Credit: Celestron
Key Takeaways:
- The article features various primary observing instruments, including a dedicated 100mm solar telescope (Daystar’s Sol 100mm), a smart telescope designed for astroimaging with integrated features (DwarfLab’s DWARF 3), and a 6-inch tabletop Dobsonian reflector telescope (Explore Scientific) suitable for viewing deep-sky objects, the Moon, and planets.
- Supporting astronomical equipment includes an Advanced VX equatorial mount (Celestron) with a 30-pound capacity and effective sky tracking, alongside a portable lithium power tank (Celestron’s Power Tank Lithium Pro) that provides power for telescopes, device charging, and red and white light illumination.
- Optical accessories for enhancing observations are presented, such as a filter set (Astromania) for augmenting celestial detail and a zoom eyepiece (Pentax’s XF smc 6.5-19.5mm) allowing for variable magnification. Observer comfort during sessions is addressed with an adjustable observing chair (Starbound).
- Binocular options detailed encompass hand-holdable 10x50 Porro binoculars (Celestron’s Ultima series) for general sky scans and eclipses, and a larger 100XL-SD binocular telescope (Oberwerk) featuring 4-inch objective lenses and 40x magnification for detailed observation of celestial objects, particularly the Moon.
Celestron’s Advanced VX Mount
Hmm, what’s the best thing I can say about this mount? Oh, ya, I have two of them in my home observatory. They’re easy to set up, can carry up to 30 pounds, and track the sky spectacularly well. If your holiday hunk needs a new mount, look no further.
$1,199
Credit: Daystar
Daystar’s Sol 100mm
If you’ve got some coin to spend on your pal and they haven’t been observing the Sun, oh my! With this in their backyard, they’ll watch our daytime star — Gee, I wonder where this company got its name — for hours at a time.
$4,995
Credit: Astromania
Astromania’s Filter Set
Filters don’t make celestial objects brighter; they enhance details. If you want a low-priced gift that will keep your observing pal at their telescope for a while, this is a good choice.
$29.34
Credit: DwarfLab
DwarfLab’s DWARF 3 Smart Telescope
Has your spouse, significant other, or just plain pal thought about getting into astroimaging? If so, you can get them started without breaking the bank. The DWARF 3 is pretty foolproof. It has a built-in battery, three filters, half a dozen shooting modes … just plop it onto a tripod and shoot.
$494.10
Credit: Celestron
Celestron’s Power Tank Lithium Pro
If your Christmas buddy makes frequent trips out of town to reach a dark site, this handy item will power their scope all night long. And also charge their phone. And also provide both red and white light. Useful? You bet.
$259.95
Credit: Explore Scientific
Explore Scientific’s 6-inch Tabletop Dobsonian Reflector Telescope
Most tabletop telescopes are, in a word, puny. Not this bad boy! Its 6 inches of aperture will bring in plenty of deep-sky objects, in addition to providing great views of the Moon and planets. This scope weighs 22 pounds (10 kg), so bring a sturdy table.
$549.99
Credit: Pentax
Pentax’s XF smc 6.5-19.5mm Zoom Eyepiece
In the past, most zoom eyepieces were crap. Boy, has that changed! And Pentax’s unit is proof. Watch your forever grateful pal insert this into their telescope’s focuser, start viewing the target with the lowest power (19.5mm), and begin cranking the magnification. Yes, even in the dark, you’ll see a smile.
$289
Credit: Starboard
Starbound’s Adjustable Observing Chair
If you’ve ever observed with me, you’ve used one of these chairs. My wife gifted it to me for a birthday some two decades ago. Yes, observing is about sky conditions, telescopes, yada, yada, yada. But it’s also about comfort. When you sit in one of these adjustable chairs, you’ll be comfortable.
$249.95
Credit: Celestron
Celestron’s Ultima 10×50 Porro Binocular
Does your Christmas crush take binoculars observing with them? Get them these, and they surely will. For most people, 10-power binoculars are the highest magnification they can handhold. So they’re good for quick scans of the sky, eclipses, and even following long-lived meteor trails. And all of Celestron’s Ultima series are high quality.
$149.95
Credit: Oberwerk
Oberwerk’s 100XL-SD Binocular Telescope
These binos are awesome. How do I know? One of them is sitting in my home observatory. They’re not cheap, but hey, you love the person you’re gifting them to, right? Their 4-inch front lenses, magnification of 40x, and field of view of 1.75° is perfect for many sky objects, especially the Moon — especially during eclipses.
$3,350
