Unistellar Enhanced Vision Telescope

[synthguy2 (Malcolm)]

Hi all - just saw this via Facebook - does anyone know anything about them? http://unistellaroptics.com/en/ see also https://youtu.be/_5DllYa97UY

Claiming 'light amplification' - I suspect similar to night vision integrated into the scope, which shows much more detail. Also 'field recognition' which gives info on the object being looked at in the field of view. The scope is also 'social media' aware allowing collaboration online in real time at the eyepiece.

Is this a 'next generation technology' telescope for the Amateur?

Malcolm

[torana68 (Roger)]

doesnt look like anyone has actually used one yet, but seems you point it at an object , it recognises it, then projects a coloured image in the eyepiece...............happy to be corrected as there isnt any usefull info on their site that explains it.

[LightningNZ (Cam)]

My understanding is that it's a video camera that integrates and shows the result on a built in screen. For showing colour in deep sky objects to the public, it sounds like an excellent idea.

[MortonH]

It's an interesting idea but I doubt very much the technology is next gen. More likely it's previous gen. If the image quality is half decent and the social media integration actually works it might appeal to the younger generation.

[skysurfer]

Just a gimmick.

I'd prefer an electronic eyepiece which amplifies light and stacks images which are streamed to a smartphone or tablet with augmented reality and plate solving over it, preferably without internet connection which is possible with current technology. This allows that existing telescopes can be used like an Unistellar beside traditional observing or astrophotography.

But even this I consider as an extra beside standard observing with glass eyepieces, and not as a replacement, just like astrophotography.
There is nothing like a real starry sky.

[synthguy (Malcolm)]

Thanks for some interesting replies. Seems mixed perspective, but the overall sense I'm getting is that this is not really that 'next gen' in terms of what Unistellar are promoting. Plus the aperture looks pretty small, so I wonder how effective the image intensifier would be, especially given it would also tend to intensify the light pollution as well.

So maybe not the 'next big thing' in amateur astronomy (any guesses as to what that may be, and when we may see it?)