Celestron Inspire 70AZ
An entry-level refractor with a unique design, this telescope
is ideal for those on a tight budget who are keen on getting
started in astronomy
Withthedarkermonthsalmostuponus,now’s
theperfecttimetogetstartedinastronomy.
Forthosewhoarenewtothehobbyandwould
ratherspenda smallamountofmoneyona new
instrument,thenewInspirerangefromCelestron
meetsthiscriteria.Thisrangeofrefractors,which
becameavailablethisautumn,comeina variety
ofapertures,the70AZ,80AZand100AZoffering
differinglight-collectingabilities.
Wewereimpressedwithhowwellpackedthe
Inspire70AZwas,ensuringperfectshowroom
conditiononarrival.What’smoretherefractor
comeswithtwo1.25”Kellnereyepieces– 10mmand
20mm– a StarPointerProfinderscope,anaccessory
tray,a redLEDf lashlight,a freedownloadofthe
SkyPortalapptoyourAppleorAndroiddeviceas
wellasa 90-degreestardiagonal– animpressive
amountofaccessoriesfora recommendedretail
priceof£130andeverythinga beginnerneedsto
getstartedinastronomy.Handlingthetubeand
tripodaswesettheInspire70AZupwefound
theinstrumentisverylightweight,promoting
portability.Whilethetelescopecomeswitha very
comprehensivemanualtoassistwiththeprocess
ofsettingup,wefounditveryintuitivetobuild–
somethingthat’ssuretodelightuserskeentoget
stuckintoobservingassoonaspossible.Afreeone-
yearsubscriptiontotheSLOOHAstronomerallows
theusertoremotelyreserve,controlandimage
Telescope
advice
Cost: £159 (approx. $195.50)
From: Amazon
Type: Refractor
Aperture: 2.76”
Focallength:27.56”
through professional-grade telescopes as well as
access to the SLOOH livestream.
Once set up the Inspire 70AZ’s appearance is
certainly something to be admired – the quality
is up to the usual Celestron standard and the
manufacturer hasn’t skimped on the finish despite
the low price, with no glue residue anywhere on
the instrument. The design of the tube is somewhat
unique, with a fully integrated smartphone adapter
that’s suitable for basic astrophotography and a
hooded dew cap for maximum protection from
moisture during observations. The tube’s metallic
blue-grey finish provides a stylish look that
also adds to the telescope’s protection from the
elements. The steel tripod is well-made, ensuring
sturdy observations, and a solid alt-azimuth mount
allows the tube to smoothly move through right
ascension and declination. The twist-clutch handle
does the job for easy tracking of celestial objects.
The ball star diagonal does the job of holding the
eyepieces, but being made of plastic it's slightly
f limsy compared to the rest of the instrument.
The integrated accessory tray is a nice touch to the
overall build of the Inspire 70AZ – being already
attached to the tripod, a simple lock of the knob
allows this feature to fit into place. With previous
models of telescope we have found fitting the
accessory tray to a tripod to be quite a challenge,
but with this refractor this is relatively fuss-free.
Below left:
The Celestron
Inspire 70AZ
comes with a
selection of
accessories,
including
10mm and
20mm
eyepieces
Below right:
Fully coated
glass optics
provide clear
views of the
night sky.
However, there
is a degree
of colour-
fringing around
particularly
bright objects
Best for...
Beginners
£ Smallbudget
Planetary viewing
Lunar viewing
Bright deep-sky
Basic astrophotography
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