vaonis turns your phone into a smart telescope for observation and astrophotography

Hestia telescope for clear and sharp astrophotography

Vaonis’ Hestia telescope can show clear close-up images of the sun, the moon, and the cosmos using any smartphone with high-quality cameras. Intended for astronomical viewing and astrophotography, the portable Hestia telescope allows users to take vivid and sharp shots of celestial objects and the universe by increasing the zooming capability of their smartphones by up to 25 times. They simply need to place their smartphones on top of Vaonis’ Hestia, and the telescope and its mechanism will immediately zoom and focus into the universe so users can clearly see and take pictures of the cosmos.

Vaonis is not a stranger to astrophotography and astronomical devices using smartphones. Its Vespera and Stellina models already enable users to explore, observe, and capture the night sky. Hestia’s offer might differ since, in the recent model, users need to place the smartphone on top of the observatory panel rather than using the phone to control the device that zooms into the sky. Hestia also employs, and even enhances, the capabilities of users’ smartphones with the place-and-capture setting, eliminating the need for Vaonis to create an external camera device for astrophotography and astronomical viewing.

images by Vaonis

Vaonis’ lenses can capture lunar craters and sunspots

As Vaonis claims, the Hestia telescope can even capture detailed images of lunar craters and sunspots. The company prides itself on developing six patented lens optical designs suitable for astrophotography, featuring a 30 mm or 1.2-inch objective and prisms. It means that the Hestia telescope acts like mirrors working together to reflect and focus the light they receive directly into the smartphone’s camera sensor, producing small, compact, and detailed images.

For those who want to jump in but are not yet familiar with the intricacies of the vast universe, they might want to download Vaonis’ dedicated app named Gravity by Vaonis. Here, users can discover more about the universe at their own pace, from beginners in astronomy who wish to understand the formation of lunar craters to enthusiasts who wish to follow the daily evolution of solar data. The app also doubles as a navigational map to help users find their way into the cosmos as they maneuver through it with the Hestia telescope.

The Hestia telescope is expected to be shipped in December 2023 after its campaign, giving users enough time to capture and witness the total solar eclipse that will cross North America on April 8th, 2024 (which will not occur again until 2044). A total solar eclipse might swing by Europe on August 12, 2026, so users living on the continent still have time to test out their Hestia telescope for ordinary sky and stargazing.

users only need to place their smartphones on top of Hestia telescope