Ten years ago, we pioneered the smart telescope.
Ten years of research, iterations, innovation and feedback from amateur astronomers, brought together in a single platform.
We just rebuilt it from the ground up.
Atlas mount.
You change the imaging module only, not the instrument.
Sky Dock is the interface at the heart of the mount, the part that stays.
You clip on the imaging module of your choice in a few seconds, no tools. It stays mounted, ready to head out again. When your practice changes, you change the module.
The mount stays put.
Connect and disconnect without tools, in under five seconds.
Guaranteed alignment between modules, with no mechanical play.
Up to two imaging modules on a single mount, shipped in alt-azimuth.
Built to evolve.
One mount, one standard. Today's imaging modules clip on, tomorrow's will too. Storage expands by microSD card, as far as your nights demand. And in the second half of 2027, the equatorial table.
Structure
A rugged structure on the outside. The precision at the core.
On most instruments, a fragile shell wraps a hidden frame. Atlas reverses the order.
The load-bearing structure, in die-cast aluminium, is on the outside. It is what takes the knocks.
The optics and the electronics, everything that must stay intact, are protected at the core.
A precision instrument built for the field, not the display case.
Die-cast aluminium
A structural material, recyclable, chosen for rigidity and thermal stability.
Tested endurance
Sky Dock is validated over thousands of mating cycles.
Dust & splash resistant
Rated IP64, Atlas operates from -20 °C to +40 °C, from winter nights to summer heat.
Die-cast aluminium
A structural material, recyclable, chosen for rigidity and thermal stability.
Tested endurance
Sky Dock is validated over thousands of mating cycles.
Dust & splash resistant
Rated IP64, Atlas operates from -20 °C to +40 °C, from winter nights to summer heat.
Die-cast aluminium
A structural material, recyclable, chosen for rigidity and thermal stability.
Tested endurance
Sky Dock is validated over thousands of mating cycles.
Dust & splash resistant
Rated IP64, Atlas operates from -20 °C to +40 °C, from winter nights to summer heat.
Experience
See
where you're observing.
A wide-field fisheye camera films the whole sky above you, live, day and night.
You see the stars down to magnitude 6, just as the naked eye would. You tap an object, Atlas points to it, and the image builds.
What you see when you look up and what the instrument captures now appear together, on the same screen.
Immersive observation
The whole sky, live, 360°
Tap an object, it points to it
Dual view, sky and target
Your whole night, condensed by morning
The whole sky, live, 360°
Tap an object, it points to it
Dual view, sky and target
Your whole night, condensed by morning
The whole sky, live, 360°
Tap an object, it points to it
Dual view, sky and target
Your whole night, condensed by morning
The whole sky, live, 360°
Tap an object, it points to it
Dual view, sky and target
Your whole night, condensed by morning
The Gaia app
Pointing from the sky map and the all-sky view, mosaic for wide fields, Plan My Night to prepare a session, and multi-night mode that resumes a target from one session to the next. First light in under five minutes, with no account thanks to guest mode.
Instant connection
Bring your phone close and the NFC chip pairs the instrument, no password. WiFi 6 takes over for a smooth stream, with more than ten users at once. An eighteen-LED ring guides leveling in seconds.
Performance
No compromise in the design. The only limit left is the aperture itself.
The 80mm imaging module builds on the Petzval, the historic astrograph design, and pushes its correction further.
It is an apochromatic quadruplet of four lenses in three groups, opening at F/4.5, with no mirror.
Across the whole sensor and the entire visible spectrum, its residual aberrations stay smaller than the diffraction blur of an 80 mm aperture.
The backlit Sony IMX585 sensor is built into the module, matched to this optic. A single imaging module already forms a complete instrument. A second module takes you further.
