More Information  · Supplied Accessories

The Sky-Watcher LightChariot’s new Astro-Tri-Align easy alignment technology and red dot illuminated finder make lining up on the sky a breeze. Once aligned, the scope’s SynScan computer hand control finds more than 4,000 celestial objects for you and tracks them unerringly while you observe at your leisure. With its pre-assembled adjustable height steel tripod and easy no-tool assembly, the Sky-Watcher LightChariot 102AR-AZ can be up and ready to take you on a tour of the Universe in only minutes.

The 102mm LightChariot 102AR-AZ is almost 60% brighter than an 80mm scope, with 25% higher resolution, for images that are bright and crisp. The huge 2.16° field of its low power standard eyepiece is superb for scanning wide deep space vistas. It will hold the full Pleiades open star cluster within its field. With the excellent resolution of its 4” optics, views of the Moon and planets within the solar system (as well as close-ups of birds in your back yard) are sharp and detailed.

Whether an entry-level scope for the beginning astronomer, or a second scope for the more-than-casual backyard astronomer, the Sky-Watcher LightChariot 102AR-AZ has the features and optical performance that will keep any skywatcher happily observing for years to come.

This LightChariot lists for $595 and normally sells for $425. It has been sale-priced on the Sky-Watcher website at $399, plus freight. We’ll sell it to you for $379.99, freight paid! That saves you up to $40 in freight costs, in addition to the extra savings. In addition, we’ll ship you a $125 retail value Sky-Watcher StarPower 17 amp hour rechargeable battery/emergency light for free. That makes this Sky-Watcher 4” LightChariot a scope that just can’t be beat.

This Telescope’s Optical System . . .

• Achromatic refractor optical system: 102mm aperture (600mm focal length f/5.9) aluminum tube. Multicoated optics for high light transmission and good contrast. A good-sized lens shade is provided to shield the lens from ambient light for improved contrast and retard the formation of dew for the maximum uninterrupted observing time.

• Finderscope: Illuminated non-magnifying variable brightness red dot finder. The red dot finder is a quick and easy way to point your telescope at the desired object on land or in the sky. There’s no need to worry about the inverted images you see through traditional finders. Just align the red dot that the finder seems to project on the sky with the desired star and you’re done.

• Focuser: 2” rack and pinion with a 1.25” accessory adapter.

• Star diagonal: 1.25” 90° mirror.

• Two premium eyepieces: You get a low power 1.25" 25mm (24x) eyepiece that has a field of view 2.16° across, over four times wider than the diameter of the full Moon, for terrestrial observing and expansive views of nebulas, galaxies, and open star clusters. You also get a medium power 1.25" 12mm (50x) eyepiece with a 1.04° field for closer views of the Moon, nebulas, galaxies, and globular star clusters. Both fully multicoated eyepieces are a premium 4-element Super Plössl design, the same eyepieces often supplied as standard equipment on telescopes costing thousands of dollars.

This Telescope’s Mount . . .

• Fork mount/drive system: 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 LightChariot. There are user-selectable lunar, solar, or sidereal (star) tracking rates, with a variety of different slewing and centering speeds for locating objects ranging from a fast 5° per second down to a very precise 2x the sidereal rate.

• Sky-Watcher computer control: The supplied SynScan computer hand control has an illuminated numeric keypad and a two-line 16-character LCD display. It has a database of more than 4,000 stars and objects, including the complete Messier and Caldwell catalogs of famous deep space objects; a selection of the brightest and best deep space objects from the Revised New General Catalog (NGC); selected SAO stars, including the best variable stars and multiple star systems; the planets; the Moon; and more. A few keystrokes on the Sky-Watcher hand control automatically slews the LightChariot 102AR-AZ to any of those 4,000+ objects, including over 600 galaxies, 300 star clusters, and dozens of beautiful binary stars, then tracks the object flawlessly while you observe at your leisure .

• Astro-Tri-Align Technology: With new patent-pending Sky-Watcher Astro-Tri-Align technology, you don’t have to know Altair from Zubenelgenubi or know how to read a star chart to line up your telescope on the sky. Simply input the date, time, and your location into the computer hand control. The computer will normally default to your last observing site automatically, but can remember up to ten different favorite observing locations for you to choose from.
      Once you’ve entered the date, time, and location, use the red dot finder to align the telescope on any three bright stars, or on two stars and a bright planet or the Moon. The Sky-Watcher computer system will automatically determine which objects were chosen and then generate an internal map of the sky that lets it move automatically to any star or object you select for the rest of the night.
      After the scope has aligned itself with the sky, it takes only a few keystrokes on the computer hand control to have the scope move automatically to your night’s first observing target and start tracking it so you can observe for as long as you like. You can find hundreds of fascinating deep space objects your first night out, even if you have never used a telescope before. No matter what level of experience you start from, your Sky-Watcher LightChariot will unfold all the wonders of the Universe for you, your family, and your friends.

• Computer cable: An RS-232 cord is provided to let the LightChariot communicate with a PC.

• Supplied software: The LightChariot includes a comprehensive “Planetarium Software for the PC" CD-ROM, a computerized sky map for your PC that lets you explore the heavens on your computer.

• Adjustable height tripod: The preassembled tripod has stainless steel legs to damp vibrations quickly. The center leg brace holds a convenient no-tool quick-release accessory tray to keep your eyepieces and accessories up and out of the dew-soaked grass.

Bonus rechargeable battery: The bonus $125 retail Sky-Watcher 17 amp-hour StarPower is a multi-function 12V DC power supply for operating your telescope and power-hungry accessories in the field, as well as an emergency light and AM/FM radio for those times when the power goes out during a storm. This rechargeable battery works with all telescopes that can be powered by a 12V DC external power supply.

The high capacity StarPower is particularly useful for simultaneously operating a telescope and a power-hungry CCD camera and/or a dew heater system. The 17 amp-hour StarPower is substantial in size and weight, in addition to being substantial in power capacity. It weighs a little over 17 pounds and measures 13.5” long x 5.25” wide x 14” tall.

There are two 12 VDC cigarette lighter plug outputs for powering scopes and dew heaters, with sliding covers to keep them d