Vaonis Hyperia: smart telescope for research and astrophotography
The Vaonis Hyperia telescope is priced to appeal to institutions such as observatories. It combines large optics with 17 lenses and a fast drive.
The Vaonis Hyperia has an aperture of 150 mm. Inside the tube is Canon optics with 17 lenses.
French manufacturer Vaonis has unveiled the Hyperia smart telescope. Unlike the compact Vespera Pro, which is aimed at home users, the Hyperia is targeted at observatories, planetariums, science museums, and experienced astrophotographers who can afford it. The price is expected to be around 89,000 Euros.
Vaonis also sees potential applications for the Hyperia in high-end hotel and educational environments. Like its smaller sibling, the Vespera, the Hyperia is designed as a fully automated observatory.
Optics, Sensor, and Drive
The device measures 180 centimeters in height and weighs 35 kilograms. The two connected tubes are made of aluminum. It uses Canon optics with 17 lenses. The aperture is 150 millimeters with a focal length of 600 mm, corresponding to an f/4 aperture ratio. Like its smaller sibling, the Hyperia is a refractor telescope. In contrast, competitor Unistellar uses reflector telescopes.
Behind the optics is a 45-megapixel backside-illuminated (BSI) full-frame sensor. Despite the 150mm aperture, standard 52mm filters can be used. They are mounted via an opening in the tube directly in front of the camera.
For movement, Vaonis relies on a fast direct drive. The system achieves a full 360-degree rotation in less than ten seconds. The manufacturer rates the precision and speed as being on par with professional large telescopes.
The telescope automatically compensates for Earth's rotation, allowing for single exposures of up to 30 minutes. Retail smart telescopes track less smoothly and therefore typically only expose for 15 seconds. As a workaround, they combine many individual images to create a low-noise final image. The Hyperia also masters this workflow.
(Image:Â Vaonis)
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App Control, Storage, and Formats
As is typical for smart telescopes, the Hyperia connects via the Vaonis app. Users can select celestial objects there, and the telescope will automatically slew to them. The mobile app for Android and iOS also allows astrophotos to be downloaded from the telescope's storage in FITS, TIFF, and JPEG formats. The size of this storage is not yet determined, but it is likely to be 512 gigabytes or 1 terabyte. Additionally, the device will feature Ethernet and USB-C ports.
Vaonis is now accepting pre-orders for the Hyperia. Delivery is planned for the second half of 2026 at the earliest. Each unit will be manufactured to order in France.
(akr)
