Friday, February 10, 2012

Telescopes > Celestron 21041 60mm PowerSeeker Telescope

Celestron 21041 60mm PowerSeeker Telescope

by Father Sky on March 3, 2011

Celestron 21041 60mm PowerSeeker Telescope

  • Affordable telescope for beginning astronomer; portable yet powerful
  • All-glass optical components with high transmission coatings for enhanced image brightness and clarity
  • Refractor optical design with a 60mm aperture and 700mm focal length
  • Altazimuth mount suitable for terrestial viewing as well as astronomical use
  • Includes 3x Barlow Lens (1.25"), 20mm eyepiece, 4mm eyepiece, aluminum tripod with accessory tray

Product Description

The PowerSeekers come with all coated glass optical components with for enhanced image brightness and clarity. The Newtonian reflectors offer larger aperture and greater light gathering power needed to resolve the faint detail of hundreds of deep-sky and other celestial objects.

All PowerSeekers come on either sturdy equatorial mounts for tracking the sky, or collapsible altazimuth mounts suitable for terrestrial viewing as well as astronomical use.

The PowerSeekers come with a full range of eyepieces plus a 3x Barlow lens, allowing an increase in viewing power hundreds of times greater than that of an unaided eye!

Amazon.com Review
Celestron's value priced Powerseeker 60 telescope takes a basic "just the facts" approach to affordable entry level telescopes. The package includes an adjustable aluminum tripod with an alt-azimuth mount and stabilizer, a Kellner type K20 eyepiece, a Ramsden type SR4 eyepiece, a 3x barlow lens, and a 5 power cross-hair finder scope.

The Powerseeker 60 comes disassembled in a compact box, but it won't take long to put everything together. Go ahead and try it out in the daytime, that's the best time to align the finder scope while looking at a distant tree or telephone pole.

My first view of Saturn's rings and star cluster M13 in Hercules came with a 60mm telescope, and I enjoy celestial viewing with the Powerseeker 60 to this day. The secret is to use the low power K20 eyepiece and only extend the tripod legs half-way. This gives me sharp and steady views, whether I'm looking at nearby hills, craters on the Moon, the Double Cluster in Perseus, or even the Andromeda Galaxy!

With a 1.25" focuser and diagonal mirror, it's easy to add better eyepieces. The Kellner type K20 eyepiece yields a 1.1 degree true field of view, better than the Huygens or H-type eyepieces still found in many beginner scopes. Adding an optional Celestron 25mm E-Lux eyepiece is better still. With nearly 2 degrees true field of view, the 25mm E-lux makes it much easier to find objects, either on land or in deep space. The SR4 eyepiece is less impressive; it's like peeking through a pin-hole. Adding the 3x barlow to the SR4 to get that 525x proclaimed on the box is peeking through a dim, fuzzy pin-hole.

I'm surprised that a telescope this inexpensive can be this good. It's good enough to show me Saturn's rings at night or a Steller's Jay at 100 yards during the day. In my opinion, the Powerseeker 60 would be an even better bargain if it came with a K10 eyepiece in place of the 3x barlow and the SR4 eyepiece. Also take a look at Celestron's Firstscope 60AZ; it's only a little more expensive, but it includes two useable eyepieces, a red-dot finder, and planetarium software for your computer. –Jeff Phillips

Pros:

  • Low cost
  • Decent optics
  • Accepts 1.25" eyepieces

Cons:

  • Too small for serious astronomy
  • Only one good eyepiece

Celestron 21041 60mm PowerSeeker Telescope

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{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }

Brenda S. Dupre February 11, 2010 at 5:57 pm

We had a several college students even try to come and help my daughter use this telescope and was still very disapointed in what you could see, we could see the same amount of items with the naked eye if we stood in our back yard, I wished I could of gotten a full refund on this item , what a bad choice for an Christmas present, never again!

Brenda SueCelestron Powerseeker 60 TelescopeCelestron Powerseeker 60 Telescope

NY Blogger February 11, 2010 at 7:13 pm

I bought this telescope for my husband for Father’s Day, but ended up giving it to him early. He was always out on the back porch looking at the night sky. After receiving this telescope, I’m not sure he even comes in at night anymore. He loves it.Celestron 21041 60mm PowerSeeker Telescope

S. Kosloske February 11, 2010 at 9:16 pm

Very complete system for the price, and the addition of the software is a great addition.

This telescope obviously doesn’t have the high-end mount needed for tracking or finding objects, but it’s a GREAT beginners telescope. Has everything you need.

Tammy Smith February 11, 2010 at 9:51 pm

Not what he asked for but just what he needed. Loves the fact he can see onto the moon not just at the moon close up.

C. Bourret February 12, 2010 at 12:22 am

Gave this to my daughter for her birthday.

She really enjoys it.

Good entry level scope for kids that’s not too expensive.

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