Main technical features
The Orion 9024 AstroView is an Equatorial Refractor Telescope that has a 90mm aperture complemented with a 91mm focal length. When used with this telescope, the included 1.25-inch Orion 25mm Sirius Plossl eyepiece delivers an amazing 360-degree power view. The supplied 90-degree star diagonal allows comfortable night sky viewing. In addition, the 6×30 finder scope helps with the accurate aiming of the telescope.
This telescope allows you to get great views of the moon with its surface features. It delivers excellent close-ups of the rocky lunar surface, as well as Jupiter and Saturn. Family nights outdoors can become even more exciting with opportunities to learn about the different distinctive features of the two planets. You will all surely enjoy using the included Starry Night Special Edition software to enhance information gathering.
This telescope is quite easy to use, with its included EQ-2 equatorial mount for secure and stable support as well as slow-motion control to follow moving celestial objects across the sky. You can easily tweak the Right Ascension (R.A.) slow motion cable of the equatorial mount that keeps your targets nicely centered in the eyepiece. For hands-free, automated tracking, you can opt to get an optional electric motor, with separately-available drives.
Buy from Amazon.com
In-depth information
The included 10mm Sirius Plossl Eyepiece allows you to take a closer look by delivering more magnification. It provides a powerful 91X view when inserted into the telescope, with a 52-degree visible field of view that facilitates up close viewing of distant objects. You can always start with the low-power 25X Plossl eyepiece before progressing to high power. The 90-degree star diagonal flexes the path of the light so you have a correctly-oriented image and not have to contort you body to accommodate an otherwise inverted image. Simply move the telescope till you get the crosshairs on the included finder scope centered on the target, right after doing a simple alignment process. Get crisp, clear views of the sky every time.
This telescope provides views of the moon and its rocky lunar surface, marked with mountainous regions and craters in superb high-contrast detail. Get fascinated by the rugged relief of the surface of the moon. On particularly clear evenings, enjoy fantastic views of the cloud banding on Jupiter, which becomes starkly visible. The four major Galilean moons of Jupiter can also be visible on clear evenings. On specific times of the year, you can have a glimpse of the stunning rings of Saturn and its largest moon called Titan. The included FREE Special Edition of Starry Night astronomy software comes with naturalistic sky simulations and a host of other features such as controls for optimizing the telescope. Use the software with a PC that runs Windows 7 or 8, Vista and XP or a Mac running OS X 10.4 or later.
The supplied EQ2 equatorial mount enables slow-motion control while ensuring stable support. It is a substantial component that enables you to do problem-free manual tracking of heavenly bodies as they move across the evening sky. Just tweak the Right Ascension slow-motion cable occasionally to keep the target centered in the eyepiece. The tripod adjusts to allow you to set the instrument to a comfortable height. The handy accessory tray puts astronomy essentials within easy reach. Enjoy many evenings of fun family astronomy adventures with this exceptional telescope.
Known issues
Some users think the equatorial part of the tripod is quite heavy so portability may be an issue here. However, for the price, they all agree that the telescope does what it is designed to do and without costing as much as other models. It makes a great budget-friendly investment for family enjoyment of the night sky.
Buy from Amazon.com
