Backyard astronomers benefit from the robotic telescope revolution, but the quality of these products can vary.
They arent perfect, but they come pretty darned close.
Unistellars telescopes utilize a feature the company calls dynamic signal amplification.
Photo: George Dvorsky
Specifications
The Odyssey telescopes feature a limiting magnitude of 17.2, which is outstanding for amateur astronomy.
It offers a hefty 64 GB of storage for saving observations and data.
It cant be described as compact, but its not a full-sized telescope.
The Whirlpool galaxy, as imaged by Unistellar’s Odyssey Pro (no external editing).Image: George Dvorsky
These models, being smaller than the companys 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.
Fun and easy to use
Getting started is a cinch.
The Moon, as imaged by Unistellar’s Odyssey Pro (no external editing).Image: George Dvorsky
The app does a good job of walking you through the process.
This is a major value add, one that further boosts the accessibility of backyard astronomy.
The app is very good, offering an intuitive interface and a comprehensive, searchable catalog of target objects.
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
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.
This posed a problem for me when attempting to image Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, which hung low to the horizon.
The Black Eye galaxy, as imaged by the Odyssey Pro, with Unistellar’s very helpful watermarking.Image: George Dvorsky
Odysseys detector, featuring low noise and small pixels, is well suited for observing planets.
After completing a long exposure, users can save the image to their local image library.
Telescopes are best used in areas free from light.
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
The software helps the unit to automatically find the Sun, sparing your eyes from the blinding light.
The improved ability to clearly resolve planets adds a new dimension to Unistellars offerings.
For those considering alternatives, options like VaonisVesperaand Stellina offer similar functionality.
The solar eclipse of April 8, as imaged by the Odyssey Pro equipped with Unistellar’s solar filter (no external editing).Image: George Dvorsky
Celestrons recently announcedOrigin Intelligent Home Observatoryboasts similar features.
For those wanting a robotic telescope in super compact form, theres DwarflabsDwarf II.
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