Priced around $349.

This is an excellent Celestron telescope for the beginner on a budget who wants the benefits of a computer controlled telescope. The Go-To computer will help you find objects in a flash. There are those who will tell a novice that they should learn about the night sky, and they are right. But I must admit that had computer controlled telescopes been around when I started astronomy, I would have been first in line.

You should learn how to find objects and you will, even with the Go-To. But if you’re like me and I think most are, you’ll want to spend your nights viewing objects – not trying to find them. So with that said, what are you going to see?

You must remember it is only a 80mm Celestron telescope and there are deep sky objects that will be out of your reach. But for planet hunting and the brighter objects in the Milky Way, you are in for a treat. This Celestron telescope will give you great views of Saturn and her rings with the Cassini division clearly visible. On Jupiter you will clearly see two to three cloud bands and Jupiter’s moons. With clear dark sky you can see the polar caps on Mars.

The views from this Celestron telescope are clear and crisp with good definition. If you want to know exactly how objects will look through a telescope, read my page on Telescopes – Myths and Misconceptions. I have put together photos using different sized aperture telescopes so you will know what to expect from your telescope.

This Celestron telescope is easy to set up and only weighs about 11 Lbs. The only problem I found was the lightweight tripod. It was very rocky which is a problem when viewing. This is easily fixed by hanging a bag filled with sand from the center of the tripod under the telescope which will make it much more sturdy. I also taped a bubble spirit to the tripod so I knew if it was balanced. You will need to have your tripod balanced when using Go-To.

I would suggest you buy a barlow lens which will give you more magnification variation with your eyepieces and will save you having to buy more eyepieces which can be expensive. And if you’re a beginner, I would also suggest you buy Starry Night Software. It is one of the best learning tools I have come across. It will help you learn about the night sky and give you information on the object you are viewing.

 Product Description

•  Celestron telescope aperture – 80mm (3.1″)
• Focal length of 400mm
• Focal ratio of f/5
• 6×30 Viewfinder
• Go-To computer
• Eyepieces – 25mm, 10mm SMA
• Sky Level 1 CD-ROM
• Aluminum Tripod.
• Celestron telescope weight 11 Lbs.

Recommendation

This is a very good Celestron telescope and the added bonus is the Go-To computer which will help find objects and allow you to view more objects in a single night than is normally possible unless you’re experienced.

I can highly recommend this Celestron telescope to anyone on a budget. You will find this scope for a good price at the Binocular Center and Adorama