Let customers speak for us
Recently got the phoenix observatory, starpoint was nothing but a pleasure to deal with, setting it up was easy with no issues
After years of searching we finally found something cost effective and easy to use to make star gazing more pleasant by protecting people and equipment from the weather. What a great product!😎👍
For years. I was looking at astronomy tents and dyi semi or permanent solutions for my observing. We all know the problems with wind , rain , lights and the sun not just for the telescope but for the gear too.
Enter the octans.
This thing is a beast , a high quality build to last piece of gear.
Along with a Nikon HW 12.5 and my Glater colimattion tools this is
the best buy i’ve ever made for my hobby and prise wise only a bit
north of the Nikon ( at least for Europe ).
Excellent customer support from both Starpoint and Widescreen in
UK.
Awesome observatory. The quality is absolutely amazing. Ive seen posts about other"lesser" TENTS that are cheaper on amazon. Let me tell you...you get what you pay for. This is not a tent. It is an observatory. The materials are all top notch and will not rip or tear...the ground screws are genius and even the carry bag seems indestructible. Whats really cool is the bag is very oversized so you arent struggling to get everything back in upon takedown. Why i even have another tent and some other gear in there with it. Everything about this product is well thought out, well executed and built with the best materials...great job
As someone who's done a lot of camping with my telescope and used more than one astro-tent over the years, I can say that the Starpoint Australis Phoenix is by far the most functional. It is made of very high-quality materials and the features and attention to detail for the basic tent and the wind screen are top notch.
My only complaint is the difficulty in inserting the long tent pole around the top circumference of the tent (less so for the wind screen). It may be that this will get easier over time as the materials stretch or I perhaps I'm just low on the learning curve (I've only set it up once, so far). Either way, I am looking forward to using this for what I expect will be a long time.
Victor
p.s. The official Starpoint Australis set-up tutorial video on YouTube was an excellent help.
I have two videos on You Tube about my experience with the Phoenix:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbKTL8fA-dg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qvgJVzAgbY
which best describes my reaction to using the Phoenix. It is well made and does the job for which it was designed. Setup isn't so straight forward but it can be done and once set up it is very rigid.
The Octans lives up to its claims. I've found it to cancel both 20 mph winds and neighborhood lights - making observing much more productive. It's very well built too, featuring high quality materials and craftsmanship.
Got this as a temporary shed and it works perfectly for my needs
Timely arrival, great design, strong materials and solid manufacture. Still too cold to put it up (-23C).
I have been after a portable observatory for about 2 years now, after I've gone through 3 gazebos as my back yard is like a wind tunnel.
Takes me about 20 minutes to put up, 40mins the first time whilst watching a tutorial, the fabric is strong and thick not like some out there where the material seems to be made from a beach tent.
The wind breaker is a must for me with my 10ich Newtonian, with a gazebo the tracking was at 1.2, now with this it's between 60-80, no more star trails, yay.For the amount we spend on our equipment this is a must have, to keep it safe .
I've used this beast as a temporary backyard observatory while building my permanent one, and it has withstood all weather conditions in my area. Ultra spacious and easy to set up. Out in the open, at our dark site, it has provided protection during the night from strong winds and during the day as well with the roof canopy. I would highly recommend this kit !
The Octans tent is very spacious with room for two large mounts and telescopes along with a computer desk. It is made of a thicker material than a standard tent and has a built-in floor with no holes or places for bugs or water to get in.
The content is very easy to set up and all of it folds down into a 4 foot long bag that comes with it.
I highly recommend this for astronomical uses when you can’t build a permanent observatory
I have been in the market for a portable observatory for almost 2 years, at the local astronomy clubs I got to see some of the ones purchased and the quality was just not present. This product leaves all the others in its wake, seriously a different level of product and I am impressed, it got to 41c today and was amazed how well the silver reflects the heat. Well done team and congratulations on being a world leader from Australia in both quality and price point.
