About this product
A telescope is a great gift for those interested in space and the stars. Especially a telescope like the Orion StarBlast II 4.5 Sun and Moon Kit. It's a real, bona-fide reflector telescope with sophisticated features which will help inspire beginning stargazers day or night.
With its 4.5"-diameter reflector tube and sturdy equatorial (EQ) mount with slow-motion controls, this telescope goes beyond the capabilities of smaller beginner models to support amateur astronomers as their interest in space grows into a lifelong appreciation of stargazing and science. The compact Orion StarBlast II 4.5 EQ is a favorite of both beginners and expert astronomers alike, and stargazers won't outgrow the telescope thanks to its great optics, convenient portability, and easy-to-use operation.
The StarBlast II 4.5 EQ will amaze the whole family with bright views thanks to its big, 4.5"-aperture telescope tube, which collects a lot of light from the night sky to send bright, clear images of objects in space to the telescope eyepiece for viewing. The telescope's combination of short 450mm focal length and sizable 4.5" aperture means the StarBlast II 4.5 EQ will provide brighter views at any magnification compared to longer focal length telescopes, which makes it easier for everyone, and especially beginners, to locate interesting sights in the night sky. Using a telescope allows backyard stargazers to explore the sparkling night sky and search out interesting objects to observe. Everyone in the family will enjoy using the StarBlast II 4.5 EQ to look at fascinating craters, valleys and mountains on the Moon; and bright planets like Jupiter, Saturn and Mars. Even distant objects like star clusters, brighter nebulas and galaxies can be seen in this petite reflector telescope.
Much of the quality of the StarBlast II 4.5 telescope is thanks to its diffraction-limited parabolic primary mirror. While many similar reflector telescopes on the market utilize spherically figured mirrors, for the StarBlast we insisted on using a parabolic primary mirror like those found in larger, observatory quality reflectors because it produces better sharpness across the field with less distortion at the edges. On a short-focal-length design like this one, a parabolic mirror is a must for delivering sharp, detailed images. Parabolic mirrors are more expensive to manufacture, but the payoff is in higher quality celestial images in the eyepiece. This feature combined with the included equatorial mount with dovetail cradle mounting and included accessories described below make this one sweet optical system for astronomy!
The included 25mm Plossl eyepiece provides a 18-power view in the StarBlast II 4.5 EQ with a 52° apparent field of view. The 25mm Plossl is a great eyepiece to use first when you use the telescope each night, since it provides a larger, less magnified window of night sky for you to view. This lower magnification makes it easy to find interesting objects in the night sky.
After you've scanned the skies with the 25mm Plossl ocular in the StarBlast II 4.5 EQ, take a closer look at interesting objects by swapping out the 25mm eyepiece with 10mm Plossl to boost magnification up to 45x. The more powerful view in the 10mm focal length eyepiece makes it easier to see details such as craters and mountains on the Moon, as well as details of bright planets like the moons of Jupiter and the rings of Saturn.
As a bonus, this special kit also includes a full aperture film solar filter that fits over the front of your telescope. This Orion white-light solar filter is designed to see sunspots and granulation around the sun spots on the solar disk. It is not a Hydrogen-alpha filter which shows prominence and solar flare detail. For that type of solar viewing, consider upgrading to a Coronado Solar Telescope. Also included is a glare-reducing moon filter to better observe the myriad details of the moon.
Explore the fun of daytime astronomy with the included Safety Film Solar Filter.
In addition to stargazing at night, you can also use the StarBlast II 4.5 EQ during daytime hours thanks to the included Safety Film Solar Filter, which lets you safely observe sunspots as they march across the surface of our nearest star. The solar filter rejects all harmful light from the Sun, while allowing a very small fraction of light to pass through, so you can safely enjoy the fun of daytime solar astronomy.
This solar filter is designed and manufactured in the USA.
Cut the Moon's glare and see more detail on its surface with the Orion 13% Transmission Moon Filter .
