C-65 COMPACT TELESCOPE
Celestron
See the craters of the moon, the rings of
Saturn, and the moons of Jupiter! This Maksutov-Cassegrain telescope (these
are the two inventor's names) is a small compact unit that has large telescope
capabilities. Use it for astronomy and terrestrial viewing too. The portability
and versatility of this telescope ensures frequent opportunity for use and enjoyment.
But let's back up. The first thing any amateur astronomer should have is a pair
of quality binoculars. Do not even consider buying a telescope first. The ultimate
in portability, binoculars offer unparalleled views of rich Milky Way starfields
because of their low power and wide fields of view. Once this is appreciated,
those interested in looking for fine detail on the planets should consider a
telescope.
There are two basic kinds of telescopes; refractors and reflectors.
Refractors have a lens in front (objective) and another at the eye (ocular),
and are of long tubular (not compact) design. Reflectors, on the other hand
use a curved mirror instead of an objective lens which results in improvement
in sharpness and brightness, and are much more compact in size. The Maksutov-Cassegrain
(Mak) design not only incorporates a reflecting mirror at the rear end, but
uses a special "correcting" lens at the front end. This effectively "seals"
the unit against moisture, dirt, and salt air contamination. While not completely
waterproof, it is very water resistant.
The C-65 is a 30 to 90 power "zoom"
spotting scope. Most reflecting scopes have an inverted image, which is not
a problem when viewing celestial bodies. Spotting scopes however, are really
telescopes that have an upright image. Thus, they can be used for terrestrial
viewing as well as astronomical observing. A problem with high powered telescopes
is that stars move rapidly across the field of view due to the Earth's rotation.
They require an equatorial mount, driven by a motor to stabilize the telescope
in space. The C-65 does not need such drastic control, however, a slow motion
control is built-in which allows smooth manual adjustment as the scene moves.
The C-65 delivers sharpness and contrast, and is the perfect inexpensive step-up
from binoculars for the aspiring amateur astronomer.
The C-65 comes with a collapsible
table-top tripod with a central raisable column, lens cap and attractive vinyl
carrying case. SW 5.0 lbs.
