Left:
The alt-azimuth
mount features
a red LED to
preserve the
observer’s
night visionTaking the instrument to begin
observations, we were grateful for the
telescope’s lightness. The supplied diagonal and
eyepieces fit the tube nicely, but if you’re looking to
substitute these with accessories made with a more
hefty material, then you’ll find that there will be
balancing issues, with ‘sagging’ views.
Refractors are great instruments for observing
the Solar System, so we made Jupiter and Saturn in
the southwest our targets of choice during a mid-
July evening. For a 'scope with a modest aperture,
we were impressed with the views of the planetary
pair, though we were unable to pick out a great
amount of detail on the surface of the king of the
Solar System. Saturn, which shone at a magnitude
of 1.1, was an impressive sight through the refractor,
its fully coated glass optics providing good views
of the gas giant and its rings even under slightly
hazy conditions. Colour-fringing – also known as
chromatic aberration – is minimal when observing
objects of modest magnitudes. However, the
waning gibbous Moon sported a purple-blue edge in
the Inspire 70AZ’s field of view, while a Moon filter
provided excellent contrast when observing lunar
mare, mountainous terrain and craters. Throughout
our observations eye relief was good, and the angle
of the star diagonal allowed for comfortable tours of
the night sky.
The red LED f lashlight that’s built into the mount
came in handy when preserving our night vision
during times we had to refer to a night sky guide.
Budding astrophotographers will be grateful for the
integrated smartphone adapter, which uses bungee
cords to secure the phone to the lens cap.
We tested the refractor’s mettle on some deep-
sky objects such as the Pinwheel Galaxy (M101),
a face-on spiral galaxy in the constellation of
Ursa Major, and slewed across to the constellation
of Taurus to get a rich view of the Pleiades
(M45) open star cluster in the early morning sky.
Views of deep-sky objects are small through
this refractor, but are discernible provided
they are bright enough.
Built for terrestrial views as well
as celestial, we took the opportunity
to observe a bird’s nest a few feet
away. Views were clear, boasting the
telescope’s dual uses. With its ease of
use the Inspire 70AZ is ideal for those
looking to get started in astronomy
as well as those who want an
instrument built for a multitude
of purposes – from observing
planets to mountain peaks.
Celestron Inspire 70AZ
STARGAZER
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