Search

I'M IN LOVE. I don't often begin a review by saying that a product has wooed me, but the Celestron Origin Home Observatory has done just that. Not that I'm […]

THE CAMBRIDGE DICTIONARY defines magnificent as 'deserving to be admired.' I had no trouble doing that when I walked into the offices of Stellarvue to get an extension ring for [...]

PERHAPS NOTHING HAS revolutionized amateur astronomy more than go-to telescopes with motorized drives that find and track any of thousands of deep-sky objects. No longer must users rely on a [...]

WHEN I WAS A TEENAGER, new to observing the sky, I spent a year wandering across the Milky Way armed with nothing more than a pair of 7x50 binoculars. Then [...]

The 4-inch refractor has been a favorite of astronomy enthusiasts for countless years, thanks to the combination of portability and resolving power. While these scopes are not the largest light [...]

BY JONATHAN TALBOT Since Stellarvue's founding more than 20 years ago, optical excellence has been the driving force behind their production of top-tier refracting telescopes. Over the years, Stellarvue has [...]

CHOOSING A FIRST TELESCOPE is a difficult task for a fledgling amateur astronomer. Frequently, newcomers pick telescopes with computerized go-to controls, only to discover after a lot of frustration--and expense--that [...]

In the past, my only experience with apochromatic refractors was with an occasional cursory glance through the eyepiece of one set up at a star party. For this reason, I [...]

UNTIL FAIRLY RECENTLY, Maksutov telescopes were not commonly seen at star parties. Amateur astronomers considered them exotic. But that changed in recent years with the introduction of several lower-priced models. [...]

No other telescope design offers the combination of features and portability as a Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope (SCT). You may not consider it the best for any one application, but it does [...]

One thing we have learned in this hobby is that the mount is a setup's most critical component. Even the finest telescope can produce poor results if it rides atop [...]

We are fortunate to live in an age when creative individuals and companies have produced a number of outstanding accessories. Fifty years ago, cutting-edge accessories were items such as Orthoscopic [...]

You can't judge a telescope by its sparkly tube, but the new Sky-Watcher USA Maksutov-Cassegrain 127mm sure looks nice right out of the box. I'm always excited to try out [...]

Stellarvue, based in Auburn, California, was founded in 1997 by astronomy devotee Vic Maris. Since then, the company has earned a reputation for building high-quality refracting telescopes with apertures ranging [...]

The first decade of 21st-century amateur astronomy witnessed an explosion of digital astroimaging gear. At the same time, telescopes designed specifically for those digital cameras--called astrographs--have become increasingly popular, as [...]

Observers in the first decade of the 21st century have seen an explosion in the popularity of short-focal-length apochromatic refractors (APOs), and with good reason. These super-portable scopes deliver sharp [...]

What happens when a group of dedicated astronomers pool their talents to create a new company? You get the products of PlaneWave Instruments. A few years ago, company founders Richard [...]

Meade's 6-inch f/10 ETX-LS is one of the most exciting telescopes to come along in recent years thanks to 'LightSwitch' technology, which offers hands-off initialization. The telescope is the first [...]

For more than a century, Ritchey-Chretien (RC) reflectors have been the most common type of telescope installed in professional observatories. The design combines a hyperbolic concave primary mirror with a [...]

I'll admit it: I love apochromatic (APO) refractors. Although I grew up using reflectors, I have developed an appreciation for the image through a high-quality APO. So when a new [...]

Celestron is famous for its highquality Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes. Anyone who has attended a large star party has seen a variety of these scopes. Now Celestron has updated one of its [...]

Internet astronomy forums were abuzz last fall with speculation about the new flagship telescope that Orion Telescopes and Binoculars was about to unveil. When the curtain went up, we saw [...]

Today's telescope market offers observers an excellent selection of small instruments. Count among them the EON 80mm ED Apochromatic Refractor Telescope from Orion Telescope and Binoculars based in Watsonville, California. [...]

For years I bought bigger and bigger telescopes so I could get higher magnifications and brighter images. Unfortunately, the trade-offs were bloated stars and tougher guiding. Not anymore. The HyperStar [...]

Today's visual observers like a good alt-azimuth mount because of its simplicity and portability. Such units are lightweight, yet they can handle heavy telescopes. If they have a drawback, it's [...]

