As any telescope aficionado will tell you, the virtue of a refractor lies in its pristine image quality. The only challenge to owning a refractor has always been the price: refractors cost more per inch of aperture than any other telescope design. That's still true, but steady advances in precision lens manufacturing technology are bringing those prices down.
Way down, in the case of our remarkable Orion AstroView 90mm Equatorial Refractor Telescope. This impressive 90mm refractor telescope is priced to please, without compromising quality. This is a soundly constructed telescope that any new backyard astronomer or experienced stargazer will appreciate from the first night out.
The Orion AstroView 90mm EQ Refractor is a planetary power-performer with its 90mm aperture and 910mm focal length. Views of the planets and Moon through the f/10 AstroView 90 telescope are nothing short of spectacular. When aimed at our nearest neighbor in space, the Moon, the AstroView 90 yields tack-sharp views of the rocky lunar surface with craters and mountainous regions visible in crisp, high-contrast detail. You'll find yourself transfixed by the rugged relief of the Moon's surface as shadows along the terminator enchant your eyes. On a reasonably clear evening, Jupiter's cloud banding becomes starkly visible, as do all four of its major Galilean moons. Depending on the time of year, the Orion AstroView 90mm EQ Refractor can also provide the whole family with jaw-dropping views of Saturn and its stunning rings, not to mention glimpses of Saturn's largest moon Titan.
With 90mm of aperture, the AstroView 90mm Equatorial Refractor Telescope can also provide great views of many deep-sky phenomena. With the 25mm Plossl eyepiece installed in the telescope to provide 36x power magnification, our namesake deep-sky object, the Orion Nebula, exhibits the four Trapezium stars as perfect blue pinpoints surrounded by a pretty patch of greenish gas. If you pop in the included 10mm eyepiece to bump up the power to 91x magnification - wow! - the nebula will appear sprout cloudy wings, which span nearly the entire eyepiece field of view!
Begin your night sky explorations with the included 25mm Sirius Plossl Eyepiece.
The included 1.25" Orion 25mm Sirius Plossl eyepiece provides a 36-power view when used with the AstroView 90mm refractor telescope. Using this eyepiece's moderate magnification is a great way to begin exploring interesting objects in the sparkling night sky. Offering a wide 52° apparent field of view, the 25mm Sirius Plossl eyepiece yields extremely sharp images of impressively high contrast. You'll be amazed at the crisp, clear views of sights like the cratered surface of the Moon and much more!
Take a closer look with the included 10mm Sirius Plossl Eyepiece.
When you're ready to study objects with more magnification, use the included 10mm Sirius Plossl eyepiece. When inserted into the AstroView 90 mm refractor telescope, the 10mm Plossl provides a powerful, 91x view with a 52° apparent field of view, so you can inspect interesting objects more closely. We recommend starting out with the lower-power 25mm Plossl, then switching to the 10mm ocular to boost the power of your telescope's view.
Use the included 90° star diagonal to view the night sky comfortably. A diagonal "bends" the light path of a telescope so you can enjoy the view without having to contort yourself into awkward positions to peer into the eyepiece. The 90° star diagonal that comes with the AstroView 90mm refractor places the eyepiece you're using in a comfortable position for nighttime stargazing of the skies above.
The included 6x30 finder scope will help you aim the telescope accurately.
Following a simple alignment procedure, you can use 6x30 finder scope to accurately aim the AstroView 90mm refractor at objects in the sky like the Moon, bright planets, nebulas and star clusters. Once aligned with the telescope, just peer through the finder scope and move the telescope until the cross hairs are centered on the object you want to see. Look in the telescope, and it'll be right there!
The included EQ-2 equatorial mount provides stable support and slow-motion control.
The AstroView 90mm refractor is supported by the substantial Orion EQ-2 equatorial mount, which allows for easy manual tracking of celestial objects as they appear to migrate across the night sky. An occasional tweak of the equatorial mount's R.A. (Right Ascension) slow-motion cable will keep any object centered in the telescope eyepiece. You can also use an optional electronic motor drive for more automated, hands-free tracking of any centered object (drives sold separately).
