It may be awhile yet before ordinary people like us can journey to the stars, but until then, we can bring the stars a whole lot closer. Here to help is a new smart interactive telescope that promises to satisfy the needs of both amateur stargazers and professional astronomers alike. Meet the Hiuni, a telescope that connects to an app to provide an interactive view of the starry canvas above us. The telescope promises to automatically position itself for a perfect look at the constellations, stars, and planets that you’re most interested in observing.

Thanks to the Hiuni’s interactive iOS and Android apps, you won’t be relegated to squinting into your telescope in order to see what lies beyond. Instead, your smartphone will provide enhanced, in-app live views that will allow you as well as your family and friends to take a closer look at the night sky. The app also offers extra educational content in the form of videos, images, and audio, as well as an interactive component with discovery and story modes, and tours. Finally, there are challenges for the most competitive of astronomers in the form of badges, mini-games, and unlockable content.

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“Everyone remembers that first time they looked through a telescope as a child,” said Hiuni founder and CEO, Jack Chen. “We set out to re-create that feeling for the connected-generation and breathe new technological innovation into a centuries-old invention.”

As for the telescope itself, the Hiuni features a sleek Cassegrain design with precision optics, dual-motor GoTo auto-aligning control, and two images sensors optimized for the night sky. The computerized telescope is app-controlled, and also boasts Celestial Vision Alignment for clearer images. The hardware is comprised of a motorized Alt-Az mount, dual Aptina MT9M001 sensors, and an accelerometer and magnetometer. The main barrel optics feature a 152.4mm aperture, 280mm barrel, 0.27 degree view angle, 1,524mm focal length, and 12.8 stellar magnitude. It has a resolution of 1,280 x 1,024 pixels.

Even if those technical aspects don’t mean much to you, using the Hiuni promises to be a breeze. The telescope self-calibrates, and once you’ve connected it to your companion app, you simply pick the celestial body you’d like to see, and the telescope will automatically navigate to your selection. You can choose between Sky View — a wide-angle view of the light — and Space View, which is ideal for close-ups of stars, planets, and more through the six-inch optical tube of the telescope.

If you want to monitor the stars throughout the night, the Hiuni is happy to oblige. The smart telescope will first align its optical tube with the celestial body, then “automatically adjust itself accordingly to compensate for the earth’s rotation,” the Kickstarter page notes.

The Hiuni smart telescope is currently looking to raise funds on Kickstarter, and while you should always exercise caution when backing a crowdfunding campaign, this certainly looks to be a rather intriguing product. The Hiuni team is offering early bird pricing of $489, with delivery anticipated for June 2019.

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