This popular accessory reduces glare and boosts contrast so you can enjoy more-detailed views of lunar surface features. It blocks 87% of the Moon's brightness to provide a more comfortable view and reveal subtle details. It's a neutral density filter that will not alter the natural color of the Moon, either.
The included Orion EZ Finder II red-dot sight makes aiming the telescope nice and "EZ".
The Orion EZ Finder II reflex sight lets you aim the StarBlast II 4.5 EQ Reflector Telescope anywhere in the night sky. Following a simple alignment procedure, the EZ Finder II projects a small red-dot onto a viewing window, so all you have to do is move the telescope until the red-dot is aimed at the area of sky you want to see in the telescope.
Begin your night sky explorations with the included DeepMap 600.
Full-color star map of the night sky with clearly indicated positions of 600 of the finest celestial objects to view. Star chart conveniently folds up just like a road map for easy storage and transport. Orion DeepMap 600 shows the night sky from declination +90-deg to -60-deg. Back of chart lists essential data for all 600 objects of interest, including a brief visual description of each object — an ideal reference for beginners and advanced observers alike! Printed on dew-proof plastic for durability in the field, even in damp conditions.
Use the Orion MoonMap 260 to learn more about the lunar features you see in the telescope.
With locations and names of over 260 features on the Moon such as craters, mountains, valleys, "seas" and more, the included Orion MoonMap 260 is a great tool for beginning astronomers. This detailed map will even show you where various spacecraft have landed on the Moon's surface! The MoonMap 260 can be used to plan what to look at on the Moon, and to learn the official names of all the interesting lunar landscape features you see in the StarBlast II 4.5 Reflector Telescope.
Take pictures of solar system objects with the included Smartphone camera adapter.
Quick and easy self-centering eyepiece clamp provides fast installation. Provides a stable platform for your smartphone to yield stable, clearly focused snapshots. Compatible with even the biggest modern smartphones as large as 3-3/4" wide. Twist-lock eyepiece clamp compatible with telescope, binocular, and microscope eyepieces measuring 25-45mm in diameter.
The 4.5" telescope tube is supported by a sturdy EQ mount and an adjustable-height tubular style tripod. Since stars and other night sky objects appear to move across the sky over time, the EQ mount is equipped with handy slow-motion controls so you can slowly "track" an object by twisting the slow-motion control knob to keep what you're looking at centered in the eyepiece. This lets you enjoy the view as long as you like without having to repeatedly re-aim the telescope. You can even add an optional electronic motor drive (sold separately) to the StarBlast II 4.5 EQ so it will track objects automatically once you've centered what you want to look at in the telescope eyepiece. The adjustable-height tubular style tripod allows you to set the StarBlast II 4.5 Equatorial Reflector up for comfortable views, while remaining lightweight so the entire assembled telescope is easy to transport.
If you're looking for an exceptional beginner telescope to nurture interest in space and science, or if you're seeking a second telescope that's more portable than your big "light bucket", then pick up an Orion StarBlast II 4.5 EQ. Trust us, you'll have a blast!
Orion assures that all solar filters are tested at specialized labs that are accredited to verify compliance with the ISO 12312-2 safety specifications for solar viewing.
- The whole family will enjoy the StarBlast II 4.5 EQ thanks to its parabolic primary mirror, convenient portability, and easy-to-use operation
- Attach the included Film Solar Filter to view the sun safely - perfect for the 2023 and 2024 solar eclipses! This solar filter is designed and manufactured in the USA.
- A fantastic wide-field astronomy telescope with reflecting optics large enough to keep you and your family busy viewing for years to come
- Included 25mm and 10mm Plossl eyepieces provide 18-power and 45-power views right out of the box! Also includes a DeepMap 600, MoonMap 260, smartphone camera adapter, EZ Finder II reflex sight, adjustable-height tripod and more
- CAUTION: Never look directly at the sun, even for an instant, through a telescope without a solar filter installed that completely covers the front of the telescope
