Celestron Firstscope 60EQ 60mm Refractor Telescope

Celestron Firstscope 60EQ 60mm Refractor Telescope Review

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Celestron Firstscope 60EQ 60mm Refractor Telescope Feature

• Focal length: 900mm
• 2.4-inch refractor telescope ideal for terrestrial and celestial viewing
• StarPointer finderscope locates objects quickly and easily
• Includes adjustable tripod and accessory tray
• Magnification: 142x

Amazon.com Review Celestron's Firstscope 60 EQ is an affordable entry level telescope packaged with two decent eyepieces, a "red-dot" finder, and a basic equatorial mount. But "affordable" doesn't mean "cheap": Like many other amateurs, my first unforgettable view of Saturn's rings came years ago with an entry level 60mm refractor very much like the Firstscope 60 EQ.

The best objects for small telescopes are bright objects like the Moon and planets. When I look at Jupiter with the included 10mm eyepiece (90x) or my own 7.5mm plossl eyepiece (120x), I can plainly see Jupiter's four moons and two major cloud belts. The rings of Saturn, the moon-like phases of Venus, and the little orange disk of Mars all show up quite nicely at 90x and 120x. Many deep space objects look best with the low power 20mm eyepiece (45x). The Pleiades cluster, for instance, fills the eyepiece with bright stars right across the field of view. Other famous deep space objects like the Ring Nebula, the Swan Nebula, and the globular cluster in Hercules are plainly visible, but they are too small and faint to show much detail.

The Firstscope 70 EQ features a classic achromatic refractor design.

The equatorial mount included with the Firstscope 60 EQ has dual slow-motion controls. Simply point the mount's polar axis at Polaris, the north star, and you can turn one knob to track stars and planets as they move across the sky. You can even add an optional motor drive for automatic tracking. In practice, however, the small equatorial has its drawbacks. I find the flexible control knobs are stiff enough to get in the way when viewing overhead. Some people even remove the counter-weight and set the elevation dial to zero degrees-this simple change converts the mount to Alt-Az operation with dual slow-motion controls. Alt-Az mounts use an easy to understand up-down (altitude), left-right (azimuth) motion instead of the more complicated "declination" and "right ascension" of the equatorial mount.

A subscription to Night Sky magazine would go a long way to helping a beginner learn how to use the Firstscope 60 EQ and how to identify the stars and planets. A small telescope like the Firstscope 60 EQ has its limitations; it won't show the divisions in Saturn's rings or resolve globular clusters into individual stars. Even so, if a small scope peaks your curiosity by showing you the rings of Saturn and the mountains on the Moon, it's done its job well. When you're ready for a bigger telescope, check out Amazon's telescope buyers guide. --Jeff Phillips

Pros

• Low cost
• Decent optics
• Good planet views up to 120x

Cons

• Too small for serious observing
• EQ mount can be hard to use

Refractor telescopes (also known as dioptrics) are probably what most of us think of when we hear the word "telescope." Refractors have a long, thin tube in which light passes in a straight line from the front objective lens directly to the eyepiece, at the opposite end of the tube. Simplicity of design, which translates into reliability and ease of use Little or no maintenance requirements Excellent lunar, planetary and binary star viewing. High contrast images with no secondary mirror or diagonal obstruction. Sealed optical tube, to protect the optics and reduce air currents, which tend to degrade image quality. Permanently mounted and aligned objective lens. The 60mm (2.4") refractor is the most popular telescope size for beginning astronomy enthusiasts and for casual gift-giving. This size telescope is perfect for introducing newcomers to astronomy, at an affordable price. For astronomical observing, the 60mm refractor allows you to see lunar details, Saturn and its rings, Jupiter and its moons, the phases of Venus, larger globular clusters, bright double stars and some bright nebulae. After adding an optional solar filter, you can observe activity on the sun. In addition, a 60mm telescope can be used for terrestrial viewing, bringing the world closer to you and allowing you to observe wildlife, distant views and your environment. Firstscope 60EQ Has all glass components, coated optic

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Jul 30, 2011 04:58:03