The Celestron Encourage 100AZ telescope ($359.95/£249) is value investigating if you wish to get nice views of the moon, planets and extra whereas experimenting with some fundamental astrophotography.
Celestron Encourage 100AZ: Key specs
Optical design: Refractor
Aperture: 3.94-inch/100 mm
Focal size: 25.98-inch/660 mm
Focal ratio: f/6.5
Eyepiece focal size: 0.8-inch/20 mm (33x) and 0.4-inch/10 mm (66x)
Complete equipment weight: 20 lbs./9.07 kg
Mount kind: Alt-azimuth
A fundamental 4-inch/100 mm refractor, it is acquired no ‘go-to’ options so you are going to should be assured sufficient to seek out your personal targets within the night time sky.
In the event you’ve ever thought of taking photos of the moon you then’ll love the revolutionary smartphone digicam mount hidden in its dust cap. It is a neat manner of positioning your smartphone over the eyepiece with any slippage, although past this novelty is an effective worth telescope that provides good views of the moon, planets and the deep sky.
Celestron Encourage 100AZ telescope: Design
- Panhandle motion
- 1.25-inch eyepiece holder
- Achromatic lens
An achromatic refractor with a 4-inch/100mm aperture and a fairly brief focal size of 660mm, the Celestron Encourage 100AZ is designed for use at dwelling by newcomers for planets, the moon and deep sky objects. It is perched on a easy altazimuth mount that strikes facet to facet and up and down, with a panhandle to seek out the precise place you need and to lock it in place.
Further equipment that comes with telescope
10mm and 20mm Kellner eyepieces
Mud cap digicam mount
StarPointer Professional red-dot finder
Erect picture star diagonal
Pink LED mild
Celestron Starry Evening Fundamental Version software program
The Celestron Encourage 100AZ is pretty light-weight. Weighing 20 lbs./9.07 kg in total, it is not a heavy telescope by any means, however the 26-inch/660mm lengthy optical tube and the massive tripod does give it a pretty big footprint. That mentioned, it may be constructed and deconstructed shortly and simply, so might undoubtedly be put behind a automobile and brought on journeys to darkish sky locations.
It additionally comes with a StarPointer Professional finderscope and in addition a 90º picture erect diagonal, which makes it extra handy and comfy to view objects on the zenith.
Celestron Encourage 100AZ telescope: Efficiency
- Excels with lunar views
- Slight chromatic aberration
- Deep space objects lack wow issue
Rising within the east simply as we began the overview, Saturn was simple to find utilizing the bullseye-style finderscope and the 20mm eyepiece. A brilliant picture with plenty of element will be had by the 20mm eyepiece, however not so the 10mm, which was persistently blurry compared. We discovered the identical at super-bright Jupiter, the place wide-field views revealed a purplish halo across the large planet. Nevertheless, this chromatic aberration ‘false’ colour’ is pretty minor on the 100AZ and far much less distracting than on some cheaper rival refractors. Ditto for the moon, which we noticed from a crescent by its full moon phase and acquired some glorious close-ups of its craters, although a purplish line round its limb was seen, although not dominating.
Transfer deeper within the cosmos and the 100AZ carries on its good work, clearly displaying Andromeda (M31) and a number of the brighter star clusters, although it lacks the aperture to go exploring the true deep sky.
Celestron Encourage 100AZ telescope: Performance
- Straightforward set-up and take-down
- Constructed-in crimson mild/flashlight
- Smartphone adapter built-in
The Celestron Encourage 100AZ is very easy to arrange. The telescope tube itself attaches to the tripod mount utilizing a Vixen-style dovetail plate, so it is easy to arrange and take down. Sadly, the altazimuth mount is of common high quality, missing precision. For instance, the left-right swivel is stiff and must be prolonged properly past the goal as a result of it recoils barely when the panhandle is let go of. Nevertheless, as soon as in place the altitude motion is extra exact and will be locked into place utilizing the panhandle. Because of the relative solidity of the mount it is then attainable to easily nudge the eyepiece barely to observe, say, the moon because it begins to float out the sphere of view.
The tripod has an adjunct tray that additionally acts as a stabilizer, upon which you’ll retailer a few eyepieces in custom-made slots, which is useful. Nevertheless, one thing it additionally has here’s a crimson mild. It factors downwards and might mild up the accent tray on-demand, although you’ll be able to simply as simply take away it because it’s really only a crimson flashlight.
If that is an uncommon and intelligent design then so is the Celestron Encourage 100AZ’s revolutionary dust cap. The concept is {that a} smartphone will be lashed to the entrance and secured in place with its digicam over a round gap within the dust cap. That works properly, with elastic straps offered to lash a smartphone into a hard and fast place. It is then essential to take away a small cap within the dust cap and insert the highest of the eyepiece, which then needs to be secured utilizing a few tiny thumbscrews.
With all the things snugly in place, the eyepiece can then be inserted into the diagonal with a smartphone completely positioned to start taking a focal pictures. It really works properly, although it pays to be fast about setting it up as a result of as soon as you’ve got lashed your smartphone and secured the eyepiece your goal may have drifted out of view. The one solution to get it again will possible be to make use of that very same eyepiece. Customers are suggested to get a second 20mm eyepiece.
It is value noting that due to its slightly uncommon hood design the Celestron Encourage 100AZ cannot take solar filters, so ought to by no means be used to watch the Solar.
Must you purchase the Celestron Encourage 100AZ telescope?
It is not good and it excels and like most refractors, it does its finest work with the moon and planets, however the Celestron Encourage 100AZ has extra to get enthusiastic about than lots of its cut-price rivals. The construct high quality — notably its tripod — is a step up whereas its aperture is simply sufficient to permit newcomers to discover objects past the solar system. The icing on the cake is its intelligent lens cap, which turns right into a smartphone holder for astrophotography, which immediately offers it one other dimension. If you wish to keep away from the underside of the market however do not need to spend huge, the 100AZ is an interesting resolution.
If the Celestron Encourage 100AZ telescope is not for you
If you would like some assist discovering your manner across the night time sky then contemplate the Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 102AZ, which comes with a smartphone holder and an app to create an evening sky sat-nav.
For optimum aperture that may entry brilliant photos of deep sky objects strive the Celestron StarSense Explorer 8-inch Dobsonian, which is huge on measurement and worth. In the event you’re after one thing as small as attainable and also you’re solely within the moon then a mini-Dobsonian just like the Celestron FirstScope 76, ought to enchantment.
