The Vaonis Atlas Is a Smart Telescope Crossed With a DSLR
French smart telephoto brand Vaonis has announced the Atlas. This new modular smart telescope promises the versatility of an interchangeable lens camera — Vaonis says “DSLR” — and the ease of use of the company’s other smart telescopes.
“With Atlas, Vaonis is taking the concept further by introducing a smart telescope built around a modular architecture. Just like a DSLR with interchangeable lenses, Atlas allows users not only to swap optical tubes depending on what they want to observe, but also to combine two optics on the same platform and expand their setup over time as new observing capabilities become available,” Vaonis says.
The Vaonis Atlas sits at the premium end of Vaonis’ lineup, with high-end, professional-grade optics and build quality.
The first imaging module in the lineup is the Atlas 80, which combines an 80mm apochromatic quadruplet with a 360mm focal length and f/4.5 aperture. It works alongside a built-in Sony IMX585 sensor, an 8.3-megapixel chip well-suited to astrophotography.
With the Atlas 80 and mount, the complete system weighs 14.3 pounds (6.5 kilograms) and is 16.1 inches (41 centimeters) long.
While the Atlas 80 is the first module coming, Vaonis says it has more in the works. This is a long-term system with significant ambitions. The system supports new optical tubes, accessories, and more.
By the way, the Atlas can also support two Atlas 80 tubes at once. This “SkyTwin” configuration points both modules at the same target to gather twice as much light, improving image acquisition and quality. SkyTwin also supports different filters, enabling astrophotographers to combine different filters for a single shot.
Atlas’ built-in SkyGuard is a new all-sky camera that continuously monitors the sky, day and night, to analyze seeing conditions and even capture timelapses that recap the entire night sky.
Atlas introduces other new features to Vaonis’ lineup, including support for equatorial mode through a future equatorial wedge product and off-site control from “virtually anywhere.”
“Stellina changed the way we look at the sky. Atlas changes what a telescope can become. Until now, you were limited by the physical and technical capabilities of the telescope you owned. With Atlas, your telescope can evolve as your interests and experience grow.” says Cyril Dupuy, founder of Vaonis.
For one month, the Atlas Single with the mount and Atlas 80 is available to preorder for $3,990, a $1,000 discount over the eventual retail price. The Atlas Twin can be preordered for $5,490 until November 15, after which time it will be $6,990. Atlas preorder shipments are expected to start in March 2027.
“The Atlas ecosystem will continue to expand after launch, with a backpack, filters, an equatorial wedge, and additional module sizes planned, a planetary imaging module next in the optical range,” Vaonis says.
The Atlas mount comes with a 10-year warranty, while the Atlas 80 is covered for five years after purchase.
Image creditsVaonis
