Vaonis Vespera II Smart Telescope (50mm Apo, 8.3MP)

A smart telescope that shows nebulae and galaxies in color on your phone

The Vaonis Vespera II Smart Telescope combines a 50mm f/5 apochromatic refractor, a color astronomy camera, a computerized alt-az mount and a battery in one 5kg (11lb) unit. Set it on a tripod, open the Singularity app on your phone or tablet, and choose a target. Vespera II does the rest, and the image gets brighter and cleaner on your screen as the minutes go by. It's a good fit for families, beginners and anyone who wants color pictures of deep-sky objects without learning a separate mount, camera and processing software.

Key specs: 50mm f/5 apochromatic quadruplet, 250mm focal length · Sony IMX585 STARVIS 2 color sensor, 8.3MP (3840 × 2160), 2.9µm pixels · 2.5° × 1.4° field, mosaics up to 24MP · JPG, 16-bit TIFF and 16-bit FITS · 4-hour battery · 25GB storage · USB-C · 5kg (11lb)

The Vespera II is on display in our Denver store, so you can see it in person before you buy.

What you can capture

• Bright nebulae: the Orion Nebula, the Lagoon Nebula (M8), the Trifid Nebula (M20), the Eagle Nebula (M16) and the Dumbbell Nebula (M27).
• Large nebulae: the Rosette Nebula fills the frame, and CovalENS mosaics take in more of the North America Nebula, the Veil Nebula or the Heart Nebula.
• Galaxies: most of the Andromeda Galaxy in one frame (all of it with a mosaic), the Triangulum Galaxy (M33), and Bode's and the Cigar Galaxies (M81 and M82) side by side.
• Star clusters, the Moon and the Sun: the Pleiades, the Double Cluster and the full Moon, plus the Sun with the optional solar filter (required for any solar viewing).

Why it's easy to use

Put Vespera II on its tripod, level it and turn it on. It connects to your phone or tablet over Wi-Fi, works out where it's pointing on its own and goes to the object you pick from the catalog. Focusing, tracking and live stacking are automatic, and because it tracks in alt-az and removes field rotation in software, there's no polar alignment. From a Denver-area backyard, emission nebulae come through well, especially with the dual-band filter.

When you want more control, you can set the exposure and framing, build mosaics with CovalENS, and save 16-bit FITS raw frames to process in Siril or PixInsight, or a pre-stacked 16-bit TIFF to finish in Photoshop, Affinity Photo or Lightroom.

What to add for the best results

• A tripod (required): the Vespera Standard Tripod, or the taller Vespera Adjustable Tripod to clear walls and fences. Vespera II attaches with a 3/8" thread.
• A USB-C charger and cable (required): neither is included. Ask us which charger we recommend.
• Vaonis Vespera Dual-Band Filter: passes hydrogen-alpha and oxygen-III light, so emission nebulae stand out from city and suburban skies.
• Vaonis Vespera Solar Filter (required for the Sun): for sunspots and eclipses.
• Vaonis Vespera Backpack: a padded backpack for carrying the telescope and tripod to a dark site.

Vespera II vs. Vespera Pro

See all Vaonis smart telescopes and accessories.

What's in the box

• Vaonis Vespera II smart telescope
• Soft protective cover
• Getting started card

The tripod, USB-C charger and cable, filters and backpack are sold separately.

Vaonis Vespera II FAQ

Is the Vespera II good for beginners?

Yes. Pointing, focusing, tracking and stacking are automatic, and everything runs from the Singularity app. You'll see color images of nebulae and galaxies on your first night.

Can I see Saturn and Jupiter with it?

You can capture them, but at 250mm focal length they're small disks. Vespera II is made for nebulae, galaxies, star clusters, the Moon and, with the solar filter, the Sun. For planetary detail, a larger telescope with a longer focal length is the better tool.

Vespera II or Vespera Pro?

Both use the same 50mm f/5 optics. Vespera II has the wider native field and costs less. The Vespera Pro has a 12.5MP square sensor, 11 hours of battery instead of 4, 225GB of storage instead of 25GB, and a built-in humidity sensor.

Does it come with a tripod?

No. Vespera II is sold without a tripod or charger. The Vespera Standard Tripod and Adjustable Tripod fit it, as does any sturdy tripod with a 3/8" thread.

Will it work from a light-polluted backyard?

Yes. Live stacking helps a lot, and the dual-band filter makes a big difference on emission nebulae from the city. Galaxies still look best from a darker site.

Is this the newest Vespera?

No. Vaonis has since released the Vespera III. The Vespera II described here uses the IMX585 sensor and the specifications on this page.

Can I see one before I buy?

Yes. The Vespera II is on display in our Denver store. Stop by and we'll show you how it sets up and how the app works.

Specifications