Eagle Nebula
M16
Triangulum Galaxy
M33
Crescent Nebula
NGC 6888
Melotte 15
IC 1805
Sagittarius Cluster
M22
Wizard Nebula
NGC 7380
Iris Nebula
NGC 7023
Eagle Nebula
M16
Triangulum Galaxy
M33
Crescent Nebula
NGC 6888
Melotte 15
IC 1805
Sagittarius Cluster
M22
Wizard Nebula
NGC 7380
Iris Nebula
NGC 7023
Eagle Nebula
M16
Triangulum Galaxy
M33
Crescent Nebula
NGC 6888
Melotte 15
IC 1805
Sagittarius Cluster
M22
Wizard Nebula
NGC 7380
Iris Nebula
NGC 7023
Eagle Nebula
M16
Triangulum Galaxy
M33
Crescent Nebula
NGC 6888
Melotte 15
IC 1805
Sagittarius Cluster
M22
Wizard Nebula
NGC 7380
Iris Nebula
NGC 7023
Eagle Nebula
M16
Triangulum Galaxy
M33
Crescent Nebula
NGC 6888
Melotte 15
IC 1805
Sagittarius Cluster
M22
Wizard Nebula
NGC 7380
Iris Nebula
NGC 7023
Apochromatic quadruplet at F/4.5, with no central obstruction.
Diffraction-limited optics, from the center to the corners of the sensor.
Backlit Sony IMX585 sensor, built for faint signal.
And to go further, add a second imaging module.
Two 80mm imaging modules on the same target collect twice as much light at every moment. Together, they gather light like an F/3.2 optic. The same result is reached in half the time. Stacking across the two modules is handled automatically, from launch.
Ten years of experience. Ten years of warranty.
Vaonis has been designing observation instruments since 2016, now shipped to more than 60 countries. The Atlas mount, the part that stays, is covered for ten years. The 80mm imaging modules, the parts you evolve, are covered for five. What lasts is covered the longest.
Specifications
Atlas technical data sheet.
80 mm
360 mm
4.5
3.2 equivalent
Sony IMX585 (color)
3840 x 2160 (8.3 MP)
1/1.2”
11.2 x 6.3 mm
2.9 µm
8.3 Mp
24 Mp
1.78° x 1.00°
Up to 3.5° x 2.00°
For Sun & Moon observing
Alt-azimuth. Equatorial with the equatorial table accessory, second half of 2027.
One or two 80mm imaging modules.
Plug & play connection in under five seconds, up to 3 Gbit/s per module.
Sony IMX676 sensor, 12 MP, 185° fisheye optics.
Electronic bubble level, 18-LED ring.
Built-in humidity and temperature sensor driving the dew heater.
Expandable with MicroSD cards.
JPEG 8 bits / FITS 16 bits / TIFF 16 bits
15
WiFi 6 2×2 MIMO, NFC, Bluetooth
More than 10
Sealed USB-C 3.1, 60 W fast charging, data transfer, Ethernet via adapter
6 hours
Vaonis filters recognized automatically (Available late 2026).
Ability to place standard 1.25 inch filters.
Full-aperture solar filter. Available late 2026.
IP64
-20 °C to +40 °C
41 × 10 × 20.5 cm
41 × 10 × 31 cm
3.5 kg
3 kg
Frequently asked questions
Everything an amateur astronomer wants to know.
Atlas has no eyepiece. You observe on your screen, in the Gaia app, live. The instrument gathers light over time and reveals colors and detail the eye cannot perceive, even through a large telescope.
An imaging module is the part of Atlas that forms and captures the image. It combines the optics and the camera sensor in one unit, matched to each other, and clips onto the Atlas mount through the Sky Dock interface. The 80mm imaging module pairs an 80 mm apochromatic optic with a backlit Sony IMX585 sensor.
Because it is more than a tube of lenses. Each module carries its own sensor, matched to its optic. When you add or change a module, the optics and the sensor come together, while the mount, Sky Guard and the app stay the same.
Single 80mm imaging module is a complete instrument: the Atlas mount and one 80mm imaging module.
Twin 80mm imaging module adds a second module on the same target. It gathers twice the light, and reaches the same result in half the time. Choose Twin if faint deep-sky objects are your priority and your clear nights are short.
Yes. Each 80mm imaging module carries its own sensor. In Twin, both modules capture the same target at the same time and the app stacks their images automatically.
Atlas is built to evolve. One mount, one standard: future imaging modules will attach to the same Sky Dock.
