The SkyWatcher AZ Pronto 102/500 refractor is the perfect choice if you want a telescope that's not only good for night sky gazing, but also for daytime scanning of the surrounding landscape. The light weight of the instrument makes it easy to carry, making it a great hiking binocular.
With a 10 cm lens diameter, it collects 62% more light than its 8 cm counterpart and has a higher resolution. Recommended for astronomical observations up to a magnification of about 120x. A bright (f/5) telescope, its vast field of view and considerable objective diameter reveal many sparkling open or globular star clusters and conspicuous galaxies. On your first night you'll see more of the wonders of the night sky than Galileo ever did in his lifetime!
Thanks to its 2" (50.8 mm) eyepiece, it can also be used with an optional 2" zenith mirror. With wide-angle eyepieces, you can achieve a huge field of view - 8x larger than the telescope - making it even more spectacular and enjoyable to observe large clusters and nebulae. The telescope can also be used as a telephoto lens for SLR cameras with the purchase of a T2 adapter ring to match the camera brand.
In addition to a 45° amici prism optimized for daytime use (upright and side-viewing), the package includes 20 and 10 mm Photo Barium eyepieces for 25x and 50x magnifications. For even higher magnifications, a 2x Barlow lens is a good solution. The basic package also includes a starpointer for easier target alignment.
The SkyWattcher AZ Pronto mechanics stand their ground in two areas. It is excellent for nature observation, as it is stable and smoothly manoeuvrable, but it is also beneficial for casual astronomical observation where maximum portability and ease of use are key considerations. The mechanical load capacity is about 3-4 kg when used with short tube telescopes.
The mechanics head allows precise movement using flexible, manual fine adjustment levers - on both axes. The head has a Vixen-compatible prismatic rail mount. The tripod is lightweight yet stable enough to be adjusted to your body height. The maximum height is 150 cm, which can be increased by a further 21.5 cm with the help of an additional column extension, and several column extensions can be attached to each other!
