REVIEW
NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION FIRSTSCOPE
This spin on the Celestron FirstScope 76 offers great portability and provides fair night-sky views
Reviewed by Gemma Lavender
DETAILS
Cost: £59.99 / $79.95
From: Celestron
Type: Newtonian reflector
Aperture: 2.99”
Focal length: 11.81”
BEST FOR...
BEGINNERS
£
SMALL BUDGETS
PLANETARY VIEWING
LUNAR VIEWING
The National Park Foundation FirstScope ticks all of the boxes on a novice sky-watcher’s wish list when choosing their very first telescope: portability, ease of use and a price that’s not going to break the bank. What’s more, this tabletop telescope is supplied with all of the accessories you need for a fuss-free tour of the night sky, providing improved and more comfortable views of the planets and lunar surface compared to straining the unaided eye or arm fatigue brought about from supporting binoculars for long periods of time.
When unpacking the FirstScope, you’ll notice that it is already preassembled, with only a finderscope needing to be affixed to the telescope tube. The Newtonian reflector is supplied with two eyepieces – one 20mm and one 4mm – and possesses a fast focal ratio to provide a wide field of view that’s ideal for not only viewing the planets and the lunar surface, but also allows the observer to view diffuse, wide-angle targets such as star clusters.