A dedicated planetary module is coming next, with more imaging modules already in development.
No. Atlas is a new platform, and Vespera accessories do not fit the Atlas mount or the 80mm imaging module.
Yes. The app guides leveling and handles alignment, pointing and tracking, so no expertise is needed to get started. Experienced observers get raw FITS export, multi-night acquisition and the dual arm for the faintest targets.
Yes. Stacking exposures and processing reveal the deep sky even from an urban setting. The 80mm imaging module takes filters that cut light pollution.
Sky Dock
How it works
Clip the imaging module onto the mount in under five seconds, no tools needed.
Fold it up, store it. It stays mounted in the bag.
Add a second imaging module whenever you want.
At launch, Atlas comes in two configurations: Single 80mm imaging module, with one module, and Twin 80mm imaging module, with two.
Unlock longer exposures
Equatorial mode
From Alt-Az to Equatorial
Atlas is an alt-azimuth mount, simple day to day. With the equatorial table, it can also work in equatorial. Field rotation disappears, which lifts the limit on how long each exposure can run. Individual exposures become longer on faint targets, with fewer discarded frames and greater depth of sky for the same session length.
Native, from launch
Dedicated accessory
Second half of 2027
Sky Guard in detail
Immersive observation
Sky Guard is an all-sky camera built into the Atlas mount. Its 185° fisheye lens films the whole sky above you, live, day and night, and turns it into your observation interface.
The real sky, mapped
At night, Gaia lays the sky map over the live Sky Guard image. Constellations and objects appear where they really are above you. Tap one, and Atlas points to it.
The whole sky and your target, side by side
During acquisition, the Sky Guard view and the imaging module’s image share the same screen. You watch your target build up while keeping sight of where it sits in the sky.
Your night, as a time-lapse
Start a time-lapse whenever you like. Sky Guard records the sky turning above your instrument over the hours, ready to replay and share afterwards.
It reads the sky on its own
Sky Guard detects the horizon, the Sun and the Moon. Atlas uses them to initialize itself, with nothing for you to align.
Sony IMX676, 12 MP
185° fisheye
Proprietary Vaonis technology.
Interface and connection
Connection and interface
NFC pairing
one tap of the phone to pair
WiFi 6 in 2×2 MIMO, smooth video stream
more than ten users at once
Bluetooth
as a backup to simplify pairing
Remote access
Run a session from anywhere, with Atlas set up under darker skies and better weather conditions
Electronic bubble level
leveling in a few seconds, with built-in accelerometer
Sealed USB-C 3.1 port
60 W fast charging, data transfer
Built-in humidity and temperature sensor
which drives the dew heater
Explore the app
Gaia, the control deck
Atlas initializes, points and tracks on its own. With Gaia, you stay in control of what matters: the target, the framing and the time you give it, from the sky map or the live image of the sky above you.
The proven features of our instruments come together here, alongside what Atlas adds: the all-sky view and imaging with two modules.
Your night, planned ahead
With Plan My Night, you build your session’s target list during the day. Come evening, Atlas works through it on your schedule.
Ready in under five minutes
Atlas finds the horizon, the Sun and the Moon to initialize itself, and the electronic bubble level guides you through leveling. Less than five minutes separate setup from your first image.
Pick your target in the real sky
Tap an object on the sky map or right in the live Sky Guard image, and Atlas points to it and tracks it. During acquisition, the all-sky view and the module’s image stay side by side, so you always know where you are observing.
Fields wider than the sensor
When a nebula spills beyond the native 1.78° x 1.00° field, CovalENS builds a live mosaic of several panels and delivers a single image, up to 3.5° x 2.00° and 24 MP.
Two modules, one image
In the Twin configuration, Gaia aims both imaging modules at the same target and stacks their images automatically. You collect twice the light, for a signal-to-noise ratio about 41% higher over the same exposure time.
The Sun and the Moon, live
For the Moon and the Sun, Gaia shows a live video feed, to follow an eclipse or explore the lunar surface. Observe the Sun only with the full-aperture solar filter.
A session to share
More than ten people can connect at once and watch the image build up on their own phones. With guest mode, they can discover Atlas without creating an account.
