What if your telescope did real science? With a smart telescope, you can contribute to research programmes run by professional astronomers: exoplanet detection, asteroid occultations, comet tracking, planetary defence. This is citizen science, and it’s within reach of any equipped amateur.
What is citizen science in astronomy?
Professionals lack telescopes and observing time. By mobilising thousands of amateurs spread across the planet, they multiply measurement points. Your telescope, from your garden, becomes a node in a vast observation network. Once transmitted, your data feed real scientific publications.
Unistellar, the pioneer
The Unistellar brand built its identity on this niche, partnering with the SETI Institute. From the app you receive campaign alerts and point your telescope at the requested target. Your observations contribute to four major programmes: asteroid occultations, exoplanet transits, comets, and planetary defence (tracking potentially hazardous asteroids).
The types of campaigns available
Asteroid occultations: precisely timing when an asteroid passes in front of a star reveals its size and shape. Exoplanets: detecting the slight dip in a star’s brightness as a planet crosses it. Comets: tracking changes in their brightness and tail. Planetary defence: refining the trajectory of near-Earth objects.
Do you need special gear?
A smart telescope with a decent aperture and good tracking is ideal. The Unistellar models (eVscope, eQuinox, Odyssey) are directly integrated into the science network. Other devices can contribute via open platforms, but the Unistellar ecosystem remains the simplest and best-supported way to start.
Why take part?
Beyond the pride of contributing to science, citizen science gives meaning to your observing nights. You’re no longer just looking at the sky: you’re working in it, alongside researchers, and sometimes your name appears in a paper’s acknowledgements. A unique experience, accessible from a few hundred euros.
👉 See which models support citizen science in our comparator, or find yours with the configurator.
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