In 2003, California-based Orion Telescopes and Binoculars introduced the StarBlast, a 4.5-inch Newtonian reflector designed mainly for kids. The StarBlast caught on with adults as well, from novices looking for [...]

When we saw the first mention of Celestron's NexStar Evolution 8 telescope, we knew it would be a great product. This review gave us the opportunity for a 'first look,' [...]

The tried-and-true 8-inch telescope from Meade has taken another step forward with the latest version, the LX90-ACF. 'ACF' stands for 'Advanced Coma-Free.' Coma is an optical defect that distorts off-axis [...]

The apochromatic refractor is one of my favorite instruments for observing the universe. These scopes provide excellent light transmission, lack the drawbacks of a central obstruction, and yield terrific views. [...]

There's a saying in astronomy: The best telescope is the one you use. If your telescope is too big or too complicated to set up easily, you might find it [...]

Portable scopes, no matter their size, are a necessity in this age of light pollution. It's not unusual for an observer to pack the car and drive miles to get [...]

For the past 4 decades, I've lived by the creed that, for stargazing, two eyes are better than one. If you need convincing, Orion Telescopes and Binoculars makes a strong [...]

The Astrolight AZ6 and AZ8 Newtonian reflectors from Parks Optical combine quality optics with a simple mount at a price that won't break the bank. What more could a cost-conscious [...]

First impressions last. I know you shouldn't judge books by their covers, but the William Optics Megrez 90mm apochromatic refractor (APO) and the ZenithStar 66SD APO exude quality. Even the [...]

When artists want an image to scream telescope,' all they need to do is draw a sleek tube, put it atop a tripod, and point it at the heavens. Refractors [...]

Ready to get started astroimaging but don't know where to begin? Try Finger Lakes Instrumentation's (FLI) MaxCam ME2. This small, full-featured CCD camera's high-quantum-efficiency, front-illuminated Kodak sensor and 15-micron read [...]

In January 2006, Celestron unveiled its SkyScout Personal Planetarium at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The instrument was a hit with judges, winning an innovation award. This portable, [...]

Byline: Eric Adams Step 1: FIND The first handheld star-finding device, the Celestron SkyScout doesn't need to be on a fixed mount and aligned with several objects in the sky [...]

Twenty-four years ago,Meade entered the Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope market with its Model 2080 8-inch SCT. This marked the start of not only the tremendous growth of Meade but also of the [...]

I've discovered an outstanding telescope that works lousy at night. This may seem like a contradiction, but it's not if the star you are most interested in happens to be [...]

2. APM Telescopes' 10-inch f/9 folded TMB apochromatic refractor Light travels 89 inches inside this custom-made scope, although the tube is only 27 inches long. It owes its svelte size [...]

1. Meade 14-inch LX200GPS Schmidt-Cassegrain The latest in Meade's LX series, the new 14-inch collects 96 percent more light than its 10-inch brother. This f/10 go-to scope can slew to [...]

To an amateur astronomer, nothing says flexibility like a good refractor. That's why I jumped at the chance to review the William Optics GT102 102mm f/6.9 Apo Refractor. Perfect for [...]

My first contact with the Vixen VSD100F3.8 astrograph was at the 2013 Advanced Imaging Conference. It wasn't like any other telescope I had seen. The focuser alone was an eye-catcher: [...]

Since they first hit the U.S. market some 10 years ago, Sky-Watcher USA telescopes have become synonymous with great value. Whether you're talking about refractors or reflectors, these high-quality instruments [...]

In my opinion, the best telescope design for smaller apertures is the refractor. In the 3-to 5-inch range, these are typically small and light, easy to store and trans-port. They [...]

I clearly remember my first telescope; in fact, I still have it. I was 9 years old, and my parents bought me a 2-inch reflector for Christmas. The tube was [...]

A number of excellent accessories exist for today's visual observer, ranging from cameras to filters to incredible eyepieces. One of my personal favorites--and always a crowd-pleaser when I am doing [...]

It should be no secret that I love big binoculars. Viewing the universe with both eyes is a more personal experience than squinting through a telescope. So, when I was [...]

Recently, I had the opportunity to review the largest telescope from Stellarvue, in Auburn, California--the SV160 triplet refractor. According to company owner Vic Maris, the SV160's initial design came out [...]