Our observation station includes all the necessary elements for astrophotography, miniaturized in one single device. It integrates the optics, the pointing and tracking system, an embedded computer, an image sensor and motorization, as well as a heater with a humidity and temperature sensor, a light pollution filter… There is also a compartment to store an external battery (powerbank).

STELLINA is fully automatized, but it requires some information in order to start photographing. First it needs to know its exact position (coordinates, time), this information is provided using your device’s GPS. Then, STELLINA needs to know how it is oriented, the direction it is looking at. To do this, STELLINA takes a picture of the sky and looks for recognizable patterns to figure out which stars are in the picture, this process is called astrometry. This step will only work if STELLINA can find stars in the pictures, which is why the station won’t work if it is pointing at a wall, if it is used during daytime or if the weather is cloudy. Finally, STELLINA will adjust its focus position using the same method: it takes pictures of the sky, and finds the focus position in which the stars look the sharpest. If the astrometry or the focus steps fail, STELLINA will move to a different position and start over: it may fail if an object is obstructing its sight and may succeed in another position. If STELLINA cannot find a correct position after doing a full turn, then the initialization will fail and you will not be able to observe.

This initialization phase lasts only few minutes.

Thanks to its motorized system, STELLINA can track the stars.

When the temperature changes, it may cause a change in focus. To correct this, STELLINA integrates an autofocus system. In this way, you can go to sleep with peace of mind, your pictures will benefit from perfect focus throughout the night.

Fogging, lens condensation or dewing is a well-known problem in astronomy, too often responsible for interrupting observations. To handle this problem, STELLINA incorporates a heating resistance system (dew heater) that activates automatically to ensure you always have a dry optic system!

The power consumption of the instrument is about 2A. Therefore, a battery of 10 000 mAh assures you an autonomy of about 5 hours.

Essential for the proper operation of the instrument, the field derotator is integrated and controlled by the onboard computer. Depending on the target star, the rotator adapts its rotation speed. This also changes the sensor field to achieve perfect framing.

STELLINA requires a power source delivering at least 5.1 +/- 0.1V and at least 2.4A on a USB Type-C connector.

For that, two solutions exist:
– an external power adapter
– an external battery (e.g. powerbank used to charge your smartphone)

Yes, the statio integrates a light pollution filter that allows you to use it in urban or suburban areas (small cities). However, nothing will ever replace a dark and pure sky. Please, also note that some objects that are visible from the countryside are more difficult to observe in urban areas.

Yes. Stellina poses for 10 seconds which allows for a magnitude greater than 13 under a clear sky.

A solar filter is being tested and should be available in our accessories list in 2021.

STELLINA has a built-in Wi-Fi connection. You do not necessarily need an internet connection to connect to STELLINA. The station is like a residential (home) gateway to which you can connect via a Wi-Fi connection.

No, STELLINA uses a Wi-Fi network to communicate with your device but it doesn’t need an internet connection. When you set up STELLINA, you just need to go to your Wi-Fi settings and connect to the STELLINA network (in the same way you would connect via Bluetooth on other devices).
You only need the Internet to:
– create and connect to your account,
– share your photos on social networks,
– update the app.
If you want to keep browsing the Internet while using STELLINA, you’ll need to have 4G as the Wi-Fi network.

STELLINA’s Wi-Fi network range is about 10 meters (32 feet) without obstacles (such as walls or windows). This can vary depending on the device used as well as the environment (nearby Wi-Fi networks, orientation etc …).

If you have problems connecting to STELLINA, we suggest you turn off your cellular data.

Our advice for the best connection:
– stay close to STELLINA and start initialization
– choose the object that you want to capture and wait until the first images appear then check that the stacking is smooth
– return to your activities: when your device is not connected to STELLINA, it is still taking photos (the app acts as a remote)
– when you choose, return to STELLINA: your device will automatically re-connect to its Wi-Fi network and you will be able to get the last pictures in the Capture tab.

Yes, you can connect up to 10 smartphones and tablets to STELLINA at the same time. One of them will be designated as the administrator and the other users will be able to see the pictures taken by the instrument.