The Phoenix observatory came in three boxes. First box contained the tent, the second box contained the mat, and the third box contained the light/wind shield. I am very impressed with the excellent engineering that went into the design and the manufacturing of the tent. The tent material is thick and made of high-quality that should stand up to use for years. The tent mat is very thick and durable. The light/wind shield is well thought out, easy to use, and does effectively block neighbors outdoor flood lights. All the components are very well made. The color-coded aluminum poles and fabric are of good quality, the screw tent pegs are a great idea and much easier than using stakes and a hammer, and the quick connect “s” carabiner connectors make it easy to connect the tent to the ground mat. The individual nicely made zipper bags, to store each of the individual components separately, is a great idea. The instructional video on how to set up the tent is very informative and really helped in setting up the observatory tent. My 5-inch refractor telescope with equatorial mount, on a field tripod, fits nicely in the tent with room to walk around the telescope and tripod. Since the tent has been set up, it has been subjected to 40 miles per hour wind gusts and was not affected in any way. I am very pleased with my purchase of the Phoenix Observatory tent, it is well made and very sturdy, and I enjoy using it. I would recommend it to anyone who wants a portable observatory.
Specifications
Protection from the elements
Capture the Cosmos with Stability
Built to Last
Travel-Ready Design
See the Octans Observatory in action
Have a Question? We Have Answers
Why Others Love Us
Bought at 2026 Winter Star Party! I’ve owned a Coleman Obs Tent, Kendrick, and made my own floor-less versions. This is a heavy duty, well engineered tool perfect for star parties, backyard imaging when a lucky streak of weather arrives allowing you to keep your rig stable for several days saving massive hassles and security concerns. The infinitely adjustable wind/light shield is well thought out and easy to manage. Did I mention you can also sleep next to your rig at Star parties or while remote for one or two nights?? You can!! Also, it’s great for outreach providing a more authentic ‘Star portal’ for public entry and managing too many folks at once!
Well done, Starpoint Oz!!
(See pic from last week At the WSP 2026, Scout Key, Florida USA)
I received my new Octans with wind shield and ground mat this last week. I have found the high quality and attention to detail superior to pretty much any product I have purchased in a long while. It was relatively easy to set up even the first time and would have been seamless had I rewatched the setup video a second time. Mother nature put it to the test on my first three nights. I set it up on a day that ended with 25 to 30 mph winds. No problem. The next night was perfectly clear and it made overserving so much more enjoyable and easy. The third night we received an inch of heavy wet snow and not a drop of moisture entered into the tent. It fits both my 9.25" Celestron and my home built 22" Dobsonian. So pleased!
Sometimes you don't get what you pay for. Sometimes you do. And sometimes, rarely, you get more than you paid for, and for the Phoenix portable observatory, that's exactly what you get. The Phoenix material and workmanship is as good as it gets. The design: even better. While at the Okie-Tex star party last year, where "the wind comes sweepin' down the plain", it did just that with winds clocked at over 100kph (65mph). Skyboxes, made from conduit and tarps stacked down, ripped out of the ground and crashed into whatever was in there way-even damaging the RV parked next to me. The Octons set up right next to it didn't move an inch and was unscathed. I ordered the Phoenix the next day and am glad I did. Don't wait-if you think you could use a portable observatory-order one before they sell out. As an added bonus, UPS lost one of the three packages, and Starpoint sent another the missing package even before UPS responded to their complaint. Highest ratings for these guys-they are the folks that make life easier for us in the hobby and I'm very grateful they do.
I purchased the Octans to have a semi-permanent observatory and as an option to take an observatory to my dark-site area. Saying this is a robust and solid build quality would be an understatement. It appears that every detail was laboured over until it was correct. I did struggle a little with putting it up, but that is more due to my inability to follow instructions. If I had done it right the first time, it would have taken me 45 minutes tops.
I look forward to enjoying this observatory during the -25 Celsius nights I can get during the winter nights. Thank you for this well-thought-out and well-built product.
In my opinion, the Starpoint Australius Phoenix Observatory is the best portable observatory out there! I’ve successfully used it on three separate occasions for multiple-night stargazing sessions, including a trip near Spruce Knob Mountain, WV—an area known for its extreme wind and wet conditions. Despite facing gusts of over 35 MPH, the observatory remained rock-solid, handling the harsh environment with ease.
Setup was quick and effortless, making it ideal for spontaneous dark-sky outings. The build quality is exceptionally durable, showing no issues even after repeated use. Honestly, I can’t think of any cons—except that I wish I had bought this sooner!
I look forward to using this observatory for every star party and random night of stargazing for years to come. Highly recommended!
