Choosing the Right Telescope
How to choose
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 to set up - especially if portability is a necessity.
Refractors: Refractors are less affected by atmospheric instabilities making them perfect for observing the Moon and planets. Perfect for first-time novice astronomers, small refractors are lightweight, portable and require very little maintenance. And, if you're interested in viewing both land and celestial objects, refractors are equipped for both uses.
Reflectors: Reflectors feature larger apertures for a wide range of viewing at an affordable price. Designed with the eyepiece located at the top of the tube, reflectors are more comfortable to use for viewing night-sky objects such as nebulae, the Moon, planets and galaxies. Reflectors tend to be heavier and larger than refractors.
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 (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.
NorthStar® Telescopes offer amateur astronomers state-of-the-art computer-driven location and tracking capability with simple, push-button control. With a built-in data base of 20,000 celestial objects, you simply call up your target on the hand-held control module, enter a simple "Go To" command and the NorthStar computer does the rest. Once locked on, tracking the object for prolonged viewing is automatic. Our innovative RVO (Real Voice Output™) feature provides a fun, interactive way to explore the night sky. The remote, hand-held control module features red, backlit push buttons and a red, illuminated LCD read-out for easy viewing without impairing your night vision. The telescopes also feature our new 1x wide-angle, red dot finderscope. Additional features include a quick-release tripod and accessory tray for fast, easy assembly.
Features
4mm and 20mm eyepieces
Power-boosting Barlow lens
"Go To" computerized tracking technology
Red Dot LED finderscope
Remote hand-held control module
Camera adaptable
Quick release tripod
Kinematic mount
Accessory tray