The mobile app is compatible with any versions above iOS 10 (included) or Android 6 (included).

Yes, you can download and use Stellinapp for free.

No, presently that is impossible.

No. For now, the mobile app is only developed for smartphones and tablets.

• The final photos processed by STELLINA are available in jpg format.
• Raw images are available in fits format (single files to stack yourself). You can process them with software such as PixInsight, Deep Sky Stacker, Siril…

As of May 2020, it is possible to save the images in TIFF format (16-bit uncompressed file) and edit the files on software such as Photoshop.

STELLINA is what can be called a “large field” astrograph (astrophoto camera) because its field is about 1° x 0.7°. To get a better idea, the Sun and the Moon represent a field of about 0.5°, so they perfectly fill the sensor’s field. STELLINA is designed for deep sky objects such as galaxies, nebulae, star clusters or comets etc. However, it depends on their apparent size, not all stars are observable (there is no telescope that can observe everything) but a catalogue of hundreds of stars is already waiting for you!

The constellations cannot be photographed because they are much too large to fit into the scope of a telescope. A DSLR is enough for this type of image.

The planets have a very small apparent size (for example, around 0.01 ° for Jupiter), STELLINA is therefore not the best intrument for planetary observation. You’ll be able to distinguish the rings of Saturn and Jupiter’s band but in small pixels only.

The planets have a very small apparent diameter (eg, about 0.01° for Jupiter), making unexciting to observe them using Stellina. It will be possible to see the rings of Saturn and the bands on Jupiter but nothing more than that.

There are two ways to retrieve the images: either by saving the final image in JPG format, or by downloading the unprocessed raw files in FITS format, using a USB key.

Photos taken with STELLINA are stored on either in your app or in your smartphone/tablet (recommended).

• Flat would be complicated to manage because of the field derotator
• The bias (offset) is not necessarily necessary on recent sensors (more so than on our cameras, we found that it was impossible to control the behavior of the sensor below 0.5s)
• The dark is managed by our algorithms which carry out the removal of hot pixels as well as the removal of glow. We had considered the possibility of doing it, however it would greatly degrade the user experience because you have to wait for the instrument to do them at the start after, of course, waiting for the product to heat up.
• The vast majority of people would not be aware of the precautions to take so as not to deteriorate the dark (leave the instrument folded, do not point the lights directly on it, etc.)

STELLINA allows us to do it. This feature will be available in 2020.

We’re looking into this possibility.

STELLINA is the first born of a new generation of instruments halfway between the connected telescope and the camera. With its ultra compact and unique U-shaped design entirely imagined from scratch, and like any pioneering product in its category, its design and manufacturing generate costs that are broken down below.

First, STELLINA’s price includes a 20% VAT tax applicable in all countries of the European Union. Then, the product itself is composed of:

• An apochromatic doublet ED lens, collimated by laser on a micrometric table. The optics are mounted in a sterile room to guarantee perfect cleanliness. The optical system of each product is then controlled by our team.
• A Sony CMOS sensor
• An on-board computer
• An electronic card
• A storage SD card
• A light pollution filter
• A deflection mirror
• A temperature and humidity sensor
• An anti-fog heating system
• An aluminium chassis structure
• 2 motors for the azimuth and altitude axes
• 1 motor for autofocus
• A field derotator
• Plastic shells made from recyclable materials, with a specific treatment to resist prolonged exposure to the outside
• Over 150 unique references of screws and cables
• A carbon fiber Gitzo tripod
• A bubble level plate
• A portable battery
• A dust cover
• The packaging and shipping cardboard box

STELLINA’s price also includes:

• The cost of labor (product made by hand in France)
• Shipping costs
• Customs taxes and fees outside the European Union
• 3 years of design, research and development (as well as
  current R&D)
• Software development (image processing algorithm, capture, tracking,
  database, etc.)
• Development and maintenance of the mobile app

Now you know everything! For any questions on this topic, feel to write to us at info@vaonis.com.

Yes, you can find the list of our resellers in the US and Europe here.

The product is entirely assembled in Montpellier, in the South of France, near our headquarters. You can find out more about its production here.