Can you see Jupiter and Saturn in detail without buying extra accessories? Is this the best option for the price?
932722
When I purchased mine it was 80% off so I believed I picked mine up around 150. You can see Jupiter as a small spot but you can make out color bands around it and the storm. You can also see the four galleon moons. My kids love it and you can change out magnification. The moon is unreal how detailed it is. It was a great buy. We purchased the German weight and control system with ours.
932723
As I said, if the body and focus bar are metal and not plastic ...and the mount is solid...you should be able to see the planets you listed fine without extra accesories. However, how the scope in general is designed is important. You want a metal or aluminum tube and focusing bar.....not plasctic. And the joints or bars attaching the focusing knobs should preferably be metal so they do not come loose. I would just spend the extra $40 or $50 and look at Orion telescopes because I did and they are simply better made. Same optics...same factory....but better quality parts where it counts the most. As I said, if the body and focus bar are metal and not plastic ...and the mount is solid...you should be able to see the planets you listed fine without extra accesories. However, how the scope in general is designed is important. You want a metal or aluminum tube and focusing bar.....not plasctic. And the joints or bars attaching the focusing knobs should preferably be metal so they do not come loose. I would just spend the extra $40 or $50 and look at Orion telescopes because I did and they are simply better made. Same optics...same factory....but better quality parts where it counts the... » Read More As I said, if the body and focus bar are metal and not plastic ...and the mount is solid...you should be able to see the planets you listed fine without extra accesories. However, how the scope in general is designed is important. You want a metal or aluminum tube and focusing bar.....not plasctic. And the joints or bars attaching the focusing knobs should preferably be metal so they do not come loose. I would just spend the extra $40 or $50 and look at Orion telescopes because I did and they are simply better made. Same optics...same factory....but better quality parts where it counts the most. « Show Less
622876
If viewing relatively fixed objects at long distances is all you want to do, a telescope would be better. For general use and very basic star gazing, these would be fine.
1323126
Hi Ryan,As you know that this is a fast dobsonian, you have to use quality eyepieces to get the most out of it.With my Celestron eyepieces I got reasonable level of contrast of Saturn including Casini division, few saturnian moon with little cloudy bands of the planet in 300x .My cloudy nights friends who are using Pentax XW or TV Delos have got lot of viewing pleasure and some of friends who are using Orthoscopic eyepieces also satisfied well with this telescope.I think that you cannot go wrong with this telescope. Clear Skies...Best regardsDr. R.A.N.S Rajapakshe.
1348062
There are various apps in both IOS & Android that show live sky maps, locations, rise & set times and much more. I use Android apps such as Mobile Observatory which only cost about $4-5 but has virtually everything one would need. There are other apps such as SKeye, Google Star Maps, Stellarium, ISS Detector and more. You simply align the GoTo computer in the telescope as instructed then locate objects on your device then slew to them with the telescope keypad. It is possible to connect certain telescope cameras to this telescope on your laptop to record videos that can be 'stacked' into a single good picture as well. The StarNavigator is a pretty good refractor for the price, it will give you decent views of Jupiter, Saturn & especially the Moon. It will automatically track any object & keep it in the eyepiece for quite a few hours.
1397014
Absolutely, but you will probably need to use a 2x or 3x barlow to get the planets large enough. (3 x 650mm = 1950m) Images of Jupiter look the best at near 2000mm. With the moon, you can shoot with your native 650mm focal length, unless you want a close up of a crater or mountain range, then use the 2x or 3x barlow. I recommend Televue Powermates for best performance.
1711121
Yes you see them great with this telescope, I've seen the moons of jupiter as well. Is it the clearest, no but in my opinion worth probably 150, so for the price it is excellent.
1342700
I took it to the mountains at a friend's cabin. I was able to see stars better than his son's mounted telescope ($150 - 200 type). It didn't have the zoom of the telescope, but the field of view and sharpness of the binoculars was much better. I have not had the opportunity to try them on Jupiter's or Saturn's moons. One great feature is that you can focus in on your object and then use the zoom lever. I like the binoculars a lot. And solidly built.
1873331
No, You will not be able to see all the planets with great detail. I volunteer at an observatory with a 16" scope, and neptune still looks like a blue dot. If you want to look at planets, then get a refracting telescope. Also, you do not want an eq for your first scope.
64201
I suggest going to a planetarium if that is what you want to see. Great instrument for the moon and planets, but you won't get Observatory quality.
386674
Yes, yes, and yes. Most of the lenses are junk, but I was able to see see Jupiter and Saturn pretry well. Also, good luck lining up the finder scope. Still good for the price, though.
888933
I'm not really sure, the pair I bought were defective that everything was double. I had to return them for a refund. I'd say to go with these; Celestron SkyMaster Giant 15x70 Binoculars with Tripod Adapter. The quality is way better. But if you want to see the spot on Jupiter, get a telescope. Even with a tripod you won't get the magnification you'll need with just binoculars.. I hope this helped.
2042955
Hey Joseph, to be honest with you I haven't tried looking at Jupiter. I do look at Saturn quite often. I can see rings, bands and all moons with really good clarity. Jupiter is much bigger and closer so I dont see why on a clear calm night you wouldn't be able to get a good shot with the starblast. Best of luck.
837341
Yes, you should definitely be able to see Saturn's rings. I have been able to do so without any issue. Jupiter's Great Red Spot, as well!And it's floor mount.
1611082
You will see the moon with decent clarity. You will see saturn and its rings, jupiter and its moons. It takes time to get used to and to identify the planets but it is good for the price. Find a dark area in your yard (try to avoid street light) and you will see some cool things. Patience is important. Enjoy
1437423
Absolutely not. I didn't get the planetarium with mine and I still really enjoy the telescope. And remember it is always a accessory you can add at a later time.
1244636
You can see just the bigger ones like jupiter and saturn each with their moon and rings in case of saturn The other ones i personally cant see
2107778
While it is NOT a telescope I have used mine to look at the moon and Jupiter. You will need a good tripod of course. But it was quite clear at looking at the craters of the moon. A bit shaky if bumped. Like I said, it is not a telescope.