Celestron 73150249 LCM 60 Computerised Refractor Telescope

$Celestron 73150249 LCM 60 Computerised Refractor Telescope$ The Celestron 73150249 LCM 60 Computerised Refractor Telescope, with NexStar computer control and a built-on SkyPointer Finder-Scope, may well be the perfect choice for viewing the night sky. But what about the company? Are they reliable? Can you count on them for support? Just who is Celestron anyway?

Today, Celestron both imports and manufactures optical equipment of all kinds. But, back in the 1950s, Tom Johnson was running an electronics firm called Valor Electronics, when his two sons expressed an interest in astronomy. Rather than simply buy cheap telescopes for them, Tom actually built a six-inch reflecting telescope. He became so fascinated by telescope-building that, by 1964, he had created the Celestron Pacific Division as part of Valor Electronics, the sole purpose of which was to build and sell high-quality telescopes.

The Celestron website contains online manuals, and set-up and usage videos, for all Celestron products. There's also a Knowledge Base on every topic of interest to the amateur astronomer. There's even a dedicated website for Celestron User Groups, devoted to specific products lines! Celestron has been around for decades, is dedicated to building optical equipment for the amateur astronomer to the highest quality standards, and provides wide-based support.

Now, back to the Celestron LCM 60 Computerised Refractor Telescope. It's easy to carry around and set up, especially because of the lightweight computerised mount. No heavy tools are needed to assemble and dis-assemble the telescope. Stability on the most uneven terrain is guaranteed with an adjustable aluminium tripod that will let you set up in the perfect viewing spot that just happens to be on very rugged terrain. An attachable accessory tray is also included, so that you can store all the add-ons, pieces of equipment, notebooks, and whatever else you may need, close at hand.

The Celestron LCM 60 Computerised Refractor Telescope has a 60 mm refractor, and is completely compatible with the NexRemote telescope control software, available as an optional extra, which will give you full computer control of your Celestron telescope to find any of the over 4000 objects listed in the software's database. A CD-ROM, “The Sky”, is also included as a source of astronomical education on the sky and on viewable celestial objects -- you can also print out sky maps to aid in your visual navigation of the night sky. This telescope is also ideal for long-distance viewing on Planet Earth, allowing you to explore far-away scenic landscapes as never before.

The Celestron LCM 60 telescope also has a built-on StarPointer Finder-Scope, which allows you to align the telescope visually in a correct general direction before turning control over to the computer. The SkyAlign feature lets you align on any three visible bright celestial objects, thereby making alignment process even easier. The mechanical linkages for the optical tube, the computerised base mount, and the accessory tray are all quick-release, allowing easy set-up and dis-assembly. Both the hand control software and the motor control units are flash-upgradeable via the Internet.

Technically, the Celestron LCM 60 telescope has a 700 mm focal length, with a focal ratio is 11.67 -- the optical elements are fully-coated. The telescope weighs just over ten pounds, or, more accurately, 4.54 kilograms. It has a motorized Altazimuth mount, and two eyepieces: the first one 25 mm with a magnification of 25x, the second, 9 mm with a magnification of 78x. The highest useful magnification through the telescope is 142x, which means a limit on viewing objects with magnitudes no more than 11.4, which will allow you to easily see detail on Neptune (maximum magnitude around 8), and perhaps glimpse Saturn's moon Iapetus (maximum magnitude 10.2).