All_About_Space_-_Issue_94_2020

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

STARGAZER