National Geographic 70mm Telescope with Smartphone Adapter - Silver Carbon Fiber Design for Stargazing, Bird Watching & Outdoor Exploration

National Geographic 70mm Refractor Telescope Adjustable Height Tripod Item Number 80-40071CF Embark on a fascinating adventure through our solar system and beyond with National Geographic’s 70mm telescope. This refractor features unique carbon fiber styling wrap that gives it a rugged edge and a 70mm aperture that will perform well in lunar, planetary and deep sky observing situations. Its manageable 700mm focal length makes it highly portable and results in a versatile f/10 focal ratio that offers both wide fields and high-powered views. For those looking to make their first foray into astrophotography, the scope also comes with an adapter that allows users to secure their smartphone to the eyepiece in order to capture and easily share images. Read more Ample 70mm aperture will reveal lots of lunar details, planetary features like Jupiter’s cloud belts or Saturn’s rings and some of the brightest Messier objects. Two interchangeable Plössl eyepieces and a 2x Barlow lens provide magnifications ranging from 26.9x to 144x. Optical tube with carbon fiber look is lightweight and durable. Panhandle control on alt-azimuth mount allows for smooth movements when navigating the night sky. Full size tripod is fully adjustable and includes an accessory tray for holding extra eyepiece. Included adapter helps observers use their smart device to capture and share images. Use the red dot finder and downloadable astronomy software to locate observing targets. Includes everything you need to get started Two interchangeable Plössl eyepieces and a 2x Barlow lens Smart device adapter Diagonal Red Dot Viewfinder Read more Telescope Terms To Know: Diagonal: A mirror that deflects the ray of light 90 degrees. With a horizontal telescope tube, this device deflects the light upwards so that you can comfortably observe by looking downwards into the eyepiece. The image in a diagonal mirror appears upright but rotated around its vertical axis (mirror image). Focal length: Everything that magnifies an object via an optic lens has a certain focal length. The focal length is the length of the path the light travels from the surface of the lens to its focal point. The focal point is also referred to as the focus. In focus, the image is clear. In the case of a telescope, the focal length of the telescope tube and the eyepieces are used to determine magnification. Lens: The lens turns the light that falls on it around in such a way so that the light gives a clear image in the focal point after it has traveled a certain distance (focal length). Eyepiece: An eyepiece is a system made for your eye and comprised of one or more lenses. In an eyepiece, the clear image that is generated in the focal point of a lens is captured and magnified still more. Magnification: The magnification corresponds to the difference between observation with the naked eye and observation through a magnifying device like a telescope. If a telescope configuration has a magnification of 30x, then an object viewed through the telescope will appear 30 times larger than it would with the naked eye. To calculate the magnification of your telescope setup, divide the focal length of the telescope tube by the focal length of the eyepiece. Using/Aligning the Red Dot Viewfinder: Insert the 26 mm eyepiece into the diagonal and power on the viewfinder by sliding the switch on its right side to an “On” position. • Point the eyepiece at an easy to identify target like a telephone pole that is approximately 200 yards away. Center the object in the eyepiece. Lock the telescope into place by tightening the panhandle. • Without moving the telescope, position the red dot using the two adjustment screws so that it shares the same view as the one in your eyepiece. The front screw will move the viewfinder up and down, and the other will move it side to side. Your viewfinder is now aligned. Note: To preserve battery life, don’t forget to turn off the viewfinder after use Read more Using your telescope: After you have aligned your viewfinder, you are ready to start observing! Put the 26 mm eyepiece into the diagonal to get the widest field of view. This wider field of view will make it easier to locate and track objects. Use the panhandle to move the scope up, down and side to side until your target comes into view in the eyepiece. It is important to remember that the rotation of the Earth means objects will move out of your eyepiece fairly quickly. Once you have found and focused on your desired target, you can track it as it journeys across the night sky using the panhandle. For a closer look at an object, you can insert the 9.7 mm eyepiece. The magnification will increase from 26.9x to 72x. For a more closer look at an object, you can insert the 2x Barlow lens. The magnification will increase to 52x for the 26 mm eyepiece and 144x for the 9.7 mm eyepiece.