Startravel-102 SynScan AZ GOTO 102mm (4") f/500 Computerised GOTO refractor.

Fabulous complete intermediate astronomy starter kit featuring the amazing fully computerised SynScan AZ GOTO mount plus 102mm refractor and accessories for just £309.99 inc UK p&p.

Click the link below to see our informative video presentation of the Sky Watcher SynScan AZ GOTO telescope family :

Video tour of the SynScan AZ GOTO series

An ideal instrument for the wide-field observation of Deep-Sky objects, such as Nebulae, Star Fields & Clusters and Galaxies. A useful telescope for astrophotography and also for daytime terrestrial use.

Fully GOTO computerised 102mm telescope Complete with computerised SynScan hand controller, 2 eyepieces, 6x30 optical finder and one of the special offers (see banners at top of page), this stunning telescope package will give you amazing views of the Moon, planets, stars and nebulae, and what´s more - it´ll show you hundreds of such objects from your own back-garden at the merest touch of a button! But that’s not all – the 102 is supplied with a special 45 degree erect image eyepiece holder that allows terrestrial observations to be made.

As recommended by Sir Patrick Moore! Anyone who has read the great astronomy books by Sir Patrick or watched the Sky at Night will know that he often recommends a good quality 3" or 75mm refractor as a minimum ideal astronomy instrument. The Sky Watcher Startravel 102mm equates to 4" (in old money!) so the Sky Watcher generously exceeds Sir Patrick's advice by a full inch! Sir Patrick has also gone on record to recommend the Sky Watcher as an outstanding brand and manufacturer of reliable quality telescopes. The optical quality is excellent! The pin sharp 102mm optical design features Sky Watcher’s trusted air-spaced achromatic doublet system. The sophisticated compound lens system uses two lenses of slightly different glass type combined with a very small precision controlled air gap between the lens elements to produce an optical system that produces bright, sharp, high contrast images with a high degree of colour fidelity - ideal for viewing planets and other colour and detail rich targets.

The Startravel 102 AZ GOTO has a fully computerised mounting, once set up (it takes just a few moments) the SkyWatcher knows the location of over 30,000 of the sky's most exciting targets - and can take you straight to them at the touch of a button.

How it works.

The telescope uses two ultra high-precision motors (like the ones used in the most sophisticated colour ink-jet printers, only much more powerful) that work in synchronization with an electronic brain that steers the telescope to any object in the sky that you select from the illuminated menu driven handset. It automatically compensates for the constant rotation of the Earth too, so that the object (planet, galaxy etc) appears stationary in the eyepiece and allows you to study it in fine detail.

The SynScan handset: your personal on-board expert!

We know this might sound too good to be true, but it really is like having the brain and knowledge of Patrick Moore or Carl Sagan built in to the telescope, ready to dispense tireless expertise and guidance every time you want it! And if you think it sounds almost too simple and will take away the fun of finding out and learning about the universe for yourself: think again. The best way to learn about almost anything is with the aid of an expert and patient teacher. The SynScan handset supplied with the Sky Watcher AZ GOTO system is just that, a patient PhD-caliber teacher that will let you learn at your leisure and have great fun doing it.

If you or someone you know has always wanted a top quality telescope for astronomy observation and was worried about the challenge of finding the things they want to see in the night sky but might also like to use the telescope for terrestrial observing as well, then the Sky Watcher SynScan AZ GOTO 102mm is the ideal scope.

Accessories included in the kit

SynScan hand controller: total computer GOTO control system, after simple set-up, automatically finds planets, stars, comets, etc, and identify interesting targets appearing in the night sky.

6x30 optical finder: This good quality 6 power optical finder is good for day and night observations and is designed to help you zero in to any target with the main instrument. The finder fits on to the tube via a universal quick release shoe and other finders (red dot, MRF even your iPhone) can be easily attached.

