Celestron 21044 76mm PowerSeeker Telescope

by Celestron

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 29 x 10 x 9 inches ; 14 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 15 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0002CTZB6
• Item model number: 21044
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #34,179 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: May 28, 2004

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

Celestron's value priced PowerSeeker 76 telescope uses a Newtonian optical system to gather up to 60 percent more starlight than popular 60mm starter scopes. The package includes an adjustable Alt-Azimuth tripod, a Kellner type K20 eyepiece, a Ramsden type SR4 eyepiece, a 3x barlow lens, and a 5x24 cross-hair finder scope.

Using mirrors instead of lenses, the Powerseeker's Newtonian reflector design produces images that are noticeably sharper and brighter than 60mm refractors. With the SR4 eyepiece (175x), I can make out all four stars of the famous double-double star E-Lyrae, but a 60mm refractor only shows me two tiny figure-eights. When I look a the Double Cluster in Perseus with the K20 eyepiece on a moonless night, the image is bright enough to show me dozens of individual stars. The reflector design shows pure colors, without the false color or blue fringing I see in low cost refractors. Looking at the double star Gamma Andromeda, for instance, the primary star shines yellow-gold while the secondary is pale blue.

The Powerseeker 76 arrived neatly packaged in a compact box. When I assembled the telescope, though, I got the impression it needed another washer here and there: the tripod legs seemed a little too wide to fit the tripod head, the slow motion control rod seemed a little too tight. The assembled telescope turns out to be quite stable; I like to use it with the legs kept short. Since the eyepiece is near the top of the tube, the eyepiece height is very comfortable for a seated adult. Even at 175x magnification with the SR4 eyepiece, the view is steady enough that I have no trouble focusing.

There's no doubt this is a bargain priced telescope with good optical performance. I'd like it even better if it came with a K10 eyepiece instead of the 3x barlow, and it would be nice to have a better finder scope and a more rugged mount. Orion's Spaceprobe 3 Altaz is a similar telescope with more accessories included. –Jeff Phillips

Pros:

• Low cost
• Good optics

Cons:

• Small aperture
• Some parts don't fit well
• Plastic barlow and finder

Product Description

Power Seeker 76

See all Product Description

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Run Away from this Scope!, August 18, 2005

By 

kone "kone" (USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Celestron 21044 76mm PowerSeeker Telescope (Electronics)

This scope is not a good starter scope for anyone interested in astronomy. Here's why:

1. The objective is too small, only 76 mm, 3.0 inches, so it is too small to bring in the light necessary for even a beginning look at the universe. I suppose it is marginally adequate for the moon, but that is it. The planets will appear as very small disks. One will be able to see Saturn's rings, but the image will be very small. Forget it for deep sky objects, clusters, galaxies, etc.

2. The mount is a cheap one and will frustrate rather than aid the viewing. A better mount is an equatorial mount which makes it much easier to track objects.

3. The 4mm eyepiece is too powerful for this scope. The observer will find it hard to look through (very small eye opening), and will in most cases cause blurred images. The 20 mm eyepiece is the only functional eyepiece. The barlow is a 3x, which again is too powerful for this scope.

Even for the low price, don't be enticed by this scope; it has too many flaws. Save your money for a larger scope with a better mount.

Jim "Konedog" Koenig, astronomy buff

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars OK for its price, October 31, 2005

By 

X. Li (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Celestron 21044 76mm PowerSeeker Telescope (Electronics)

This is very inexpensive and has a larger aperture than common 60mm refractors. However, both the telescope and the finderscope are somewhat wobbly, making it difficult to find objects. It is possible to use the 4mm eyepiece, but with much difficulty.

-Relatively sharp view of the Mares and major craters of the moon.
-Saturn is visible as a small ellipse with the 20mm eyepiece and as a tiny, pale circle with rings with the 4mm. As stated before, using the 4mm eyepiece is quite difficult, but not impossible.
-Orion's nebula can be observed, but not too clearly with the 20mm eyepiece and 3x barlow lens.

Overall, it is not of the best quality, but somewhat superior to many of the cheap 60mm refractors. Recommended if it is not possible to buy anything more expensive.

4.0 out of 5 stars Great beginner scope, January 4, 2009

By 

Joel Rein (Canberra, Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Celestron 21044 76mm PowerSeeker Telescope (Electronics)

This was my first telescope - and, I've got to say, it's not a bad choice. Now, granted, it's not without its flaws, for example, it seems wobbly, I'd like to be able to tighten the slow motion control rod further than it will actually go, and getting objects lined up with the finderscope and then getting the image again with the main telescope can be tricky.

Nonetheless, it was easy to assemble and get started with. I had a bit of bad luck with weather (and then a new moon...) but that's not the telescope's fault! After that, I was able to get some great images of the moon, including mountain ranges and craters within craters, even combining the 4mm eyepiece with the 3x Barlow lens for a very detailed image.

I haven't managed to get a good look at any other planets yet, so that could be an interesting challenge. But I'm happy so far.