This Orion telescope is very good for children or anyone who only wants to use the telescope for casual viewing. The best way to describe this Orion telescope is that it is for any parent whose child wants a scope but is not certain if this is a fad. The telescope is simple to set up and simple to use. It’s lightweight and makes the Short-tube very portable and easy to move around.
This is not a deep sky Orion telescope, but when it comes to the planets it performs quite well. I would suggest you buy a Barlow lens to add magnification to the 1.25″ eyepiece for more detailed viewing. You can see Saturn and her rings very clearly and Jupiter with 2 to 3 cloud bands (3 with clear sky) and four of Jupiter’s moons which appear as bright stars. Our moon has a lot of detail in it and will give any child a lot to study.
I have put together photos of the planets and other objects taken using different size telescopes to show you exactly what you can expect from a telescope, go to Telescopes – Myths and Misconceptions.
There are a lot of plastic parts, but that’s to be expected for a telescope under $200. The optical tube is a compact 18″ long aluminum tube. It also comes with the EQ1 equatorial mount which will accept an electronic drive.
But if astronomy is going to be a serious hobby I would not recommend this Orion telescope, there are much better telescopes for the serious amateur.
Product Description
- Orion telescope aperture – 4.5″
- f/8.8 Reflector
- 5×24 Viewfinder
- Eyepiece – 1.25″ Kellner
- Rack-and-pinion focus-er
- Stable EQ1 equatorial mount which accepts optional electronic drive for automatic star tracking
Recommendation
I would recommend this telescope for a child or casual user but not for the serious astronomer. This Orion telescope usually sells for around $249, but you will find them at Catalog-city for $189 along with a large selection of other Orion telescopes.
