2023-09-07 04:00:00
It is a new object that landed at the editorial staff of RTL info: a telescope. And a rather original model, developed by the French company Unistellar: the eQuinox 2. Its particularities: it has no sighting glasses (you have to go through the screen of a smartphone or tablet), and he is able to orient himself towards the observable stars. Its price: €2,499, a relatively large sum compared to a traditional model (there are correct manual telescopes at €300).
Getting started: everything is simple except the connection
Delivered in a solid case that can withstand its substantial weight (9 kg), the eQuinox 2 looks like a telescope with a high-end finish, both in terms of assembly and the materials used. It exudes solidity. The tripod, provided, is also very solid, and its custom notch allows you to fix the telescope without fear of the slightest fall.
But do not look for the small telescope: Unistellar offers a 2.0 telescope, and it is a remote screen (a smartphone or a tablet equipped with the Unistellar application) which will display the results of the observations. It is therefore necessary to establish a connection between the two devices, and it must go through Wi-Fi, alas (because the data flow is too important for Bluetooth, I presume). As you know, smartphones and tablets usually use Wi-Fi to connect to the Internet; therefore, there could be problems. You have to force the phone to connect to the Wi-Fi emitted by the telescope, and not to drop it in favor of the “real” Wi-Fi, that of your local network. It’s not always easy, and it depends on the models…
We choose, he aims, we watch
The next step is to wait for the right moment to test the device. You need a clear sky, of course, and rather nice temperatures, to do well. In summer, during my test, it is better to wait until 10 p.m., or even midnight (so that the public lighting stops, in my case), in order to be able to observe the sky for the first time with the naked eye, and get an idea of what we are going to look at more closely.
After having established the GPS position of the telescope via the application, it is necessary to make your choice among the celestial objects observable where you are. Small disappointment: if you thought you had a list of known stars, planets or constellations, you missed it. You have by default a list of star names which, unless you are an astronomy enthusiast, will not speak to you at all. There are “real” names, and sometimes codes (like: HR 2061):
A little lost, I decided to use a third-party application which, when pointed to the sky, actually indicates the names of the objects seen. Useful to help you find something “known”. It is possible, however, to search via the Unistellar application. Example: After learning via the third-party application that the North Star was visible, I asked my telescope to observe it.
And there, magic: the little motor starts up and the telescope automatically points towards the pole star, known to be the brightest in the constellation Ursa Minor. The result of its super zoom is displayed on the smartphone screen. That’s it, I made my first celestial observation!
A bigger star…
I was probably expecting a miracle. To see the stars differently, bigger, more detailed, more “recognizable”. I probably forgot that these stars are light years away (431 for the North Star…), and that a mirror with a diameter of 11.4 cm and a focal length of 450 mm does not wasn’t going to change much. To be clear, we see it a little bigger than a point of light in the sky, but it’s still a few white pixels on a black background… A photo is better than a long speech:
I observed other objects, such as distant galaxies, without ever obtaining the result presented by Unistellar on its website:
Note that the eQuinox 2 is equipped with Deep Dark Technology image processing technology, allowing successful observations even with the constant light pollution of a city.
Designed in France, this connected, motorized and intelligent telescope therefore costs €2,499. A nice sum, but probably the minimum price to order a telescope with an application listing all the observable objects in the sky above your head!
Mathieu’s unistellar telescope tests
1694062638
#Mathieus #tests #connected #telescope #orients #celestial #objects #observed #work