Orion 9024 AstroView 90mm Equatorial Refractor Telescope
Orion’s AstroView 90 equatorial refractor telescope is a classic Achromatic refractor with excellent optics and an unusually good accessory package. Bigger and more impressive than it looks in pictures, the AstroView 90 is an adult size telescope that stands nearly five feet high and weighs almost 25 pounds. With fully illustrated instructions the telescope is easy to assemble, and the package includes two Sirius Plossl eyepieces, a 6x30 optical finder scope, and Orion’s Starry Night planetarium software for your computer.Refractors are known for their crisp, high contrast views of the Moon and planets and the AstroView 90 delivers sharp views right out of the box. The low power 25mm Sirius Plossl eyepiece (36X magnification) nicely frames the moon, while the high power 10mm eyepiece (91X magnification) delivers a crisp close up image full of detail. The sharp Achromatic optics of the AstroView 90 EQ also give me delightful views of deep space objects. On a moonless night I like the way the 25mm eyepiece frames the ghostly glow of the Orion Nebula. Zooming in with the 10mm Sirius Plossl eyepiece, I can easily pick out all four stars of the Orion Nebula’s embedded quadruple star the Trapezium. Another night I used anUltima 2X Barlowwith the 10mm plossl eyepiece for a total magnification of 182X while viewing the planet Jupiter. I was rewarded with a clear view of Jupiter’s famous Great Red Spot.The Equatorial mount included with the AstroView 90 EQ is designed to help track stars and planets at high power. When I set up the telescope, I simply point the polar axis at Polaris, the North Star. This makes it easy to keep celestial objects in the field of view by turning one slow motion knob. Orion also offers theEQ-2M Electronic Telescope Drivewhich features a battery powered motor for automatic tracking. The EQ-2 equatorial mount is a little wobbly when the legs are fully extended, but that’s normal for any large telescope in this price range.With excellent optics, classic design, and a very good accessory package, Orion‘s AstroView 90 Equatorial Refractor is an excellent introduction to the world of Astronomy. --Jeff PhillipsPros:Classic refractor designCrisp clear views of the Moon and planetsTwo Sirius Plossl eyepieces and 6x30 finderStarry Night planetarium software includedCons:Equatorial mount wobbles a bit while focusingFirst quarter Moon shot at 36x with Powershot cameraFirst quarter Moon shot at 90X with Powershot camera.Crater Ptolemeaus shot at 350X with NexImage camera and Ultima barlow.Planet Jupter shot at 350X with NexImage camera and Ultima barlow.