Orion StarBlast II 4.5 Equatorial Reflector Telescope

It is a fantastic telescope at a very low price paired with two excellent eyepieces and a tripod and mount that are almost useless. This is the first cheap telescope that can satisfy visual astronomy. Most cheap (under $200) scopes are merely toys, but this one is superior. Using a better mount and camera, the telescope can also be used to observe the moon, planets, and the deep universe At night, you can see the stars by taking pictures of the sky It is possible to take moon photographs with even a smartphone. A rectifying prism is also necessary if you plan to observe the earth from the ground, otherwise your view This tripod is inadequate for anything other than casual stargazing and taking smartphone photos of the moon, because it is unstable and imprecise. However, you can make it more stable by hanging a high weight (such as a jug of window cleaner or laundry soap). You will be able to track objects by turning just one knob with occasional tweaks using the other knob if you point it at the North Star (Polaris). If you want to add an electric motor, there is such an add-on and you don't need to waste your money on it. Unlike the ones typically included with low-cost scopes, the Plössl eyepieces included with this scope are of much higher quality. It seemed to me that the moon map would be a good throw-away The information is a long way away, but I have used it several times to quickly identify A tour of the moon can provide impressive views, and you can take in Jupiter and its moons, as well as the rings of Saturn There is a beautiful nebula in Orion (M42), but it is not as well known as other deep sky objects. Other galaxies will be little more than fuzzy blobs if they are visible The camera is able to do the following An astrophotography camera such as a smartphone, DSLR, or CMOS should be used. These excellent mirrors can produce decent pictures of the brighter nebulae, galaxies, and clusters of galaxies in this scope. Although this mount does not have a GOTO capability, first-time astronomers will find that this mount is a good choice due to two factors You need to learn how to identify major celestial landmarks so that when you head out into the sky, you can find your way 2) GOTO mounts are difficult to set up because accurate (tidy) alignment and precise (expensive) tracking are required. The only downside is that the scope is not waterproof so it cannot be used outdoors. However, it may be able to be used as a moonscope for several years to come. Additionally, it can be used for astrophotography if it is equipped with other items such as a camera and a mount and tripod.

Berkley Frey

| Dec 18, 2020

To make it easy to grab, I wanted a grab handle Scope is the way to go. In any case, the scope seems to work just fine, but if you've never seen one before, I'd recommend that you watch some videos first or use an equatorial mount at least once. We're not looking at the typical up, down, right, and left scenarios here. When it comes to installing it in your car, don't expect it to work in two minutes flat. It was returned to me, and I got this one.

Zeke Shelton

| Mar 29, 2021

This telescope is really great! For christmas, I got my boyfriend a new watch, and he really It took him no time to figure out how to use the scope since he's never used one before. I am not sure how people can get such close-ups with this scope, since with the lens provided it seems impossible (though it took me a while to figure it out). Make sure to use care when tightening the screws on the knobs, since they tend to strip If you want new parts, the company will make you jump through 100 different hoops (and they only do that if they feel Contact Amazon and once you return the old one, they will send you a new one. Don't waste your time with the company. Here it is (picture is of the blood wolf moon in 2019)

(that's what we did).

Justice Oneill

| Dec 07, 2020

This telescope has so far left me amazed after only a few nights use. got a Simmons sixty mm 800 fl lens as a child and just recently decided to look up at the sky with the lens. Saturn and Jupiter could be observed with it, but it was a little hard on the eyes and the rings weren't apparent and Jupiter was just a Having acquired this scope, I bought it in hope of being able to see more due to its nearly double size. It is amazing how much more I see. Having now seen Saturn's moons, I can see what they look like. As far as I'm concerned, the only disappointment was that the planets were smaller than I expected. The smaller focal length and larger mm eye pieces give them the appearance of being smaller than they actually are. Nevertheless, the planets are brighter, crisper, and easier to find than when they were observed on Earth. If smaller planets are observed with a Barlow lens and a small mm eyepiece, the dilemma will be resolved. I would highly recommend this scope to anyone who enjoys going outside every now and then to see the sky without spending big bucks on a car.

Maia Swanson

| Nov 13, 2020

For the money, this is an acceptable scope. I knew about it before I entered. The most astonishing thing is that I could still see M81 and M82 in an orange zone with a street light behind me. That was not what I expected from M31. I also enjoyed looking at M42 as the stars of the trapezium were split at The cons are I expected a more sturdy mount, but this is flimsy. There was also an issue with the secondary mirror. It's possible that the target audience for this scope (younger people) may encounter the primary, but I doubt they'll visit or even know what secondary means. I don't think there was a problem with it coming loose during shipment because In any case, as long as the user uses them for solar system objects, then it would be fine. With an aperture of f/4, little miscollimation is able to interfere with views of galaxies and nebulas.

Alayna Mathis

| Nov 28, 2020

Thank you so much for arriving ahead of schedule. I really like how well packed this is with all the There was little difficulty assembling the box, but the instructions on it are absolutely useless. Orion has an excellent video on YouTube showing how it's put together, in an easy and straightforward manner. It is my fiesta telescope, therefore I find it a challenge to use the EQ1. Polaris was a challenge for me because of the size of the yard and the presence of house and trees all around so finding it was difficult, but I centered it in a general direction and it worked, not perfect but okay. The sky was filled with stars and I even caught a glimpse of Jupiter, but the alignment was bad so I Therefore, it has been awarded 5-stars because it did everything it promised in terms of performance as well as arrived early. All of the attachments and features came in the box, were well packed, It is possible that I will need to update. I appreciate you taking the time to let me know.

Freyja Stokes

| Jul 19, 2021