All the accessories you need are included: Includes 2 good quality eyepieces: giving you two magnifications from low-power wide angle (for big targets and deep sky viewing) through to high-power for planets and exploring the fine detail of Lunar craters and mountains.

The included eyepieces offers a wide range of magnifications from 32x up to 92x (and higher with additional accessories purchased separately – eg 2x Barlow lens - see our recommendations lower left).

Steel and aluminium field tripod.

Also included:

45 degree corrected Star diagonal: Allows comfortable viewing of the night sky without neck ache by holding the eyepiece at an angle of 45 degrees to the telescope and corrects the image orientation so that you can also make perfect terrestrial observations also.

Choice of special offers - see banner above

With its handsome fully adjustable pre-assembled, full height, field and garden tripod, the Sky Watcher AZ GOTO mount can be up and ready to use in a matter of minutes. The unique SynScan alignment technology makes aligning and setting up a breeze – you only need to know the name of one bright star to get the telescope ready for action (don’t worry if you don’t know any names just yet – we provide a simple chart to help you).

A big step up from basic GOTO astronomy stater scopes, the Startravel 102 is a serious intermediate scope that will satisfy the most demanding user. It can also be used as a great, high powered land-based spotting telescope with the included 45 degree erect-image diagonal.

Stratrave 102mm SynScan AZ GOTO features

Full GOTO mounting The easy to use SynScan handset will have you set-up and accurately locating objects like a pro in no time. And of course, if you want to know exactly where something the automatic system has found for you actually is, relative to stars you can see with the naked eye - simply check the position with the 6x30 finder!

The telescope features a quick-release dovetail mount for quick no-tools set up. This is more important than it sounds and many telescopes lack this important feature. The dovetail quick-release telescope mount doesn’t just make it easier to set up and put the telescope away at the end of an observing session, it also allows you to fit another scope – perhaps a specialist deep-sky telescope if you decide to upgrade later on. This is a great feature helping to make this great instrument truly future proof.

The sturdy aluminium full-height field tripod has a useful accessory tray that locks in to place without fiddly nuts and bolts and acts as a leg brace as well as an accessory storage area.

Reliable patented Sky Watcher SynScan computer-control technology. The SynScan control protocol is found on some of the worlds best telescope mountings.

The on-board target database allows the telescope to effortlessly locate thousands of celestial objects, including planets, galaxies, nebulae, comets and even made made satellites.

Ultra-simple single known star alignment allows you to align the telescope in seconds, making for a fast and easy set-up process.

Flash upgradeable hand-set for downloading product updates over the Internet if required. The telescope can also be attached to a computer for a true multi-media experience. (additional accessories required).

What can you see with the Sky Watcher Startravel 102 GOTO telescope?

At low to medium power, the ancient landscape of the Moon becomes a fabulously intricate panorama of craters, rays and rills. The superior resolving power and contrast of the 102mm refracting optical system pays dividends on detailed extended targets like the Moon and planets. At higher powers, individual crater systems can be explored in detail. At good observing times (at opposition when the planet is close to the Earth) the planet Mars will show many details on its surface, and the polar cap can be seen during ideal observing conditions. At good observing times, when observed at just 50x or higher magnification, the planet Jupiter will appear as a banded disc larger in size than you normally see the full Moon with the unaided eye! The cloud belts of Jupiter will show ever changing detail that will show drift across the planet's face in just a few minutes. The four main moons of Jupiter can be seen orbiting the giant planet, sometimes casting shadows onto Jupiter's dense cloudy atmosphere. At certain times the planet Saturn will show its magnificent ring system and its bright famous moon Titan. These are just a few of the things that can be seen in our own solar system with the Sky Watcher AZ GOTO computerised telescope. Outside of our solar system, exotic targets ranging from star factories or nurseries to star grave yards can be seen with ease – again the larger optics of this instrument ensure superior views. Outside our galaxy thousands of island universes can be found - from your own back-garden galaxies millions of light-years distant can be seen with this truly amazing telescope.

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