Astronomy - USA (2020-08)

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step for skygazers. Dupuy’s goal is to cre-

ate a community of observers that allows

for immediate access to images captured

by this instrument.

STELLINA is a 3.15-inch (80 millime-

ters) refracting telescope. The focal

length is 400mm, so it has a focal ratio

of f/5. It has a field of view of about 1°,

or twice the diameter of the Full Moon.

The telescope objective is an apochro-

matic extra-low-dispersion (ED) doublet,

which gives exceptional images. By defi-

nition, this is a rich-field telescope. The

standard magnification is 50x, and it can

zoom to 100x. This is a nice scope for

large deep-sky objects, but not for plan-

ets; I tried to photograph Saturn, but

found the image too small. In short,

STELLINA was designed for observing

nebulae, star clusters, and galaxies.

Operation

We’ve all heard, “There’s an app for that,”

and that’s exactly how STELLINA

operates. To use the telescope, it’s neces-

sary to download an app from Vaonis.

The app is available for both iOS and

Android operating systems, and it’s a sim-

ple matter of linking your device with

STELLINA’s wireless network. Like a lot

of computer gear, there was no operator’s

manual provided; rather, the user is

directed to a video on YouTube that

explains the ins and outs of operation.

Setup is straightforward. The unit I tested

came with a small, well-made tripod by

the Italian company Gitzo. There was also

a small circular bubble level, which is

placed between the scope and the tripod,

and an off-the-shelf ASUA power pack.

This fits into a small compartment on the

side of the telescope. Fully charged, you

should be able to observe all night.

Next was linking the telescope with my

iPad. When the app is first opened, it asks

if you want to log in to your home net-

work or Facebook. You can skip this step

and go straight to observing. The next

window has you connect to STELLINA.

Once done, the scope goes into observing

mode. The telescope rises from the main

body and begins to point and sample the

sky, using the GPS in your phone or tablet

to determine its location. Once this is

complete, you are ready to take your first

image. For my observing platform, I used

the patio table in my backyard, making

sure the scope was level.

I opened the catalog of objects avail-

able in the app. You can choose from

nebulae, galaxies, clusters, and solar sys-

tem objects. My first target was the

Dumbbell Nebula (M27). I loved watch-

ing the scope swing into position. A

graphic of a rotating galaxy indicated the

scope was searching. Once it locked onto

the target, a black hole on the screen

appeared to pull all the stars into an

event horizon. Then, there it was: M27.

I was amazed. Not only could I clearly

make out the distinctive shape of the

nebula, but color as well. This was from

my light-polluted backyard!

After observing M27, I turned the

scope on one of my favorite objects, the

Double Cluster in Perseus (NGC 869 and

NGC 884). I simply tapped the icon for

these clusters and the telescope swung

into action. As I watched on my iPad, I

could see the image of the two clusters

increasing in brightness and detail.

STELLINA uses a 6.4-megapixel Sony

CMOS optical sensor (3,096 by 2,080 pix-

els), which provides a high-definition

image. The optical system also has an

inline city light suppression (CLS) filter to

deal with light pollution. This was imme-

diately apparent as the image began to

build. STELLINA has an algorithm that

repeatedly scans the object and stacks the

images. This is not a fast process, but it’s

worth the wait. The resulting image of the

Double Cluster was great. In keeping with

the social media aspirations of this prod-

uct, I emailed the photos to friends before

I even continued my observing.

A hit at parties

As a dedicated wide-field imaging system,

STELLINA is great fun and produces out-

standing pictures of deep-sky objects.

Still, the long wait time in creating the

images — up to 30 minutes — made me

want to set up a visual scope to fill the

time. STELLINA is a great specialized

instrument, but I don’t think most back-

yard observers will give up their other

telescopes. I would love to have this scope

to capture and record my favorite objects,

or as a centerpiece at parties. As Vaonis

develops and adds new features, this

instrument may become a real power-

house for astroimaging.

Raymond Shubinski is a lecturer, observer,

and contributing editor of Astronomy.

STELLINA

Type: Refractor/imager

Aperture: 3.15 inches (80 millimeters)

Focal length: 400mm

Sensor: 6.4-megapixel CMOS

Sensor array: 3,096 by 2,080 pixels

Size: 19 by 15 by 4.7 inches

(49 by 39 by 13 centimeters)

Weight: 24.7 pounds (11.2 kilograms)

Price: $3,999

Contact: Vaonis

Cap Alpha, 3 Avenue de l’Europe,

34830 Clapiers, France

+33 4 67 59 30 22

[email protected]

https://vaonis.com

PRODUCT INFORMATION

The author used STELLINA to capture images of (left to right) the Double Cluster in Perseus (NGC 869 and

NGC 884), the Hercules Cluster (M13), and the Dumbbell Nebula (M27). RAYMOND SHUBINSKI