SQUIRREL_13052611
Check availability at Jessops, Picstop.
Unistellar is at the forefront of the smart telescope revolution, with the eVscope 2 and eQuinox 2 telescopes already in its Expert Range.
Here we look at the manufacturer’s latest Discovery Range, aimed at beginners and complete novices, featuring the Odyssey and, for our review, the Odyssey Pro.
Unboxing
On arrival, the Odyssey Pro comes well packaged and features a smart box housing the main telescope body, sturdy tripod and the power supply.
This came with various attachments for different countries and a set of adjustment tools.
Assembly was extremely simple – in fact, the quickest we’ve been able to set up a review instrument.
The Discovery Range features a smaller mirror – 85mm compared with the 114mm version in the Expert Range – but don’t let that fool you; the Odyssey Pro is a very capable system.
Designed to be foolproof, with automatic focusing, plate solving, accurate Go-To and no collimation requirements, these telescopes are aimed at anyone, regardless of astronomical experience.
Odyssey Pro upgrade
The primary difference between the Unistellar Odyssey and Odyssey Pro models is that the Pro version features a high-quality Nikon electronic eyepiece, giving the user an immersive astronomy experience.
It shows a view of the image gradually being stacked, which is also displayed on our smartphone app.
Therefore, when imaging nebulae and galaxies, the eyepiece view can initially look dim until enough photons have been collected and stacked, usually taking less than a minute for the image to begin to look good, depending upon the target.
Open and globular clusters, along with double stars, fare better being points of light but, again, building up the image gives rewarding results in both the app and the eyepiece.
Control from your phone
To control the Odyssey Pro, download the iOS or Android Unistellar app from their respective stores and connect to the telescope’s on-board Wi-Fi adaptor.
The app is intuitive, simple to use and has a selection of recommended targets which you can tap to select.
Each time you begin an observing session, the app asks you to perform an orientation so that it can carry out the Go-To and tracking functions on your selected targets.
Citizen science is a fascinating aspect of the Unistellar experience, with the app giving you the chance to collaborate with a variety of astronomical projects.
For instance, there’s the ability to collect data and upload it to Unistellar to share with SETI and NASA to develop predictions and models on a range of events.
These can include asteroid occultations, exoplanet study, planetary defence, comets and more.
How the Unistellar Odyssey Pro performs
We had a good run of clear nights and used the Unistellar Odyssey Pro to image a range of targets such as the Whirlpool Galaxy, Bode’s and Cigar galaxies.
We captured nebulae including the Dumbbell Nebula and Bubble Nebula, and star clusters from the Beehive Cluster to the Owl Cluster and Double Cluster (which only just fitted into the Odyssey Pro’s view).
We finished our run with the Moon and, via the loan of a Unistellar smart solar filter, photographs of the Sun.
On the latter point, we were pleased the telescope’s front end incorporates magnets both to hold the dust cap in place and for holding the solar filter securely so it can’t come off.
We enjoyed our time with the Odyssey Pro, but like all current smart telescopes it does tie up your smartphone or tablet.
There’s also no way to upgrade the sensor, although firmware and app updates do help improve the scope’s functionality.
A recent update vastly improved the downloading of raw data to our laptop; the externally processed results were far better than images created as standard by the app.
Overall, the ease of use and the simplicity of the Unistellar Odyssey Pro mean that anyone can operate it and enjoy the night sky.
One seeming downside is the high price, at £3,499 for the Pro or £2,199 for the basic Odyssey.
However, you’re paying for the sheer convenience of not having to set up multiple items, which it does seamlessly.
Is it worth the cost? That’s a personal choice.
Astrophotography with the Unistellar Odyssey Pro
Smart telescopes have brought astrophotography within the reach of anyone who can use a smartphone or tablet.
No, they’re not quite as good as a dedicated astrophotography rig, but the key is that anyone can now capture pleasing images of galaxies, nebulae, clusters and even Solar System targets.
In many systems that employ a mirror, there are usually two issues to deal with: focus and collimation.
Here, the Odyssey Pro excels because Unistellar, in collaboration with Nikon, has produced a sealed compact system that autofocuses on the stars for you and doesn’t require collimation.
This results in a maintenance-free astrophotography system.
With automatic plate solving to achieve accurate Go-To navigation, Dynamic Signal Amplification and Deep Dark Technology to deal with light pollution, and live stacking all rolled into a simple-to-use package, the Odyssey Pro has winning potential.
Plus, it can be set up in mere minutes, meaning you spend more time capturing images.
Unistellar Odyssey Pro best features
Optics and sensor
Designed for low image noise, the IMX415 sensor provides 1.45µm x 1.45µm pixels and 8MP, producing a field of view of 33.6 x 45 arcminutes. Meanwhile, the optics consist of an 85mm Newtonian mirror with a focal length of 320mm, giving an f ratio of f/3.9 in a compact body.
Sturdy tripod
The Unistellar tripod is rock solid and well engineered, providing the ideal support for the telescope body. We found it easy to install the telescope and the two locking screws kept the mount firmly in place. The tripod also features a handy bubble level and three points of adjustment for height.
Power and ports
Power is supplied via an in-built lithium-ion rechargeable battery that lasts around five hours. A charging adaptor with a USB-C connector is used and connects to the lower of the two ports on the side of the mount. A USB-A port also allows smartphones to be charged up via the battery.
Nikon eyepiece
The high-quality Nikon OLED eyepiece provides a bright view of the image as it builds up, using the enhanced vision mode of the app. At night, deep-sky targets appear bright. The view is clear and a small focus wheel on one side focuses the eyepiece for enhanced views.
Unistellar app
The Unistellar app contains all the functionality you need to connect and operate the Odyssey Pro and conduct citizen science. We found it reasonably intuitive, with a vast database of targets, including Solar System bodies and many of the popular deep-sky objects, plus links to online
help files and much more.
Vital stats
- Price: £3,499
- Optics: 85mm reflector
- Focal length: 320mm, f/3.9
- Eyepiece: Nikon OLED
- Sensor: Sony IMX415 CMOS
- Mount: Motorised single arm, altaz, Go-To
- Power: In-built lithium-ion rechargeable battery
- Storage: 64GB internal SD
- Tripod: Aluminium, adjustable height
- Ports: USB-C and USB-A
- App control: Unistellar app
- Weight: 6.5kg (including tripod)
- Extras: Tools, eyepiece cap, dust cap, power adaptor
- Supplier: Unistellar
- Email contact@unistellaroptics.com
- www.unistellar.com
SQUIRREL_13052611
Check availability at Jessops, Picstop.
This review appeared in the August 2024 issue of BBC Sky at Night Magazine.
