Beginner Bundle - AstroVenture 4.5" Telescope

This starter set-up comes loaded all the extras you need to get started in backyard stargazing.

With this Beginner Bundle, you get:

• The AstroVenture 4.5" Telescope
• Redshift 7 Planetarium Software DVD-ROM
• Astronomy for Dummies
• Sky & Telescope's Laminated Lunar 100 Card
• The Night Sky Planisphere Star Chart (Northern Hemisphere)

Our Most Well-Rounded Telescope. This is it! The most versatile, "does everything" nighttime telescope we sell. This is the ideal first scope for the backyard astronomy enthusiast or an older child with space on the brain. With a large 114mm (4.5 inch) primary mirror and a 500mm focal length, this fast F/4.4 telescope is the perfect large, light-gathering instrument for wide-field and deep space astronomy. This telescope is ideal for backyard astronomy and is a great introductory telescope if you are serious about getting into astronomy. With its tremendous light-gathering power, in dark skies you can observe fabulous nebulae, galaxies, binary star systems, and most of the famed deep-space Messier objects. Of course, with this telescope you'll be able to view the Moon in outstanding detail, as well as observe the rings of Saturn and moons of Jupiter.

Additional Eyepieces Included. This telescope comes with 2 medium power Plossl eyepieces and storage containers, and a Barlow 2x lens. These add-ons are perfect for getting started on your deep-space and planetary excursions. The Barlow lens will double the power of your eyepieces, giving you magnifications of up to 100x.

Comes with Great Accessories.  Beginner Bundles have added accessories that give you a great introduction to astronomy and telescopes. This package comes with the extremely popular book Astronomy for Dummies, which will answer all your questions about black holes, quasars, star clusters, the planets, and more. Redshift 7 is a wonderful planetarium software program that helps you plan out your evenings with the stars, simulates star tours, and allows you to explore a 3-D model of the universe. A beginner's package wouldn't be complete with out the Lunar 100 Card, your guide to the Moon's surface, and the Night Sky Planisphere Star Chart, which shows you which stars you can expect to see on any given night. Your telescope also comes with a dust-free cleaning cloth, a poster of the solar system, a large map of the Moon, and a moon filter designed to reduce moon glare and make surface details more clear.

Full Sized Tripod Included. The aluminum tripod is fully adjustable and allows even taller people to observe the stars without having to crouch down in an uncomfortable position. But unlike the larger 6" and 8" reflectors, the 4.5" telescope tripod has a quick-assembly mechanism, making setup and take-down much simpler. A handy accessory tray on the tripod makes it easy to keep track of extra eyepieces.

Star Tracking Mount. This great 4.5" telescope has a full featured equatorial mount, just like its larger cousins -- making it possible for this scope to track the movements of stars as they move across the night sky. Thanks to precision worm gears and a substantial counter weight, the telescope can be balanced so that the slightest finger touch turn of the flexi cables will move the telescope in any direction with a smooth, steady motion. Be sure to add an optional single axis or dual axis motor drive to set up your telescope to track stars and planets as they move through the night sky.