SpaceProbe 3 changes all that. It's not only affordable, but its optical quality will make the night sky's treasures accessible right from your backyard. The 3"-diameter primary mirror gathers enough light to reveal the faint glows of many star clusters and nebulas, as well as Saturn's rings, Jupiter's moons, and the stark, cratered terrain of the Moon.

Because the earth rotates once on its axis every 24 hours, celestial objects move rapidly through the telescopic field, particularly at higher powers. The equatorial mount of both the Meade 114EQ-ASTR and 114EQ-AR greatly facilitates object tracking, simply by manually turning one or both of the control cables.

This optical tube assembly includes parabolic mirror optics, aluminum rack-and-pinion focuser, eyepiece holder, quick-collimation cap, dust cap, and dovetail base for finder scope.

Because the earth rotates once on its axis every 24 hours, celestial objects move rapidly through the telescopic field, particularly at higher powers. The equatorial mount of both the Meade 114EQ-ASTR and 114EQ-AR greatly facilitates object tracking, simply by manually turning one or both of the control cables.

The StarBlast is a point-and-view telescope that swivels smoothly on its sturdy, low-profile base. It comes pre-assembled and ready for action right out of the box! Just carry it outdoors by its built-in handle, place it on the ground or on a picnic bench, and let the fun begin!

The optical performance is far and away better than flimsy department store models. Its 4.5" (114mm) mirror, housed in an enameled steel tube, gathers 260% more starlight than a 60mm refractor.

This scope's 130mm (5.1") primary mirror gathers enough light for deep-sky observing while its 900mm focal length (f/6.9) provides the resolving power need to reveal subtle planetary features. With the two fully coated Explorer II eyepieces provided (25mm and 10mm) you can cruise the Orion Nebula or zoom in on the rings of Saturn.

We've done our popular StarBlast 4.5 Astro Telescope one better. The Orion-designed StarBlast 6 Astro Telescope takes the same compact, wide-field, user-friendly concept and expands on it, literally. The StarBlast 6 boasts fully 73% more light-gathering area than its smaller counterpart, which means you will see fainter objects and tons more detail.

Ample light grasp...Check. Portable...Check. Stable mount...Check. Quick setup and take-down...Check. Easy to operate...Check. Affordable...Check. As you run through the checklist of attributes you've heard are important in a good beginner's telescope, you realize that the classic SkyQuest XT6 meets all the criteria - in spades. Astronomy magazine called it "an excellent entry-level telescope for an adult."

The DS-2114ATS-LNT is a fully GoTo telescope. It’s onboard computer knows the night sky. After a short alignment procedure, your telescope will be ready to take you on a tour of the universe. You will see more objects in one night than Galileo saw in a lifetime. See planets like Saturn and Jupiter, star clusters, nebulae, galaxies and more.

The classic XT8 combines powerful optics with the ultimate in mechanical simplicity and stability. The mirror pulls in 73% more light than a 6", enough to tease out dust lanes in nebulas, resolve the cores of prominent globular clusters, and reveal subtle structure in elusive galaxies.