This 2024 Cyber Monday SEVEN of the very best smart telescopes are on sale with big discounts:
- Vaonis Hestia (save $100)
- ZWO Seestar S50 (save $50)
- Unistellar Odyssey (save $460)
- Unistellar Equinox 2 (save $500)
- Vaonis Vespera Pro (save $500)
- Unistellar Odyssey Pro (save $800)
- Unistellar Evscope 2 (save $980)
Each of these have their pros and cons to make them suitable for the right person.
I’ll run through each below in more detail.
Vaonis Hestia
The Hestia is not technically a smart telescope because it doesn’t actually have its own camera. Instead it uses your smartphone’s camera and works to enhance its astrophotography capabilities.
It’s really easy to use and is just a matter of setting up the device on the tripod and attaching your phone. You then just point at what you want to shoot (guided by the app) and then take the photo (using the same app).
The good is that it takes advantage of the really good camera you already have in your pocket and it is very portable easy to use.
The downsides are that it doesn’t locate and track objects for you like the smart telescopes below and so will not be able to produce images of the same level.
It’s great fun though – in particular for capturing the sun and moon.
Transform Your Smartphone Into A Smart Telescope
- Extremely easy to use - just attach your smartphone and allow the app to guide you to capture and process astrophotography images
- Compact and portable
- Future-proof with all smartphones compatible
- No tracking will limit capacity to capture deep sky images
- Small aperture compared to a telescope
ZWO SeeStar S50
This is a contender for the best budget smart telescope and has a lot of fans that have used it to produce some amazing images in the past year or so since it’s release.
It’s small and portable but is very capable.
I think this is the first time it’s been available with any kind of discount.
Budget Portable Smart Telescope
- Take astrophotography images with the press of a button
- 50mm aperture and 250mm focal length
- ZWO has a track record of delivering high-performing astrophotography gear
- Slightly bigger than its main competitor (the Dwarf 3) and the Seestar S30
- Relatively low resolution at 2MP
- Not great for planetary imaging
Unistellar Odyssey
This is one of the more premium options that is much higher spec than the SeeStar S50 above (but also more expensive).
You can watch my hands on review video below:
In my opinion, it’s the slickest and easiest to use of any smart telescope (alongside the Odyssey Pro) so would suit someone that just want’s the best but also a hassle-free experience.
Premium Smart Telescope
- Brand new in 2024
- Easy of use and perfect for complete beginners
- Portable with a compact size and light weight
- Lower spec than premium alternatives
- No eyepiece for realtime viewing
Unistellar Equinox 2
This is from Unistellar’s range (alongside the Evscope 2) which are slightly harder to use than the Odyssey/Odyssey Pro but are higher spec in terms of the telescope and camera.
Therefore this is good if you want the greater capacity and don’t mind a little more effort to get the best from it.
Premium Smart Telescope
- Brand new upgraded eQuinox
- Cheaper than eVscope 2 but improved capacity over original eQuinox
- Ultra quick and easy setup in less than one minute
- Expensive compared to regular telescopes
Vaonis Vespera Pro
This is another model that is really easy to use and actually has the highest resolution camera of any smart telescope.
Premium Compact Smart Telescope
- Brand new in 2024
- Compact size and weight
- Highest resolution (12.5 MP) camera of any smart telescope
Unistellar Odyssey Pro
This is the same as the Odyssey (above) but also has an eyepiece that you can look through.
This is a cool feature that makes it feel a bit more “real” rather than just looking at the images on your phone. It also makes it a much better experience for sharing with others.
You can watch my video review here:
It’s super-slick and easy to use and great for showing off.
Premium Smart Telescope - Brand new in 2024
- Easy to use and perfect for complete beginners
- Features eyepiece for live viewing of the night sky
- Portable with a compact size and light weight
- Lower spec than premium alternatives
- Premium price
Unistellar Evscope 2
Like the Equinox 2 above, this is slightly harder to use than the Odyssey range as it requires collimation (a manual process of adjusting the telescope.
This is the only other model with an eyepiece (like the Odyssey Pro) and so is right for you if you want that feature, plus the higher specs and don’t mind the extra work involved.
This is the biggest discount overall (because it’s the most expensive) where you can save $980.
Premium Smart Telescope with Eyepiece
- Eyepiece allows realtime viewing
- Control with your smartphone via app
- Join Citizen Astronomy networks and help detect near-earth asteroids
- May need occasional adjustment (collimation)
Why This Cyber Monday is a Great Time to Buy a Smart Telescope
Smart Telescopes burst on to the astronomy scene just a few years back.
These are devices that comprise both telescope and camera and enable you to capture amazing photos of space at the press of a button on your smartphone.
Lots of new models have been released in 2024 and having so many on sale right now makes it a great time to invest.
If you want more information, check out:
- My up-to-date comparison of all the available models – Best Smart Telescopes
- Individual reviews of all these smart telescopes – Smart Telescope Hub
- My round up video below of which model to go for this holiday season:
