Orion AstroView 90mm Equatorial Refractor Telescope

by Orion

Product Details

Product Manual [109kb PDF]

• ASIN: B0000XMSKC
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,751 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
  • #36 in Camera & Photo > Binoculars, Telescopes & Optics > Telescopes > Refractors
• Date first available at Amazon.com: November 1, 2003

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

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 an Ultima 2X Barlow with 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 the EQ-2M Electronic Telescope Drive which 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 Phillips

Pros:

• Classic refractor design
• Crisp clear views of the Moon and planets
• Two Sirius Plossl eyepieces and 6x30 finder
• Starry Night planetarium software included

Cons:

• Equatorial mount wobbles a bit while focusing

First quarter Moon shot at 36x with Powershot camera	First 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.

Product Description

Now you can have the virtues of refractor-sharp images without having to break into your piggy bank. Our remarkable AstroView 90 gives big returns for a small investment! This is a powerful refractor featuring a multi-coated 90mm objective lens of 910mm focal length (f/10) housed in an enameled aluminum tube. You won't have any trouble gathering enough light for bright, crisp views of deep-sky objects, the Moon, and planets. Even better, we've upgraded the AstroView 90 package with two Sirius Plossl eyepieces (25mm and 10mm)! The AstroView 90 comes equipped with a 6x30 finder, 90-deg star diagonal, adjustable aluminum tripod with accessory tray, and an EQ-2 equatorial mount with slow motion controls for manual tracking.(An optional EQ-2M drive system can be added for automatic, hands-free tracking.) One-year limited warranty.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Scope!, April 30, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Orion AstroView 90mm Equatorial Refractor Telescope (Electronics)

This scope gives incredible views. I haven't noticed any extra color, even on bright objects. I have viewed inside and outside the solar system and have been amazed at all the views. This is now my favorite scope that I own. It's ready to go at a moments notice, no collimation, minor setup and you are viewing. Saturn's rings are no problem, Jupiter's moons, easy. The mount is extremely stable. I can't say enough about this scope. At any price, this scope is well worth it, for it to be less than $300 makes it the best bargain out there.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars sweet scope, February 5, 2009

By 

Robert M. Oreilly "radar" (Kansas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Orion AstroView 90mm Equatorial Refractor Telescope (Electronics)

Right off the bat, Yeah, I`m a beginner but I have had in my lifetime 3 of the department store variety of telescopes that easily cost 150.00 or better and they will never be anything like this Orion Astroview. Hear this. I tracked a jumbo jet you could barely see with the naked eye except for the vapor trail with the slow motion control for 15 seconds and it was awesome. Saw it from almost a head on view and could see all the engines wings and tail wing with clarity I couldn`t believe. Joked with my brother that I could see the pilot picking his nose. ( Kidding of course ). This with a barlow lense. It sucks that I work nights and have to hope for clear weekends but let me tell you the price for this kind of viewing can`t be beat as far as I`m concerned. I`m going to take it to my brother`s this weekend and show him how to polar align the scope then watch his expression when he sees Saturn. I bet he`ll want one. I bet he`ll get one.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic scope for the price!, October 3, 2008

By 

Sorek "Zendude" (Tel Aviv) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Orion AstroView 90mm Equatorial Refractor Telescope (Electronics)

This telescope has performed exceptionally well for me, consistently living up to expectations. With a moon filter and some extra eyepieces I've purchased, this scope has provided hours of easy and satifsying use. It's yielded excellent images of the Moon, Jupiter and Saturn, and other phenomena of interest. The equatorial mount is remarkably easy to use and it's quite steady. I highly recommend this telescope to dedicated amateurs.