Additional Images
(Sky-Watcher 70mm Refractor Telescope
This is an incredible beginner telescope deal! For less than $100 you can start viewing the night sky with a quality, simple-to-use telescope. Don’t let the price fool you—the optics and construction are comparable to telescopes costing $200 or more. The two Plossl eyepieces alone are worth over $90!Save $46 on this Skywatcher telescope for limited time!
This is a great refractor telescope for the beginner sky observer! First, it is very portable and has an easy-to-use yet sturdy Altazimuth mount. Second, the high quality optics and refractor design provide sharp, high-contrast images of the moon and planets for enjoyable astronomical viewing. The 70mm objective lens is a 2-element design with special coatings to ensure high light transmission. It includes two premium Plossl 1.25” 4-element, multi-coated eyepieces that provide a wide field-of-view. Finally, it produces an upright image which means it is just as useful viewing distant land objects or nature as it is the rings of Saturn or the belts of Jupiter.
Other quality features include a red-dot finderscope, deluxe 1.25” 90° mirror diagonal for viewing comfort, 2x Barlow lens to double magnification of each eyepiece, and Planetarium software for your PC.
A small telescope of this size is best suited to viewing the solar system rather than deep space objects. The refractor design produces enjoyable high-contrast images of the moon and planets and even produces reasonable results with city light glow.
The key to good astronomical viewing is not high magnification but greater light gathering ability. This 70mm f/10 telescope has a light grasp of 5.9 square inches, 100 times the light of the unaided human eye and 36% more light than a 60mm refractor telescope. More light means you will see more stars and greater detail of the moon and planets. The high-quality optical system of this telescope is superior to the inexpensive telescopes with low quality optics boasting magnifications of 400x or greater. For help finding the telescope that's right for you, see our Selecting a Telescope guide.
Note: Standard Shipping and shipping specials are not available for this bulky item. This item only ships to a street address in the 50 US states with UPS Ground shipping.
Product Specifications
- 70mm diameter multi-coated objective lens made from grade-A crown and flint glass
- 700mm focal length, f/10.0
- 5.9 sq. in. light grasp
- 165x maximum theoretical magnification and 2.0 arc-sec resolving power
- High-quality super Plossl fully-coated 25mm and 12mm 1.25” eyepieces provide clear, sharp images at magnification of 28x and 58x with a 52° apparent field-of-view and great eye relief
- 1.25” 2x Barlow lens doubles magnification of the included eyepieces to 56x and 116x for up-close planetary and lunar viewing
- 1.25" rack-and-pinion focuser
- 90° mirror diagonal for viewing comfort
- Red-dot finderscope with variable brightness makes locating night-sky objects easy
- Easy-to-use and stable AZ-2 Altazimuth mount with altitude fine adjustment
- Deluxe aluminum tripod with accessories tray
- Aluminum optical tube with enamel finish
- Includes easy-to-understand instructions for use and assembly
- Includes TheSkyX Student astronomy software for PC computers (XP or Vista with DVD required). TheSkyX Student is a comprehensive and full-featured tool to help you explore and actively develop an understanding of basic astronomy. You can learn the constellations (labeled with their phonetic pronunciation), watch planetary motion over days or centuries, witness solar and lunar eclipses, and much more ($79 value.)
- Weighs 7 lbs with a 28" tube length
- One year warranty from Sky-Watcher USA, Sky-Watcher model GreatStart 70AR-AZ2 telescope
Telescope Magnification:
Don't make the mistake of buying a telescope for the high magnification advertised. Many low-priced telescopes boast magnification of over 300x, which is totally unusable for three reasons.
- First, the theoretical magnification for any telescope is limited by aperture (primary lens or mirror) diameter. The maximum theoretical magnification is 120x for a 60mm telescope and 228x for a 114mm telescope.
- Second, atmospheric conditions limit magnification to 200-250x on the very best of nights even with very large telescopes.
- Third, the low quality optics on most inexpensive telescopes do not produce a clear, sharp image even at lower magnifications.
Most night sky observing is done in the range of 25x-150x. The Sky-Watcher telescopes we offer have excellent optics at these magnification levels, ensuring you will enjoy your night sky viewing.
