Which 70mm telescope is better?

Question

Which is better the Orion GoScope 2 70mm refractor telescope or the Celestron 70mm Travel Scope?

Celestron 70mm - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001TI9Y2M/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Orion 70mm - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AMAB0ZW/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1MX591ICBLWRE

Answer 1

Save your money. These are barely more than toys for the most part. The mounts aren't that great either.



For the cost of these telescopes you could do better by getting a pair of binoculars. At about $300-$400 (save your money) a 6" or 8" Dobsonian-mounted reflector telescope will be far more capable and will keep you interested for years. And the Dobsonian is very stable as mounts go.

Answer 2

Celestron 70mm Refractor Telescope

Answer 3

Celestron 70mm Travel Refractor Telescope

Answer 4

The Celestron. BUT! This Celestron 70mm: http://www.amazon.com/Celestron-21061-AstroMaster-Refractor-Telescope/dp/B000MLHMAS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1381698278&sr=8-1&keywords=celestron+astromaster+70mm+az+telescope



THAT one is an excellent 70mm. The one you show is... 'eh, ok'. But the one I show you has a long, 900mm focal length and is therefore going to have no chromatic aberration. It will provide you with superb, clear, sharp views! And you can obtain MUCH higher magnification with it. I have many telescopes. Up to a 12" SCT. And I can tell you - this 70mm - which I also have, is a keeper!



Also it will always be good for looking at distant objects on earth too. Like mountains or buildings, etc. And I've used it to see Mars at the last close approach (not a good one) BUT - I could still see an ice cap & some of the dark areas. Saturn is so cool! Jupiter too. But the Moon!! It will just blow you away with detail. Mountains, craters & rilles. Almost like being in orbit over the Moon.

Answer 5

Well it depends. If you don't know the constellations or where to aim, the go-to may be a good idea. Otherwise the one without will be better or certainly cheaper. It may be true that you could get binoculars, but they don't have mounting so it's hard to keep 'em steady. A reflector of comparable cost may gather more light but maintaining collimation can be a pain. l also love refractors because their images are relatively crisp. I have a 70mm orion refractor (non go-to) and I've long been pleased by the views it provides. It's fine for an amateur, if you have just a casual interest. A bigger reflector may provide higher magnification but the catch is, it's useless unless the atmosphere is quite steady and nights like that aren't necessarily common.

Answer 6

The Celestron Travelscope is generally regarded as a good little scope on an abysmal tripod. I've not heard much on the Orion one, but I wouldn't be suprised if it has the same issue.



Both of them are achromatic refractors with short focal ratios. This is good for low-power viewing of the Milky Way starfields, but not so good for planetary viewing. And of course they lack the capability of a 6-inch reflector, but then you won't find a 6-inch reflector that fits in a backpack and doesn't break the bank!