Customer Reviews

Celestron 21063 AstroMaster 90 AZ Refractor Telescope

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Celestron Astromaster 90Az Refractor telescope is a great little starter scope. Well I shouldn't really say "little" as it is about 3ft long or so. The Altazimuth tripod is perfect for beginners as you just use it like a normal camera tripod. I prefer this much more than an equatorial mount for quick viewing. If you are new to amateur astronomy you should do some research try to learn what to expect when buying a telescope so you can know what to expect view with it. This is a great telescope for viewing the moon and other planetary viewing, it also serves well for terrestrial viewing. But if you are expecting to view brilliant images like the ones Hubble takes then you probably will be disappointed.

I also have a 4.5 reflector telescope but I can honestly say I prefer this Celestron over the the 4.5 inch one. This refractor gives a much clearer image of objects like Jupiter and its moons than my 4.5 inch. I live in a very light polluted city and I can still see Jupiter and it's moons very clearly, I can just image what they would look like out in the country skies. The Moon looks spectacular. I suggest buying a 2X Barlow lens with this (or any) telescope.

If you are wanting to observe other things like deep sky objects (Nebulas, Galaxies...) I suggest you save your money and buy yourself large aperture dobsonian. Also try to keep in mind that what matters in a telescope isn't really the "zoom" factor as many telescopes try to advertise, but the amount of light it can gather. But if you want something portable and quick to set up and are interested mostly in viewing planets and the Moon, then for the price I highly recommend this scope.

I am very impressed with this telescope. I had a Meade reflector that cost twice as much. It didn't work well for me since there are so many trees around where I live. It was computer-driven. This is sort of like having a point and shoot camera as opposed to a complicated SLR.

The scope was incredibly easy to set up right out of the box. The 90mm is longer than I was expecting but still easy to carry and not heavy. I love the deep blue color. The only complaint I would have is that the accessories tray doesn't fold up with the tripod part, you have to remove it. That is the only drawback I've found thus far.

I was able to line up Jupiter easily and see it better than I have before. Could see 4 moons and the bands on it clearly. I haven't been able to see Saturn yet, but should be able to see its rings with the magnification it has with just the lenses that came with it. Can't wait to try out my barlow lens with it.

It has great power for such a low price. I still can't believe it was only $200. It is an incredible telescope. I would highly recommend it for beginners or advanced users.

I bought this for my kids for christmas. I didn't want a cheap one so I went with a middle of the road model. We love it! The first night we had it out only took us a couple of tries and we were looking at the moon! My son and husband were able to find some stars. We bought some books to go along and we will start using those to see more in the sky! We are very happy with this telescope. We are beginners just to let you know.

It looks better than the picture. My friend thinks it is beautifully standing in my living room.

Good for terrestrial use if you keep the power lower than 100x, especially for backyard bird watching.

For celestial use, the street light is a little strong for us. But the moon is amazing. I saw one faint belt of Jupiter when I just got the scope. The space between the rings of Saturn and the planet are clearly seen. My son is very happy. But I do not see the Cassini Division. The fourth star in the trapazium in Orion Nebula is visible. Our next target is the Great Nebula in Andromeda. The insteresting part is that I feel I can see more than when I just got the scope. So the skils do help a lot.

The two eyepieces are not plossl. I think they are kellner. The FOV of the 10mm is narrow. The 20mm one is more comfortable to use. The center image quality of both lenses is good. They are enough for entry level users.

The tube is a little long. When view targets close to zenith, the eyepiece position is pretty low. It is not convenient for adult users, but very good for young kids. My three-years-old one enjoys the beautiful view of our moon very much.

The mount is shaky when reach 100x. But I think it is fair for an entry level scope. I did go to a telescope center to try the sturdy Celestron Omni 102 and Orion xt6. They are bulky and heavy. I still like the Celestron 90az for casual watching.

The red-dot starfinder is almost useless at night. You can not see the two circles in the finder, so can not precisely locate stars. I just look from the top and side of the long tube to align the scope to my target. It is hard for dim targets. You need a better finder. The worst thing is you have to find a way to mount your new finder.

UPDATE:
Finally we saw the Great Nebula (M31) in Andromeda tonight. It is a faint white-gray smudge. From forums, we know that is only the brighter core. But we are very excited. It is 2.5 million light years away! If I move my eye, I think I can feel the spiral structure. The best power for us to view it is 50x-60x.

Originally I thought the plastic diagonal does not fit my Celestron 8-24zoom. Finally it shows the 8-24 Zoom is a defective one (the diameter is too big).

I like it but I wish I'd bought a more powerful one and one that would just program to a planet or star. I'm a beginner and just want to look at celestial stuff. Spend the money on better scopes with more abilities.

I wanted to thank Amazon for the assistance they provided with my purchase. Originally it got linked to a 3rd party and was backordered and I wasn't notified. I called Amazon - they walked me through the steps I needed to do -- within TWO days I received my refund and the order I placed on Thursday was received Friday. The other company gave me headaches for almost an entire month.

We haven't been able to use the telescope very much yet - foggy skies - but look forward to learning more about it ! THANK YOU AMAZON !!