Learn about the night sky with the included Starry Night Special Edition software.
Explore starry skies anytime - even when it's cloudy! You can use the included Starry Night Special Edition astronomy software to see what stars, constellations, planets, and other cosmic objects will be visible on any day and at any time. With realistic sky simulations and many useful features including telescope control, the user-friendly software will help you plan your observations and understand what you see. Requires PC running Windows 10, or Macintosh running OS X 10.10 or higher.
Use the Orion MoonMap 260 to learn more about the lunar features you see in the telescope.
With locations and names of over 260 features on the Moon such as craters, mountains, valleys, "seas" and more, the included Orion MoonMap 260 is a great tool for beginning astronomers. This detailed map will even show you where various spacecraft have landed on the Moon's surface! The MoonMap 260 can be used to plan what to look at on the Moon, and to learn the official names of all the interesting lunar landscape features you see in the Observer II 70mm Refractor Telescope.
The AstroView 90mm refractor's adjustable tripod lets you set the telescope to a comfortable height for a long night of solo stargazing, or you can change the height throughout the evening for a night of family fun with the stars. There's even a handy accessory tray that fits onto the tripod for convenient storage of gear while you're out in the field.
The Orion AstroView 90mm Equatorial Refractor Telescope will provide you and your family with many evenings of heavenly browsing at an unbelievably low price. The assembled telescope weighs just 23.7 lbs. total, so it's easy to take outside for impromptu observing sessions.
HIGHLIGHT
A powerful, high-quality refractor telescope at an amazing low price
90mm (3.5") aperture and 910mm focal length for crisp views of deep-sky objects, the Moon, and planets
Included EQ-2 adjustable tripod and equatorial mount for manual slow-motion celestial tracking
Includes two Sirius Plossl 1.25" eyepieces (25mm and 10mm), 6x30 finder scope, smooth-adjusting 1.25" rack and pinion focuser, 90-degree mirror diagonal for comfortable nighttime performance, Starry Night astronomy software, and more
Can also be used for pleasing daytime terrestrial viewing with a correct-image diagonal (correct-image diagonal sold separately)
Starry Night Special Edition astronomy software download insert
FOCUS GROUP
Best for imaging
Lunar & planetary
Best for viewing
Lunar & planetary
User level
Intermediate
Optical design
Refractor
Optical diameter
90mm
Finder scope lens dia
30mm
Focal length
910mm
Focal ratio
f/10.1
Coatings
Multi-coated
Optics type
Air-spaced doublet
Glass material
Crown/Flint
Eyepieces
Sirius Plossl 25.0mm,10.0mm (1.25")
Magnification with included eyepieces
36x, 91x
Resolving power
1.29arc*sec
Lowest useful magnification
13x
Highest useful magnification
180x
Highest theoretical magnification
180x
Limiting stellar magnitude
12.5
Optical Quality
Diffraction limited
Finder scope
6x30
Focuser
1.25" Rack-and-pinion
Diagonal degrees
1.25" 90° Mirror Star
Mirror coatings/over-coatings
Magnesium Fluoride
Mount type
Equatorial
Astro-imaging capability
Lunar & planetary
Dovetail bar system
No
Motor drive compatibility
Clock drive sold separately
Computerized compatibility
Not compatible
Bearing material
Friction bearings
Latitude range
16-72
Setting circles
Yes
Polar-axis scope
Not available
Counterweights
One 4.8 lb.
Tube material
Aluminum
Tripod material
Aluminum
Counterweight bar length
8 in.
Diameter of counterweight shaft
12mm
Height range of mount
35.00 in. - 55.50 in.
Length of optical tube
35.5 in.
Weight, optical tube
5.0 lbs.
Weight, mount/tripod
12.0 lbs.
Weight, fully assembled
23.7 lbs.
Additional included accessories
Included accessories may vary for 2nds, Substitutions may be made
WARNING
This device focuses a lot of light.
Looking directly at the SUN through this device can result in partial or complete loss of vision.
For observing the SUN, we recommend you buy a BAADER Solar Safety Film for this Telescope.
The following items are FREE with the telescope listed above. [ Subject To Availability ]