Celestron AstroMaster 102AZ
Designed for celestial and terrestrial viewing, this refractor is suitable for beginners on a budget
Made of steel, the tripod is well made and is well suited for use on grass for extra stability
Telescope advice
Cost: £252 (approx. $339.19)
From: Amazon
Type: Refractor
Aperture: 4.0”
Focal
length: 26”
Best for…
Beginners
Small budgets
Planetary viewing
Lunar viewing
Bright deep-sky objects
Celestron’s AstroMaster 102AZ is designed for both celestial and terrestrial viewing, so if you’re a fan of observing wildlife and mountain ranges as well as the night sky, then instruments of this calibre are a worthy investment. Also, with its low price, and with everything needed to start observing supplied – including a StarPointer, steel-tube tripod and 20mm and 10mm eyepieces that supply magnifications of 33x and 66x, as well as TheSkyX astronomy software – this scope won’t create much of a dent in your bank balance. Relatively portable and supplied with an alt-azimuth mount, the AstroMaster 102AZ promotes ease of use as well as minimum fuss, making it ideal for those who are just breaking into the hobby of astronomy.