue Oyster Nebula, as imaged by Odyssey Pro. I cropped this image slightly, but note the clarity and color of this dim, distant object. Image: George Dvorsky
Once
a
target
object
is
selected,
the
GOTO
feature
takes
over,
directing
the
telescope
to
the
precise
location
and
continually
tracking
the
object
as
it
moves
across
the
night
sky,
ensuring
it
remains
in
view
for
long
exposures.
With
super
slow
mode,
a
virtual
joystick
allows
for
some
fine-tuning,
such
as
centering
the
object
in
the
frame.
The
automatic
settings
work
just
fine,
but
users
who
want
to
tweak
the
gain,
exposure
time,
brightness,
or
other
attributes
can
do
so
in
edit
mode.
Remarkably
clear
and
colorful
views
of
deep-space
objects
appear
within
seconds
and
are
naturally
improved
with
longer
exposures.
Users
wanting
to
key
in
their
own
coordinates
for
a
target
object
can
do
just
that.
When
directing
the
telescope
to
view
an
object
outside
of
the
preferred
range,
a
warning
comes
on
the
screen,
which,
thankfully,
can
be
overridden
(also,
the
altitude
range
can
be
adjusted
in
the
settings,
going
down
all
the
way
to
0
degrees).
That
said,
the
telescope
does
struggle
to
maintain
a
lock
on
objects
outside
of
what
it
deems
to
be
the
visible
sky
area.
This
posed
a
problem
for
me
when
attempting
to
image
Comet
12P/Pons-Brooks,
which
hung
low
to
the
horizon.
Odyssey’s detector, featuring low noise and small pixels, is well suited for observing planets. Its 8-megapixel resolution provides detailed views of bright celestial bodies such as planets, the Moon, and the Sun. At the same time, the telescope has no problem when adjusting to larger, fainter objects like distant galaxies.
The
telescope’s
battery
life
is
good,
with
each
charge
(via
either
USB-A
or
USB-C)
lasting
up
to
five
hours
(by
comparison,
the
battery
life
of
eQuinox
2
is
11
hours).
This
allows
users
to
quickly
capture
images
of
deep
field
objects
like
the
Orion
Nebula
in
just
a
few
minutes
or
spend
an
hour
or
more
on
long
exposures
to
reveal
finer
details.
After
completing
a
long
exposure,
users
can
save
the
image
to
their
local
image
library.
From
there,
it’s
easy
to
share
your
astronomical
discoveries
with
friends
and
family
or
post
them
on
your
favorite
social
media
platforms.
Users
wanting
to
edit
their
images
with
external
software
have
the
choice
of
multiple
file
types:
FITS
(the
gold
standard
in
photo
astronomy),
RAW,
PNG,
and
TIFF.
The solar eclipse of April 8, as imaged by the Odyssey Pro equipped with Unistellar’s solar filter (no external editing). Image: George Dvorsky
Telescopes are best used in areas free from light. Still, the Odyssey telescopes, equipped with light pollution algorithms, automatically filter out excessive light that would otherwise diminish the quality of images. But if imaging extremely bright objects is your game—and I’m talking about the Sun—Unistellar offers a $199 solar filter that comes separately. I used the filter to image sun spots and chronicle the epic total solar eclipse on April 8, and the images were very good; however, the autofocus seemed a bit off, with blurry sunspots appearing in my images. The software helps the device to automatically find the Sun, sparing your eyes from the blinding light.
The Unistellar Odyssey and Odyssey Pro telescopes, priced at $2,499 and $3,999, cater well to beginner and experienced astronomers seeking quality in a smaller package. Despite their small size, shorter battery life, and slightly reduced optical capabilities compared to larger models, these telescopes excel in producing remarkably clear deep-sky images. The improved ability to clearly resolve planets adds a new dimension to Unistellar’s offerings.
The digital eyepiece in the Pro version is a nice touch, providing a clear view of the target object without having to look at a phone or tablet. But to clarify, it’s an OLED eyepiece (and not a traditional ocular eyepiece), providing a similar view to what’s shown on the handheld device, which remains a requirement for astronomical sessions. Moreover, since up to nine other users can connect to the telescope using their own devices or even view the display on the primary user’s device, I remain skeptical that the additional $1,500 for the eyepiece justifies its value.
For
those
considering
alternatives,
options
like
Vaonis
Vespera
and
Stellina
offer
similar
functionality.
Celestron’s
recently
announced
Origin
Intelligent
Home
Observatory
boasts
similar
features.
For
those
wanting
a
robotic
telescope
in
super
compact
form,
there’s
Dwarflab’s
Dwarf
II.
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