Product Description

If you're looking for a dual-purpose telescope appropriate for both terrestrial and celestial viewing, then the AstroMaster Series is for you. Each AstroMaster model is capable of giving correct views of land and sky. The AstroMaster Series produce bright, clear images of the Moon and planets. It is easy to see the moons of Jupiter and the rings of Saturn with every one of these fine instruments. For views of the brighter deep space objects like galaxies and nebulae, we recommend the larger aperture and light gathering ability of the Newtonian reflectors.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4420 in Camera & Photo
• Brand: Celestron
• Model: 31042
• Dimensions: 29.05 pounds

Features

• Quick and easy no-tool setup
• Permanently mounted StarPointer
• Erect image optics , Ideal for terrestrial and astronomical use
• Quick release dovetail attachment, no tool setup
• Pan handle Alt-Az control with clutch, for smooth and accurate pointing (21061, 21063 & 31043)

From the Manufacturer
If you're looking for a dual-purpose telescope appropriate for both terrestrial and celestial viewing, then the AstroMaster Series is for you. Each AstroMaster model is capable of giving correct views of land and sky.

The AstroMaster Series produce bright, clear images of the Moon and planets. It is easy to see the moons of Jupiter and the rings of Saturn with every one of these fine instruments. For views of the brighter deep space objects like galaxies and nebulae, we recommend the larger aperture and light gathering ability of the Newtonian reflectors.

Customer Reviews

Very good bang for the buck
I bought this as my first telescope to explore the sky and I am VERY pleased. It's a high quality scope, and the mount and tripod are the kind you get with higher end models. Mine came with an incorrect piece, I contacted the Celestron, and I had a new piece in 3 days. Very nice service. I to had problems finding stars at first, so I went to an astronomy forum and found out the correct way to do it. From there, I haven't had a problem finding anything.

The 2 main things are 1) calibrate your finder first and 2) use the right eye piece when looking for something (this scope comes with a 10mm and a 20mm, so you would want to use the 20 to find and 10 to magnify once you found what it is your looking for). I have found Astronomy is not a hobby where you can easily learn stuff through trial and error, and most frustration comes when you try just that.

The only thing it's lacking is an eyepiece that goes to it's full magnification. I'm buying a 5mm for this, but if they included that, they would have to up the price. So all in all, this in my opinion is the best bang for the buck telescope out there for beginners on a budget!

A basic tool for a basic user
This item was a good buy for our 10-year old, especially at the reduced price I paid. Set up was somewhat difficult for a beginner, and the weights provided were not enough to fully balance the telescope. However, good enough if you keep in mind that's not fully balanced. When the said up was complete it looked great and worked well.

The major problem we have is locating the stars...even when we seem to have the telescope pointing straight at a star, haven't been able to locate them. The powerseeker is of limited help. I presume this will come with experience.

Overall a good buy.

Okay tube, but the mount...
This scope may be fine for low power terrestrial viewing, but the mount is way too spindly for any high power celestial work. The star finder is pretty much a joke as well, I guess that's why the better telescopes use an actual finder scope. When I first got it the optics were so far out of alignment I had to buy a collimation tool and set it up before I could even use it. The interior of the tube was also full of plastic flash and other debris and had to be cleaned out. If I wanted a telescope kit, I would have bought one.

The bottom line is, you get what you pay for. So do yourself a favor, spend more and get more. For ease of use, get the largest Dobsonian scope you can afford and just enjoy it.