Bushnell Deep Space 525 x 60mm Refractor Telescope

Bushnell has been making excellent beginner telescopes for years, and the Deep Space 525x60 does not fail to live up to their usual standard.Developed for both the beginning astronomer and the nature lover, this telescope has many features that will surely impress both crowds.As an astronomical telescope its high-power lens is capable of resolving detail on the moon, the rings of Saturn, and beyond.For the nature lover, this telescope comes with a more user-friendly Altazimuth mount, whichmoves fluidly up, down, left, and right (as opposed to the circular movement of most astronomical telescopes).This means tracking far off objects, or just checking out the scenery is much, much easier.

It's easy to switch among the three included eyepieces

This is a standard 60mm refracting (lens based) telescope, but what sets it apart is its dual-use mount and design, as well as its generous accessory package.With this telescope you get three quality eyepieces, a 5mm (140x), 12mm (58x), and a 20mm (35x), as well as a Barlow lens that effectively doubles the magnification of any eyepiece it is used with.Unfortunately these are .96" accessories, not the general standard of 1.25", but that should not prove to be much of a problem.It should also be noted that magnification is not always the answer; many of the most breathtaking objects in the sky actually look better with lower magnification levels.Along with the eyepieces, there is a 5x24mm finderscope, a sturdy, adjustable tripod with the previously mentioned Altazimuth head.

This telescope is not only versatile, it is also a complete light-weight package.And in my opinion, portability isthekey to getting out night after night and enjoying your equipment.But what can you actually see?Well, for starters, the moon alone can keep most astronomers busy for a life time.A bit further away, you can resolve the reddish disk of Mars, the rings of Saturn, and track the major moons of Jupiter.Outside the Solar System, there are literally thousands of clusters, double stars, and nebula visible in this telescope.Its longer focal length (f/11.6), however,means that this telescope was really designed for the moon and planets, and this is clearly where it will excel.A long focal length means that the telescope is capable of more power, but does so at the expense of the size of the viewing area, which is inherently limited by the small objective lens (60mm).A small lens simply does not allow as much light into the telescope, meaning high power views will be dim.The best eyepieces to use with this telescope are the lower-power 20mm and 12mm eyepieces.Lower powers with small telescopes guarantee sharper and brighter views. --Curt Irwin

Pros:

• Versatile Altazimuth mount
• Complete package of accessories
• Sturdy, portable build

Cons:

• Longer focal length not great for deep space views
• 60mm aperture is on the small side
• Inadequate .96" accessories