Celestron AstroMaster 102AZ Review

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Celestron AstroMaster 102AZ Review Card
  • Brand - 9.9/10
    9.9/10
  • Optics - 9.3/10
    9.3/10
  • Value - 8/10
    8/10
  • Portability - 9.8/10
    9.8/10
  • Mount - 8/10
    8/10
9/10

Summary

A great telescope for both star gazing and terrestrial viewing. The optics are very good and the 102mm aperture is quite large for a refractor. That’s reflected in the price though. It’s design also helps it score high in terms of portability. The addition of the dew shield not only adds to the nice aesthetics of this telescope but it’s very much a must. I say this since this is the type of telescope you would get the best views with during some cold mornings or nights. And I’m talking both celestial and terrestrial. So I would rate this a specialty telescope for someone doing occasional stargazing as well as living somewhere with some great terrestrial viewing opportunities as well and want a top refractor telescope but also wants something easy to move around and also easy to use.

Pros

  • Easy to setup and use
  • Very good optics and comes with a dew shield
  • Very portable
  • Good images of the Moon, Jupiter, Saturn and any far away terrestrial viewing as well

Cons

  • Not suited for someone interested mainly in star gazing, since at this price point you can get a different built like a reflector with more power and better optics for that purpose 

What’s in the Box

  • Optical Tube
  • Two 1.25″ Eyepieces (20mm and 10mm) with a magnification power of 33x and 66x respectively
  • Finderscope
  • Erect image diagonal
  • Starry Night Astronomy Software
  • Tripod and Mount

Mount

The mount of the AstroMaster 102 is a intuitive and easy to use alt-azimuth mouth with a pan handle. Since this is a telescope aimed towards beginners I believe it’s a great choice since it removes complexity in the setup. However the mount and tripod can be upgraded later if needed.

Celestron AstroMaster 102AZ Telescope Mount

What astronomical objects can I see with the 102AZ?

The 102AZ gathers enough light to be able to capture images of out Moon, Jupiter and it’s moons as well as Saturn with it’s rings. In fact, this larger aperture refractor is especially good for observing things in our Solar System. Having said that it doesn’t mean that it cannot spot astronomical objects like nebulas.

Celestron AstroMaster 102AZ Telescope Cover

Full Technical Specifications

Optical DesignRefractor
Aperture102mm (4″)
Focal Length660mm (26″)
Focal Ratiof/6.5
Focal Length of Eyepiece 120mm (.78″)
Magnification of Eyepiece 133x
Focal Length of Eyepiece 210mm (.4″)
Magnification of Eyepiece 266x
Barlow LensNot Included
FinderscopeBuilt-in Red Dot Finder
Star DiagonalErect Image, 90° (1.25″)
Optical TubeAluminum
Highest Useful Magnification241x
Lowest Useful Magnification15x
Limiting Stellar Magnitude12.5
Resolution (Rayleigh)1.37 arc seconds
Resolution (Dawes)1.14 arc seconds
Light Gathering Power (Compared to human eye)212x
Optical CoatingsFully Coated
Optical Tube Length711mm (28″)
Optical Tube DiameterTBD
Optical Tube Weight4.6 lbs (2.08 kg)
DovetailCG-5 Dovetail bar
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