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Celestron AstroMaster 76 Telescope - $150 (Rio Rancho)
Alpine Cir SE near Riverview
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I know little about telescopes but was able to get this one set up myself and was able to view the moon and planets. I bought this telescope from a man who owns a lot of telescopes and is passionate about the hobby. He told me he (I can't fully remember) either upgraded the lens or professionally polished it so the telescope would perform better than out of the box. It also has a beefed up tripod and a motor accessory that keeps targets lined up as the Earth spins.
Included Eyepieces: 20mm (yielding 35x magnification) and a 10mm (yielding 70x magnification).
ABOUT: The Celestron AstroMaster 76 is a beginner-friendly Newtonian reflector telescope designed primarily for viewing bright solar system objects like the Moon and planets. It comes in two primary variations based on the mounting system: the 76EQ (which features a manual German Equatorial mount for astronomical tracking) and the LT 76AZ (which features a simpler, alt-azimuth mount for intuitive up-down, left-right movement).
Key Specifications: Performance Aperture: 76mm (3 inches), which provides basic light-gathering power suitable for nearby celestial targets.
Focal Length Ratio: 700mm focal length with a focal ratio of f/9.21, ensuring a relatively sharp image with minimized distortion.
What Can You Expect to See?
Because of its small 76mm aperture, this telescope acts primarily as a window to the cosmos:
The Moon: Extremely clear, crisp views of lunar craters, mountain ranges, and valleys.
Planets: You can easily resolve the rings of Saturn, the four Galilean moons of Jupiter, and see basic cloud bands on Jupiter under clear skies.
Deep Sky: Limited to only the brightest objects, such as the Orion Nebula or the Andromeda Galaxy, which will appear as faint, fuzzy clouds rather than detailed structures.