Sleek Device Transforms Your Smartphone Into A Telescope To Take Deep Sky Images

Telescope manufacturer Vaonis has launched its latest innovation, Hestia, a sleek device that lets you take deep sky pictures of celestial objects with your smartphone.

The key feature of Hestia lies in its patented six-lens optical design, providing users with an impressive 25x optical zoom capability. This cutting-edge technology enables anyone to photograph the Sun, Moon, stars, and other celestial wonders day or night through their smartphones.

To enhance the user experience, Hestia integrates with the Vaonis’ Gravity app, simplifying searching for celestial targets. The app basically gives a rundown of what you’re looking at up in the sky, so those without much knowledge of the constellations can now navigate the heavens.

The device has a magnetic mount that accommodates all current and future smartphone designs, ensuring it remains compatible with the latest devices. It’s also pretty compact, at just 6.7” x 9.5” x 2.2” and weighing 1.1 lbs. 

The telescope mount is supposed to provide five times sharper resolution, enough to show craters out on the Moon and sunspots.

It is currently available for an early bird price of US$189 on Kickstarter until August 17. Shipping is set to start on April 2024.

[via HiConsumption and PetaPixel, images via Vaonis/Kickstarter]

This article was crafted with assistance from an AI engine, and has been reviewed, edited, and fact-checked.