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The very light and simple to use ETX-70AT is easy to carry to any observing location, whether it be to a distant mountaintop or your own back yard. Just place the telescope on any flat surface, or on the supplied adjustable height field tripod; do a quick, easy 60-second alignment of the telescope’s computer to the sky; and start observing.

All of the major planets except Pluto can be seen through the ETX-70AT. You can study the rings of Saturn; the cloud belts and four major moons of Jupiter; and prominent features on Mars. You can see mountain ranges on the Moon and lunar craters by the hundreds. Within our Milky Way galaxy the ETX-70AT lets you view hundreds of nebulas; star clusters; double, multiple, and variable stars – plus dozens of external galaxies in all their variations of form and structure. The Meade ETX-70AT reveals amazing amounts of celestial detail that is utterly invisible without the telescope.

The ETX-70AT also makes an excellent land-view instrument for the birdwatcher, the naturalist, or for the home with a view. For land use, the image quality and resolution of the scope is typically far better than what you will see in an ordinary terrestrial spotting scope in its modest price range.

This Telescope’s Optical System . . .

Refractor optical tube: Air-spaced two-element Grade-A crown and flint glass lens. 350mm focal length f/5 all-glass optics. No plastic lenses. The 70mm (2.8”) aperture lens gathers 36% more light than a 60mm refractor for significantly brighter, more highly resolved images than is possible with a smaller scope.

Multicoated optics: The objective lens has antireflection multicoatings on all surfaces for high light transmission and excellent contrast.

Internal light baffles: Field stops inside the optical tube prevent off-axis light from reaching the focal plane, enhancing the contrast for sharper and more detailed views.

Flip-mirror diagonal: An internal flip mirror system directs the image to an eyepiece holder at the top of the tube for astronomical observing or to a separate focus at the rear of the tube for terrestrial observing with an optional #933 45-degreee erecting prism or for photography with an optional #64ST T-adapter.

Two multicoated eyepieces: You get a medium power 1.25” 9mm modified achromatic (39x) and a low power wide angle 1.25” 25mm modified achromatic (14x) with a 3.14° field of view (over six times the diameter of the full Moon).

This Telescope’s Mount . . .

Fork mount/drive system: The ETX-70AT has a very stable dual arm fork mount with two built-in motor drives. Precision worm gear drive systems on each axis permit smooth pushbutton motions of the telescope using the supplied computer hand control. Six internal (user-supplied) AA-batteries power the ETX-70AT for over 20 hours in the field. An optional #546 AC adapter is available to power the scope from a household AC outlet in your back yard to conserve battery life.

Control panel: Integrated into one of the fork arms is a control panel that serves as a central connection point for the Autostar computer’s hand control as well as for an RS-232 serial interface adapter (that is included in the optional #506 AstroFinder Software and Cable Connector Kit). Using the RS-232 interface, new or revised software can be downloaded from the Internet through your PC to the telescope so that the computer program never becomes obsolete. The positions of Earth satellites may be updated regularly to allow their observation through the telescope. You can also download the positions of newly-discovered objects, such as comets, which can them be located and tracked by the Autostar computer.

Autostar computer: The #494 Autostar computer hand control lets you automatically locate and precisely track over 1400 celestial objects. Just enter the object you wish to observe on the Autostar display, press GO TO, and watch as the telescope moves at a rapid 4.5° per second in both axes simultaneously to place the object in the field of view. There are dozens of other Autostar functions to add to your observing enjoyment and educational opportunities. For example, the Autostar also gives you automatic go-to capability to any celestial coordinates, such as the comet positions published monthly in Astronomy and Sky & Telescope magazines, not just the objects already in its memory. It gives you continuous digital readouts of the telescope position in the celestial coordinates of right ascension and declination. You can store 200 user-defined objects of your own in its database. You get pushbutton 9-speed dual-axis operation, from a slow 2x the sidereal rate (the speed at which the stars move) to fast 4.5° per second. You get guided tours of “Tonight’s Best Objects,” and over 20 other menu options.

Tripod: The supplied #882 field tripod includes all the rigidity and stability required for high-power astronomical observing. The lightweight aluminum tripod permits altazimuth (vertical-horizontal) alignment of the telescope and easily adjusts for standing or seated observations through the telescope. The tripod includes an accessory shelf that holds your eyepieces and your Autostar hand control. A rugged Cordura-type carry bag is supplied for easily transporting the tripod out to your observing site.

If you add up all you get – the telescope, the motor drives, the two supplied eyepieces, the Autostar go-to computer, and the full length adjustable height field tripod – you have a telescope that was unavailable to the amateur astronomer at any price only a few short years ago. The fact that the Meade ETX-70AT exists, that it works so simply and so well, and that it costs so very little for all you get, is a marvel indeed. For the beginner, as a gift for an inquisitive youngster, as a second or travel scope for the advanced astronomer, the Meade ETX-70AT is well worth serious consideration.