Product Description

Perfect for amateur astronomers, the Tasco Luminova Telescope provides a crystal clear, amazing look at our closest celestial neighbors. An intelligent choice for stargazers on a budget, this telescope provides quality options and slow motion controls. Two mounting options provide sharp images, excellent eye relief and wide field-of-view. Plus, its light weight makes it ideal for carrying to your favorite viewing spot. Measures 29 inches long; adjustable legs move up to 58.5 inches tall.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #9200 in Camera & Photo
• Brand: Bushnell
• Model: 40076420
• Dimensions: 38.00" h x 10.00" w x 10.00" l, 15.66 pounds

Features

• Powerful reflector-style telescope with advanced features
• Easy-to-use, slow-motion controls work with either alt-azimuth or equatorial mounts
• Lightweight and extremely portable
• Magnification: 420x
• Objective lens: 76mm

From The Manufacturer
Notably lightweight and extremely portable, this powerful Luminova reflector telescope offers many advanced features that make lunar details crystal clear. Easy-to-use, slow-motion controls work with either an alt-azimuth or an equatorial mount. The 1.25" eyepiece delivers sharp images and a wide field-of-view along with excellent eye relief.

An excellent first telescope for beginners, the 700mm reflector design provides great views of deep space, the moon and the planets. It features:

• 420x magnification
• 76mm objective lens
• Included accessories: Tasco SkyWatch CD-ROM with 10,000 Object Database, Moon filter, Solar Projection Screen

Tech Talk
When selecting a telescope, consider which target objects you plan to explore as well as your level of experience. For viewing most night sky objects, you'll want a telescope with as much aperture as possible. Keep in mind that as the size of the objective lens or mirror increases, so does the size of the telescope. So be sure to select a telescope that isn't too heavy to manage or too complicated for you tot set up - especially if portability is a necessity.

• Refractor Telescope: A refractor telescope collects light though a large objective lens and directs it through the telescope to the eyepiece for magnification. Invented by the famous astronomer Galileo, refractor telescopes are noted for bright, high-quality images with excellent resolution.
• Reflector Telescope: Reflectors use a large concave mirror to collect and focus light back to a diagonal mirror which redirects the light to the eyepiece for magnification. Reflectors deliver the most magnification in a compact design because they achieve a longer focal length through the use of mirrors.
• Eyepieces: Lower power eyepieces provide a wider field-of-view and a brighter image making them ideal for viewing the full Moon and planets, star clusters, nebulae and the constellations. To focus in on the finer details of the Moon and planets such as mountains, ridges and craters, use an eyepiece with higher magnification.
• Mounts: There are two basic types of telescope mounts, the altitude-azimuth (also referred to as alt-azimuth or altaz) and the equatorial. Altaz mounts are the easiest to maneuver and are ideal for first-time astronomers. Equipped with a manual control or motor drive that allows you to follow the movement of objects across the night sky, equatorial mounts are ideal for more experienced astronomers.

Customer Reviews

impressive-looking clunker
Got mine for free. Worth every penny. Wrong manual was enclosed. The "right" manual was available on the "support" section of Tasco.com, but not very helpful. The mounting for the spotter scope is in the wrong position on the lens barrel, so that the mount can't slide back and forth. The radial adjustment tightening knob is tiny, hard to use. Good for looking at the moon, or the sun (just kidding!) or maybe nearby mountaintops (not that I live near any). If you want to look at distant galaxies or the rings of Saturn, you're better off looking at the pretty pictures of those celestial bodies on the box.