More times than she can remember, Jean Mueller stood on the catwalk of the 200-inch Hale Telescope at the Palomar Observatory scanning the night sky, trying to time the exact moment to close the dome.

If you’ve ever tilted your head to the night sky and thought, I wish I could see more, this one’s for you. The Hestia is the first ever smartphone-based telescope, is on sale for $259.99 (MSRP $299), ...