Unistellar anniversary promotion 10 percent off telescopes

Unistellar telescopes is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a global promotion offering 10 percent off its smart telescope lineup. The milestone reflects a decade of innovation in augmented optics, as well as the development of citizen science programs in partnership with NASA and the SETI Institute.

Founded in Marseille in 2015, Unistellar has grown into a company with users across Europe, the United States, Japan, and beyond. More than 25,000 people now operate Unistellar telescopes, contributing to a growing body of scientific research while enjoying accessible tools for observing the night sky.

Above Photo Credit: Unistellar

From startup to international presence - A decade of citizen-powered astronomy

The company began when three founders, Arnaud Malvache, Laurent Marfisi, and Antonin Borot, set out to design a telescope that could bring professional-grade astronomy to amateurs. Within a year, they demonstrated their first prototype. By 2017, Unistellar presented its technology at CES and joined forces with Franck Marchis, a SETI Institute astronomer who became the fourth co-founder and the leader of its citizen science programs.

Unistellar’s growth accelerated through a $2.2 million Kickstarter campaign, two rounds of fundraising, and a partnership with Nikon that began in 2021. Nikon later invested in the company, helping expand product development and research in digital imaging.

The company has filed eight patents and earned multiple CES Innovation Awards, underscoring its role as a recognized developer of consumer astronomy tools.

Partnerships with NASA and the SETI Institute

Citizen science has become a defining aspect of Unistellar’s mission. The collaboration with the SETI Institute, formalized in 2017, built a network of amateurs capable of contributing to real scientific work. In 2022, NASA partnered with Unistellar for exoplanet research projects, further integrating citizen scientists into professional astronomy.

Unistellar telescope users have taken part in coordinated campaigns to:

• Detect and track near-Earth asteroids for planetary defense research.
• Observe exoplanet transits and variable stars.
• Support searches for transient astronomical events relevant to SETI.
• Collect valuable data during supernovae, eclipses, and occultations.

These initiatives have shown that distributed amateur observations can meaningfully contribute to professional projects. In one notable case, 31 Unistellar users were credited as co-authors on a Nature article about NASA’s DART mission in 2023.

Photo Credit: Unistellar

Technology designed for accessibility

A core feature of Unistellar’s telescopes is ease of use. The eVscope, launched in 2019, allowed beginners to observe faint deep-sky objects even from light-polluted areas. Later models such as the eQuinox and eVscope 2 built on this foundation, with Nikon contributing to improvements in optical performance.

In 2024, Unistellar introduced the Odyssey range, expanding the product line and offering more versatility. The company also began developing ENVISION, a set of augmented reality binoculars expected to ship in 2026. These binoculars aim to overlay contextual astronomical information on the live view, combining traditional observation with digital augmentation.

Contributions to scientific publications

Citizen astronomers working with Unistellar telescopes have contributed data to more than twenty peer-reviewed papers. According to Franck Marchis, director of citizen science at the SETI Institute, more than 3,000 users have participated.

These publications demonstrate the practical impact of combining consumer hardware with professional research goals. For many participants, this represents the first time their observations have become part of formal scientific literature.

Key dates in Unistellar’s history

Several milestones mark the company’s progress:

• 2015: Unistellar founded in Marseille.
• 2016: First public smart telescope demonstration.
• 2017: Partnership with SETI Institute.
• 2018: CES Innovation Award for eVscope.
• 2019: First telescope deliveries.
• 2021: Nikon partnership and eVscope 2 launch.
• 2022: NASA partnership for exoplanet programs.
• 2023: Nature article featuring Unistellar citizen scientists.
• 2024: Launch of Odyssey range and AR binocular crowdfunding campaign.

These dates show steady growth from early prototypes to recognized scientific contributions.

Looking ahead to augmented astronomy

As it enters its second decade, Unistellar plans to expand its product ecosystem beyond telescopes. The upcoming ENVISION binoculars represent a step toward combining immersive augmented reality with traditional stargazing. At the same time, telescopes will continue to form the backbone of its citizen science efforts.

The company has emphasized that its mission remains the same: to make astronomy accessible while enabling meaningful participation in scientific discovery. With continued collaborations, Unistellar aims to maintain its dual role as both a consumer technology developer and a contributor to space science.

Unistellar anniversary promotion 10 percent off telescopes for 10 years of innovation

The anniversary promotion of 10 percent off telescopes highlights a decade of progress for Unistellar. It marks ten years of designing user-friendly tools, expanding citizen science networks, and contributing to research with NASA and the SETI Institute.

For observers worldwide, the discount provides an opportunity to join the community of citizen astronomers. For Unistellar, the milestone is a reminder of its founding purpose: connecting people everywhere to the experience of discovery and participation in astronomy.