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Technical Details
- A fantastic beginner telescope that's lightweight.
- 76mm aperture reflector telescope is large enough for wonderful views of the Moon.
- The included EZ Finder II makes finding celestial objects a breeze.
- Includes two 1.25" telescope eyepieces, EZ Finder II reflex sight, smooth rack and pinion focuser.
Product Details
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Product Description
Amazon.com Review
Orion's surprising little Spaceprobe 3 has been picked by independent reviewers as one of the best telescopes in its price class. Unlike similar telescopes seen in discount stores, Orion has refined the Spaceprobe 3 by paying attention to the little details, and that make this telescope a great value.
The Spaceprobe 3 comes with an unusually complete set of accessories. The package includes two very good Explorer II eyepieces (25mm and 10mm), an adjustable altazimuth tripod, a good red-dot finder, a student edition of "The Sky" planetarium program, and a well written manual. The package even includes the tools you'll need to assemble the telescope and align the optics.
The Spaceprobe 3 is a Newtonian reflector. That means it uses mirrors instead of lenses. Newtonians are primarily used for astronomy because the images are upside-down. Orion includes a collimation tool and good directions for aligning the mirrors. The reward for aligning the mirrors is seen in images that snap into sharp focus. My Spaceprobe 3 arrived properly aligned right out of the box.
With its Explorer II eyepieces, this telescope consistently delivers fine views. Using the 25mm eyepiece (28x magnification) the Pleiades cluster is simply wonderful, showing dozens of stars. From a rural location with a dark sky, the Orion Nebula is a big ghostly glow, and when I zoom in with the 10mm eyepiece, the Trapezium resolves into four tiny pinpoints. The double star Gamma Andromeda becomes two beads of light, one gold, the other one pale blue. Moon and planet images are crisp, with none of the false color I see in low cost refractors. When I look at the Moon I see mountains and terraced walls inside the larger craters. With the 10mm eyepiece (about 70x), Saturn's rings are sharply separated from the planet, and I can even pick out the planet's shadow on the rings.
The Altazimuth mount included with this telescope is light and easy to use; it may be the best choice for a young astronomer. If you want motorized tracking of the stars and planets, Orion's Spaceprobe 3 EQ is available with an equatorial mount, and Celestron sells essentially the same optical system with the computerized NexStar 76GT. –Jeff Phillips
Pros:
- Best in class optical performance
- Two good Explorer II eyepieces
- Complete accessory package
- Small 76mm aperture
- Upside-down terrestrial images
Product Description
If you're looking for an affordable entry-level telescope for that beginning astronomy enthusiast, our SpaceProbe 3 Altaz is the perfect choice. Great for all-around stargazing, this highly portable, uncomplicated scope is just the right size and weight for the entire family, and just the right price for parents. This is a quality telescope, with a 3" (76mm) glass primary mirror mounted in a sturdy Neptune Blue Metallic aluminum tube. The rack-and-pinion focuser accepts standard 1.25" eyepieces. Two Explorer II eyepieces, a low-power 25mm (28x) and a high-power 10mm (70x), are included. An EZ Finder II finder scope mounted on the tube helps zero-in on the sky target. The altazimuth mount is lightweight and easy to use. To aim it, simply move it up or down or left or right. An adjustable, aluminum tripod with accessory tray is also included. One-year limited warranty.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Nice Telescope,
By B. Frantz (Earth) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Orion SpaceProbe 3 Altazimuth Reflector Telescope (Electronics)
This is a very nice telescope for the price. I've always heard you get what you pay for with telescopes. Well this one is very affordable and works amazingly well. Easy assembly, 2 different eye pieces and the EZ finder is awesome. We bought this for our Son for christmas and he loves it. We were actually able to see Mars (which looked like a little orange moon)and Saturn. That experience alone was well worth it. I highly recommend this scope.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
First Telescope since i was a kid and on a budget.,
This review is from: Orion SpaceProbe 3 Altazimuth Reflector Telescope (Electronics)
This is a wonderful telescope! I have not had one since i was a kid and being on a budget i did alot of research before finally making a purchase. The telescope is easy to put togeather. The redot sight is wonderful for finding things once its set up. I was able to view Jupiter and four of its moons and also make out 1 of its bands. A moon/planet filter may help bring out more detail.Stars will appear is nice tight pinpoints of light. No moon viewing yet. I was also able to pick up NGC 1977 off of Orion's belt very well, it had a blueish haze. I was able to hit the M110 Galaxy orbiting the Andromeda Galaxy and it was very easy to see. I'm sure i would have found alot more things with this telescope if only i had more experience. But just a few ours under my belt this telescope is still calling my name to bring it outside. Also there was quite a bit of dew on the outside of the tube and on the redot sight as the night went on leaving the redot a bit difficult to use do to a halo effect but the picture in the telescope's eyepeice maintained VERY clear. The stand is very sturdy, once you let go of the telescope the view is stablized very quickly. It came with great software. and also two eye peices that were x28 and x70 magnification. I can't wait save up some cash to get another Orion telescope.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Starter Telescope,
By Science kids (Ohio) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Orion SpaceProbe 3 Altazimuth Reflector Telescope (Electronics)
I wanted a telescope for our 5 and 7 year old. After a bit of research I decided for a starter telescope we would get the best value with a reflector style. A couple of astronomy web sites recommended Atlas mounts as being more intuitive than equatorial mounts for novice users.
Once the Orion SpaceProbe 3 arrived it assembled quickly and easily (less than 30 minutes). The images of the moon are quite clear.
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