CelestronAstroMaster 70EQ Refractor Telescope – Refractor Telescope for Beginners - Fully-Coated Glass Optics - Adjustable-Height Tripod - Bonus Astronomy Software Package

I wanted to get my feet wet in backyard astronomy, after getting bitten by the bug using a pair of Nikon 8x42 binoculars. The binoculars still are a must have item, but far to shaky and low magnification to get views of planets.So I researched telescopes, and decided on a refractor, due to having small children and little time to fiddle with collimation. My budget was low, to keep my wife happy. The 70EQ stuck out due to the sturdier CG-2 equatorial mount and tripod, and far more sensible and better eyepieces (Kellner) compared to the powerseeker models.I was able to assemble it in about 20min, got it outside, and found both Jupiter and Saturn in a few minutes. Absolutely amazing seeing both the Galilean Moons and Saturn's rings within minutes of getting it outside. The moon itself is spectacular through this scope at both 45X and 90X. The 10mm has considerably more chromatic aberrations than the 20mm, but it's not bad. After that first night, I got the mount set to my latitude, and polar alignment consists of setting the tripod up with the mount approximately facing North. For generally keeping Saturn in the viewfinder that's good enough. The EQ mount is a must have though. I love it.I have run into a problem with the red dot finder scope, it stopped working after about a week. I swapped in a couple of new batteries and still broken. So I quickly ordered a replacement for $14 and am back up and running. So far the new one hasn't faltered.I'd recommend this scope to anyone. It is usable right out of the box. I've seen all 8 planets through it. Uranus and Neptune are still tiny dots, but you can tell they're blueish color and that they are round, but that's about it. Saturn is my favorite, it's also tiny at 90X, but the rings are clearly visible and separate from the planet itself. Jupiter, I can faintly make out the cloud bands, the planet is small and contrast is low, but with patience and persistence they are visible. I haven't been able to make out the giant red storm, but I'm hoping to get a decent 7mm or possibly 5mm eyepiece to push into the very limits of this scopes capabilities and make it out, along with the Cassini division. But, if not, it gives me a reason to beg for an upgraded scope someday. I've also been mesmerized by the faint grey fuzzies that are up there. I've seen the Andromeda Galaxy, the Dumbbell Nebulae, and the Orion Nebulae, these are faint as the scope is a slow f/12.9, but again, with patience they are there yo see.Have fun, and get something, you can't see Saturn's rings without some sort of scope. 73

A fantastic buy as a first telescope for amateur astronomers. This is my first telescope, and I've only had it for about a week or so, but I've taken it out already about 5 times (every clear night and morning I've had) and been very happy with its performance. There's a bit of a learning curve to it, as there is with any telescope, but generally it's easy to use. The star-pointer is nice, but easy to bump out of alignment, but it does it's job even if it isn't the best out there.Even from my front yard in Athens, Ohio (Roughly Bortle Class 5 or 6 skies), the Orion nebula is a rather lovely gray mist, I can make out Andromeda (though finding it can be a trick when it's not a naked-eye object!), and the moon is absolutely brilliant. The planets are nice as well, and I've scoped out Jupiter and Mars so far. You can make out some details on the planets, but you've really got to be patient, focus it well, let your eyes focus, and wait for those fleeting moments of calmer atmosphere.I love the 20mm, eyepiece, and that's honestly the one I use most (I also purchased the Celestron Astromaster accessory kit with a 15mm and a 6mm, a Barlow lens, and a few filters). My biggest complaint is that even when it's aligned to the north pole properly and you've tightened the knobs down, I always manage to bump the scope ever so slightly off where it was pointing while changing eyepieces, and then I spend 10 minutes just trying to find what I was looking at again. That may be a bit of user error, but I think it's also partly that the scope isn't the most sturdy thing in the world despite the very nice tripod and mount it comes with. Even little tremors in my hands that I wouldn't normally notice set the whole view trembling so you have to really find what you want and let it sit for a second.Overall, a very fine telescope that does quite nicely. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for their first telescope, or perhaps just a cheaper scope that might be easier to pack up and travel with if you're going for a road trip.