f/5, 6×30 Viewfinder, Go-To computer, Eyepieces 25mm 10mm SMA, Sky Level 1 CD-ROM, Aluminum Tripod.

These are excellent Celestron telescopes 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. Now 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?

Well, you must remember it is only a 80mm and there are deep sky objects that will be out of your reach. But for planet hunting and the brighter objects 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.

With Jupiter you will clearly see two to three of its bands and four moons. You can watch Jupiter’s moons orbiting the gas giant which will take about an hour. On Mars you can see its white polar caps. The brighter star clusters, double stars and some nebulae are also in this celestron telescope’s range.

The views from these celestron telescopes are pleasantly clear and crisp with good definition. If you want to know exactly what you can see through a telescope, read my page on Telescopes – Myths and Misconceptions. I have put together photos from different sized aperture telescopes so you will know what to expect from your telescope.

These celestron telescopes are easy to set up and only weigh about 11 Lbs, making it a great field telescope. 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 new, 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.

 Celestron telescopesRecommendation

These are very good celestron telescopes. With the added bonus of a 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 are experienced. I can highly recommend these celestron telescopes.

Both Amazon and the Binocular Center are selling these celestron telescopes at a good price. But I have tracked them down at Adorama for an amazing price considering it comes with Go-To computer.