‘Breathtakingly awesome’ — it doesn't quite rival Artemis II, but after spending a month with the Seestar S30 Pro smart telescope I’m shocked by its stunning views of galaxies, nebulae and — yes — the moon

(Left to right) The Cone Nebula, ZWO Seestar S30 Pro pointed at the moon, with the moon visible, and the moon itself.

The Cone Nebula is an immense pillar of gas and dust some seven light-years tall. It’s located in the constellation Monoceros 2,700 light-years from Earth, and is bathed in ultraviolet radiation from nearby stars, which it re-emits as brilliant red light. And right now, it’s in my living room.

Or rather, it’s on my phone, in my hand, as I sit in my living room staring in wonder at the majesty of our galaxy. Anyone could look at photos of the Cone Nebula at any time, of course, but this isn’t just a photo of the Cone Nebula — it’s a live feed* of it taken by the smart telescope quietly doing its thing in my back yard. That smart telescope is the ZWO Seestar S30 Pro, and it’s truly, breathtakingly awesome.