Non-Magnifying Finderscopes For Telescopes

Non-magnifying finders are small, lightweight telescope aiming devices that mount on the top of telescope tubes to help you find your way around the skies at night. They are descendents of the heads-up gun sight display in a military aircraft cockpit. They consist of a battery-operated red LED (light emitting diode) that projects a small dot of red light or a reticle pattern onto a clear plate of glass or plastic inside the finder housing. When you look through the finder, the red dot or reticle pattern appears to float in space wherever your telescope is pointing, day or night, making it easy to quickly and intuitively center the scope on distant objects by moving your scope until the red dot seems to rest on top of your target. The red aiming dots or reticles can be seen from virtually any distance behind the finder, from two inches to two feet, so eyeglass-wearers can easily use them. Finders with reticle patterns are very popular with Dobsonian owners, as the circular patterns have known diameters (2°, 4°, etc.) that make it easy to starhop from object to object in known and repeastable increments.