Seben 900/60 Refractor Telescope 1.25 inch

$Seben New 900-600 Refractor Telescope 1.25 inch$ The AZ-1 star commander is the only refractive telescope manufactured by Seben. The focal width is 900mm and the aperture is 60mm. The included 1.25" eyepieces, which are 4, 6, 12.5, and 20mm, reach 225x, 150x, 72x, and 45x levels of magnification respectively. Included are Barlow Lenses, which effectively double the magnification, making 450x the maximum possible. The telescope mounts on an azimuthal assembly and is equipped with a lightweight aluminium tripod. The entire assembly weighs 7.5 kg, making it readily portable.

Refractive telescopes are ideal for the beginner. Rather than using mirrors to focus the image, they use magnifying lenses, both inside the scope and in the eyepieces. These lenses are firmly fixed in place. Mirrors in reflective scopes fall out of alignment regularly and require calibration which more experienced astronomers are up to the task for. Refractive scopes produce higher contrast images than reflective ones. This scope will therefore be well-suited for viewing highly detailed objects, as when one is viewing nature, the moon or the planets. However refractive scopes suffer from certain aberrations that make them less than satisfactory for viewing stars, galaxies and nebulae.

The accessories included are invaluable for the beginner. For someone who has only begun to acquaint himself with the positions of the heavenly objects, the included finder is necessary. Moon filters will protect the eyes while viewing exceptionally bright objects, if one is viewing the moon or observing terrestrial bodies in broad daylight.

At 69,00 Euro (about 100 USD) the AZ-1 Star Commander is easily one of the most affordable telescopes on the market. Expert reviewers have noted that at this price, the quality suffer; consequently they recommend spending more. However it is fairly typical for an expert to spend as much as one can afford. For the beginner, however, it would be much wiser to discover the joys of the hobby before discovering how expensive and high-maintenance the hobby actually is.