2024-01-08 20:37:14
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[EN VIDÉO] Test of the Unistellar eVscope, a telescope like no other We tested the eVscope from the French startup Unistellar. EV for “enhanced vision”,…
Time flies, it will soon be seven years since Futura told you regarding the French company Unistellar which helps to democratize access to the deep sky for astronomy enthusiasts while carrying out large-scale citizen science using technology of the eVscope (Enhanced Vision Telescope). The world of exoplanets has thus become relatively easily accessible for eVscope owners, even without holding the DUAO (University Diploma in Observational Astronomy) from the Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur (OCA).
There are several people behind the revolution underway with the successive generations of this instrument.
But during these years, Futura specifically asked one of the founders ofUnistellar to tell us regarding the evolution of eVscopes and what it is possible to do with them. This is the French astronomer Franck Marchis, member of the Seti Institute, a great specialist in the volcanoes of Io and asteroids, and also in the direct imaging of exoplanets like Beta Pictoris b with the instrument Gemini Planet Imager. Franck Marchis was elected member of California Academy of Sciences has the end of last year.
There is something new at Unistellar and we therefore turned once once more to Franck Marchis to tell us regarding the new range of intelligent telescopes revealed at the start of January 2024.
Franck Marchis tells us regarding Unistellar’s eVscope. To obtain a fairly accurate French translation, click on the white rectangle at the bottom right. English subtitles should then appear. Then click on the nut to the right of the rectangle, then on “Subtitles” and finally on “Automatically translate”. Choose “French”. © Unistellar
Futura: Unistellar is releasing a new eVscope that you have called Odyssey, how is it different from the previous ones?
Franck Marchis: We can already say that it is even smarter and easier to use. It is smaller and lighter (4 kilos), therefore easier to take with you to make observations wherever you want, even in town because it has the Deep Dark Technology which automatically filters light pollution from urban lighting. No need to align it and make adjustments, everything is automatic and the telescope delivers the best possible image from the user’s site. We can also say that it is aimed more specifically at “techno-enthusiasts”.
Futura: Can you elaborate?
Franck Marchis: We are getting closer to the worlds predicted by Arthur Clarke in 2001: A Space Odyssey, not only with artificial intelligence as illustrated by ChatGPT, but above all because it is clear that we will work more and more in space around the Earth but also for lunar missions and in the System solar. People want to participate in the adventure allowed with new technologies without necessarily completely transforming into amateur astronomers.
Futura: Is there no longer a question of doing participatory science with an Odyssey eVscope?
Franck Marchis: It’s always possible, nothing changes from this point of view with Odyssey, but it is rather a complementary instrument intended above all for techno-enthusiasts because of its even easier use thanks to the applications which support the user even more . Democratized access from the deep sky to the realm of Hubble galaxies remains in order. But we have improved access to planets and objects in the Solar System.
Futura: Can you clarify once more?
Franck Marchis: We’ve added an observation mode specifically dedicated to obtaining detailed images of the planets. This planetary mode allows observations to be stacked in a short pause to obtain images with greater resolution, better than previous eVscopes.
The images of the Solar System are therefore even more spectacular and we should, for example, make beautiful observations of comet 12/Pons-Brook which will be visible to the naked eye in 2024. Its magnitude should be around 4 when it is will approach its perihelion on April 21.
To clarify a little more, the user of an Odyssey has what we called the Multi-Depth Technology. It allows you to automatically and fluidly change the setting of the eVscope depending on whether you want to observe neighboring planets or dive into deep space with its distant galaxies and nebulae.
An advertisement for Odyssey. © Unistellar
Futura: Odyssey comes in two versions?
Franck Marchis: Yes, there is the basic version at €2,499 and the pro version at €3,999. In both cases observations can be made up to magnitude 17.2 and the eVscope battery can last five hours. A third, more high-end version will be available in April 2024, with a battery that can last nine hours, the Red version.
Odyssey Pro features an electronic eyepiece developed in collaboration with Nikon (Nikon Eyepiece Technology) which offers a breathtaking feeling of immersion.
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