Resume your target the next night
Multi-night mode resumes acquisition of the same target from one session to the next and adds up the exposure time. The faintest details emerge night after night, without starting over.
Your raw files, to go further
Share your images as JPEG, or download the raw FITS and 16-bit TIFF files to process them in your usual software.
An app that evolves with Atlas
Gaia keeps improving through updates. Equatorial mode control is already built in, ready for the equatorial table expected in the second half of 2027.
From planning to final image, Gaia by Vaonis is your control deck.
Eco-design and durability
Built to be kept, not replaced
Measuring the life cycle of our instruments taught us where a telescope’s footprint really comes from: manufacturing its materials and components, far more than years of observing.
The most effective decision is therefore to build an instrument you keep. Atlas is designed around that lesson.
A mount that stays
Imaging modules couple onto the mount through Sky Dock. Add a second 80mm imaging module or, when it arrives, the upcoming planetary module, and your instrument evolves without being replaced.
A structure built for the field
The load-bearing structure is in die-cast aluminium, a recyclable material chosen for rigidity and thermal stability. It sits on the outside and protects the optics and electronics at its core.
Better after purchase
Gaia updates add capabilities over the years, and equatorial mode is already supported for the equatorial table expected in the second half of 2027. Storage expands with microSD cards instead of being fixed at purchase.
Covered for the long run
The longer an instrument stays in use, the lighter its footprint per year. Spread over ten years, the manufacturing footprint per year of use is divided by ten. Our warranty is built to make that horizon real.
10 years
5 years
NGC 6888
Crescent Nebula
3 h
30 sec
Dual Band
Single 80mm imaging module
Equatorial
Going further
The optics in detail
A heritage, pushed further. The 80mm imaging module builds on the Petzval, the design behind the great astrographs, created to flatten the field of stars.
The original Petzval leaves a slightly curved image field and stars stretched at the edges. Our design adds a fourth lens and corrects both of these at once.
The field is truly flat and sharp from edge to edge, not only at the center.
Four lenses, two very-low-dispersion glasses
combined with a lanthanum glass, to remove the colored fringing around stars
360 mm focal length, 80 mm aperture, F/4.5 focal ratio
in a module under 500 mm long
11.2 by 6.3 mm image field
covering the whole sensor, or 1.78° by 1.00° on the sky
Spot diagram, where the light of a star lands
A spot diagram shows where the light of a single star lands on the sensor. Each dot is one ray traced through the 80mm imaging module, colored by wavelength: blue at 470 nm, green at 520 nm and red at 620 nm. The tighter the cloud, the sharper the star. We plotted three positions, from the center of the image to the edge of the field, all on the same 100 µm scale.
Reading the Airy disk
The dashed circle is the Airy disk: the image a perfect optic at F/4.5 would produce, set by the wave nature of light. Its radius is 2.9 µm at 520 nm. When the RMS radius of the spot stays inside it, the optical design is no longer what limits sharpness. Diffraction is.
Center of the field
At the center, the RMS spot radius is 1.5 µm, about half the Airy radius. Blue, green and red rays land centered on the same point.
Middle of the field
Halfway to the edge, 3.2 mm from the center, the RMS radius is 1.6 µm. Image quality is practically the same as at the center.
Edge of the field
At the edge, 6.4 mm from the center, the RMS radius rises to 2.5 µm and still stays inside the 2.9 µm Airy radius. Sharpness holds across the frame, not just in the middle.
Sky Twin patented technology
The Twin configuration, explained
Two 80mm imaging modules on the same target collect twice as much light at every moment.
The signal-to-noise ratio improves by a factor of the square root of two, about forty-one percent. The same result is reached in half the time.
Stacking across the two modules is handled automatically, from launch.
x2
+41%
F/3.2
Automatic, from launch
Sky Dock
a proprietary high-speed interface up to 3 Gbit/s per module
Hot connect and disconnect
without tools, in under five seconds
Guaranteed inter-module alignment
with no mechanical play
Endurance validated
over thousands of mating cycles
Both modules always point at the same target. Observing two different objects in parallel is not a function of the product.