There is an undeniable mystique to the cosmos that has held humanity in awe since time immemorial. The Celestron AstroMaster 70AZ Telescope serves as a key to unlock the door to these celestial wonders and I think it is one of the must-have for any aspiring astronomer or anyone with a penchant for stargazing.
Unboxing and First Impressions
Upon unboxing the AstroMaster 70AZ, what struck me most was the high build quality. With its sturdy construction and sleek design, this telescope is built to last. Its durable materials are a testament to the Celestron's commitment to quality, ensuring many nights of reliable use.
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Optics and Image Quality
The fully coated optics of the AstroMaster 70AZ is a notable feature that sets it apart from many in its class. It promises bright, clear images with high resolution, allowing users to observe the moon's craters, Jupiter's bands, and Saturn's rings in stunning detail. What was a particular delight was the fact that this telescope could also be used during daytime to observe landscapes, making it versatile and multifunctional.
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User-Friendly Design for Beginners
What makes this telescope ideal for beginners is its simple "point-and-look" approach. The 70AZ comes with an easy-to-use Altazimuth mount that makes the tracking of celestial bodies straightforward and enjoyable. Moreover, it boasts a smooth panning handle with clutch for precise control and easy object tracking.
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Multiple Magnification Options
The package includes two eyepieces (20mm and 10mm), providing 35x and 70x magnification. This flexibility in magnification allows for both wide field viewing and detailed observation of the lunar surface or other celestial bodies.
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StarPointer Red Dot Finderscope
One of the standout features of the Celestron AstroMaster 70AZ is the inclusion of the Star-Pointer red dot finder-scope. This additional tool makes aligning and locating celestial objects a breeze, taking a lot of guesswork out of the equation for novice astronomers.
Educational Software Suite
A software suite, "TheSkyX – First Light Edition" is included with the telescope, providing a comprehensive introduction to astronomy. This helps users learn about the night sky, its various components, and how to find objects of interest.
Portability and Setup
In terms of portability, the AstroMaster 70AZ is reasonably light and easy to set up, making it a great companion for camping trips or backyard adventures. The tripod is both sturdy and adjustable, catering to a variety of viewing positions and user heights.
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Celestron AstroMaster 70AZ Highlights:
I've found its quality and value unrivaled in the world of amateur astronomy, here is my highlights:
High-Quality Optics: The telescope boasts fully coated optics, ensuring bright, clear images with high resolution. From the moon's craters to the bands of Jupiter and rings of Saturn, everything comes to life in vivid detail.
User-Friendly Design: The AstroMaster 70AZ features an easy-to-use Altazimuth mount, making it particularly accessible to beginners. Its smooth panning handle with clutch ensures precise control and easy object tracking.
Multiple Magnification Options: With two eyepieces (20mm and 10mm) providing 35x and 70x magnification, the telescope allows for both wide field viewing and detailed observation of celestial bodies.
StarPointer Red Dot Finderscope: The AstroMaster 70AZ comes with a StarPointer red dot finderscope. This tool makes aligning and locating celestial objects much easier, especially for novice astronomers.
Educational Component: Included with the telescope is the "TheSkyX – First Light Edition" software suite. This provides a comprehensive introduction to astronomy, helping users learn about the night sky and how to find objects of interest.
Portability: The AstroMaster 70AZ is reasonably lightweight and easy to set up, making it ideal for backyard stargazing or travel. It comes with a sturdy, adjustable tripod to ensure comfortable viewing in various settings.
Versatility: Not only is this telescope great for observing celestial bodies, but it can also be used during the day for terrestrial viewing, making it a versatile tool for all your observational needs.
Quality Construction: Known for its durability, the AstroMaster 70AZ has a robust build that ensures it will stand up to many nights of use. Celestron's commitment to quality shines through in this model..
Top Reviews By Satisfied Customers
Helpful review: "Most folks like reflectors but all of that collimating just turns me off. My AstroMaster is always ready to go in a minute's notice and where I live (southern Louisiana) that's important. Our weather is cloudy for a large portion of the year so when the sky does clear I don't have time to play around with aligning mirrors.This scope is plenty powerful enough to check out the moon in great detail, Jupiter (you can see the cloud bands) and Saturn (rings are visible). It is also fine for the larger and brighter Messier objects like M31 (Andromeda Galaxy) and M42 (Orion Nebula). I do suggest eventually getting the Celestron lens addon kit for it though as that opens up so many more options and the lenses are just a better quality.Lastly I will comment on the tripod. I am giving this scope a 5 star rating DESPITE the tripod. It's not that it's flimsy, it's fairly sturdy, but the clutch system makes it really hard to get it set onto a moving object and then to re-position when it moves. Honestly, I usually just mount this scope on top of one of my sturdy video tripods and it works even better. There are threads on the bottom of the scope's dovetail mount that allow you to mount it to a standard tripod and that wins lots of brownie points with me." - Algernon7
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Trending review: "Came packaged extremely well. All parts there, a few extra additionals. Solid form. Tripod is about average but durable. Instruction manual and online app instruction for downloading a star finder. I actually love this as a first scope the view of the moon and of Jupiter was an impressive and easy find. Its inspired me to purchase a more advanced telescope later on." - Pattie
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Reassuring review: "This was perfect for my son. He is 6 and is super curious about the stars and planets. He told us he wanted to be an astronaut when he grows up. So we decided to get him a telescope for his birthday this year. This was an excellent telescope for him to start with. The star finder laser is so helpful. We got to see Jupiter, Saturn and Mars with the help of Google sky map. Excellent purchase. Highly recommend!!!" - JNW_1014
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Final thoughts
In my opinion, the Celestron AstroMaster 70AZ Telescope is a powerful tool that combines usability with performance. It is a versatile instrument that delivers crisp, clear images of celestial bodies, making it an ideal choice for anyone looking to venture into the realms of astronomy. Whether you are a novice star-seeker or a more experienced sky-watcher looking for a portable and reliable scope, the AstroMaster 70AZ might just be your ticket to the universe!