| This Meade telescope has: • 102mm f/7.8 multicoated achromatic refractor optics
• light-weight battery-operated DS2000 Generation II computerized go-to altazimuth mount
• AudioStar™ talking computer hand control with 30,000+ object go-to library
• adjustable height tripod with accessory tray
• illuminated non-magnifying red dot finder
• 9mm (89x) and 25mm (32x) modified achromatic eyepieces
The Meade StarNavigator 102 puts good quality 102mm (4") aperture refractor optics on an easy-to-use computerized go-to altazimuth mount. It can take you on a guided tour of the best sights in the heavens any night the skies are clear, as well as find and track any of more than 30,000 celestial objects. The StarNavigator 102 provides a well-balanced mix of high contrast optical performance, portability, and computerized convenience at an extremely affordable price.
The StarNavigator 102’s AudioStar™ computer hand control has Astronomer Inside™ software with over 500 audio files that play through a built-in loudspeaker (which can be turned off at any time, if desired). You get over four hours of information about the astronomical objects your StarNavigator is showing you. Sandy Wood, from the Star Date radio show, describes the planets, stars, constellations, star clusters, galaxies, and more as you view them. It’s like having a professional astronomer standing next to you at the telescope to bring astronomy to life as you observe. The Astronomer Inside™ software knows the sky so you don’t have to.
For the observer whose interests are the brighter solar system and deep space objects, the StarNavigator 102 has a lot to offer. Its refractor optics provide sharp, high-contrast images of subtle lunar and planetary details. While some spurious color (typical of all achromatic refractors) is visible on the planets and the limb of the Moon, it is well controlled and unobtrusive.
Outside the solar system, binary star systems and globular star clusters are sharp and well-resolved, typical of the performance of a good refractor, with the contrasting colors of many binary systems showing nicely. Without the light-scattering effect of a reflector’s mirrors and secondary obstruction to contend with, the high contrast of the refractor’s unobstructed optical system lets the brighter nebulas and galaxies stand out nicely against a dark sky background.
This Telescope’s Optical System . . . - Achromatic refractor optical system: 102mm (4") aperture 800mm focal length f/7.8 system using a 2-element objective lens made of Grade-A BK7 crown and F2 flint optical glass. Field stops inside the optical tube prevent off-axis light from reaching the focal plane, enhancing the contrast for sharper and more detailed views. Multicoated optics for high light transmission and contrast.
- Finderscope: Non-magnifying variable brightness red dot finder with multicoated viewing window for more visible stars. The red dot finder is a quick and easy way to point your telescope exactly to the desired object in the sky. There’s no need to worry about the inverted images you see through traditional finders. Just align the red dot seen on the finder’s viewing window with the desired star in the sky and you’re done.
- Focuser: Rack and pinion, with a 1.25" accessory adapter.
- Star diagonal: 1.25" prism type.
- Two eyepieces: Both are three-element 1.25" modified achromatic designs. The first is a 25mm providing a magnification of 32x. Its field of view is 1.25° across, two and a half times as wide as the full Moon, for expansive views of nebulas and star clusters. The second is a 9mm providing 89x with a 0.49° field for more close-up views of the planets, globular star clusters, plus a full Moon that fills the eyepiece field.
This Telescope’s Mount . . . - Fork mount/drive system: Lightweight Generation II DS-2000 single fork arm altazimuth design with pre-installed dual DC servo motor drives. A compartment in the drive base accepts eight user-supplied AA batteries for powering the telescope. The extra-large declination knob is easy to grip and tightens in place with ease, making it easier to adjust the scope’s position.
- Adjustable height tripod: The preassembled aluminum tripod is adjustable in height to put the scope’s eyepiece at a comfortable level for observing. The tripod’s leg brace has a convenient accessory tray to keep your eyepieces and accessories up and out of the dew-soaked grass. The tray has a built-in holder for the AudioStar™ computer hand control.
- AudioStar™ computer: The AudioStar™ computer hand control plugs into the telescope’s fork arm to permit a wide array of telescope options, including guided tours of the best objects visible on any night you are out observing. At the push of a button, the StarNavigator’s AudioStar™ computer can find any of the 30,000 deep sky and solar system objects in its database for you, then track it flawlessly across the sky while you observe at your leisure The AudioStar™ can show you celestial wonders galore every night – even if you've never used a telescope before!.
- AutoStar Software Suite: The StarNavigator comes with the AutoStar Software Suite Astronomer’s Edition – a CD-ROM Windows-based planetarium program for your PC that can display stars and deep space objects on your computer screen – galaxies, nebulas, star clusters, stars, and planets. It lets you explore the universe on your computer when the skies are cloudy and you can’t use your scope. It can print out star charts to use later at the telescope and help you plan your observing sessions. Also included is an instructional DVD that shows you how to set up your scope and get the most out of observing with it.
What you see through the StarNavigator 102 . . . All of the major planets are easily observable through the StarNavigator 102. You can study high contrast views of Saturn and its ring system; the primary cloud belts of Jupiter and its four major satellites; the Moonlike phases of Mercury and Venus; prominent features on Mars; and the tiny globes of the distant planets Uranus and Neptune. The Moon stands out in sharp, almost three-dimensional detail – showing you craters by the hundreds, mountain ranges, scarps, and valleys.
Within our Milky Way galaxy the StarNavigator displays hundreds of nebulas, star clusters, double and multiple stars, and variable stars – plus dozens of external galaxies in all their variations of form and structure.
The StarNavigator has 189% more light gathering capacity than the more common 60mm beginning scope, and 64% more than an 80mm scope. This gives brighter and more highly resolved images than is possible with any smaller scope. For the introductory student of astronomy, or for the casual observer, the Meade StarNavigator 102 opens up your skies to an amazing breadth of celestial detail (both inside and outside the solar system) that is utterly invisible without the telescope – and all at a very modest cost for a scope that does all the work for you (and talks to you while it’s doing it).
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Terestrial Photography
Star Cluster, Nebula, and Galaxy Photography