Optics are decent for a scope of this price with some coma around the edges. Lightweight and very portable (though you need a table to set it on). Telescope Reviews
Wide field views are great. But when you put in the high power (short focal length) eyepiece, it becomes nearly impossible to keep the object in the field of view. The mount simply isn’t smooth enough to move without jerkiness. This has been a disappointment in what could have been a very nice scope.
I’ve had an Orion StarBlast for over a year now, and even however I have larger, far more sophisticated telescopes, it may be the one I use most. The setup is instantaneous though, like other reflectors, it takes some time to cool down on cold nights. It’s effortlessly portable, and operates nicely like a grab `n go. The short focal length makes it superb for low energy, wide field views of deep sky objects along with the moon. By way of the StarBlast, I have observed (to name a few) the Ring Nebula, the Andromeda Galaxy (along with its two neighboring galaxies), Galaxies M81 and M82, countless open clusters, the Lagoon and Trifid nebulas, The Eagle Nebula, the nebula in Orion, comets NEAT and LINEAR. Jupiter’s belts and moons are apparent at higher power, as are Staurn’s rings plus the phases of Venus and Mercury. In the course of the last opposition, I could see Martian polar ice caps. Throughout the last lunar eclipse, I had no trouble taking digital photographs by means of this instrument. Telescope Reviews
This is the same fast optics formula as the Edmund AstroScan and Bushnell Voyager bowling ball. The StarBlast is far and away the greatest of the three, but as with the others, the high power views are soft. That feature is not a difficulty for those of us primarily interested in deep sky. Planetary views could be far more detailed, and my own StarBlast won’t split the double double in suburban skies. (Orion’s somewhat longer 4.5″ f 8 dobsonian is much more suited to these subjects.) Furthermore, most globular clusters present as unresolved fuzzy balls, as they will in any instrument of this aperture.
For the price, nevertheless, you can’t really beat the StarBlast. It works well as a family telescope, or being a casual scope for somebody interested but not obsessed by astronomy. It can be small, inexpensive, and intuitive sufficient to be handled by children. It also works nicely for crusty old guys like me who have bigger hardware, but just do not feel like moving it every single night.
As usual from Orion nice optics for the price. Would work much better on XT4.5″ mount& base. I’ve experimented with this scope taking mirror cell out & installing altitude bearings from a xt4.5.
Then installing on XT4.5 base & mount. Balance is not an issue on such a short focal length. High power views are now easy to track plus height is a liile better. If you love your starblast order an XT4.5″ mount & base from Orion. Telescope Reviews
Probably under 100 bucks. My XT8 base was 110 shipped. Only thing is you’ll have to dig up used altitude bearings from somebody. Well worth the work. I do not suggest attempting this unless your absolutely sure what you have to do to make it work, drilling of holes for bearings, alighning bearings evenly side to side, etc. But the results are great
My sister was considering a telescope but was unsure whether or not she must put out a large amount of cash for something she may not usually use. I suggested the Orion StarBlast Astro Telescope as a way to test the waters 1st. The telescope is very inexpensive, yet reviews from the scope are fine. What I didn’t assume was how great this tiny telescope could be. Saturn’s rings are obvious, having a hint of Cassini on still nights. Jupiter’s two primary bands are obvious as well, and globular clusters are much brighter and far more resolved than you would believe possible for a scope of this value (do not expect glittering jewelry boxes though.)
The scope is properly built, solid, yet lightweight. Its incredibly easy to use, as well as the view in the primary’s sweet spot is bright and clear. Outside the sweet spot the images get distorted quickly, but for this value that’s a small consideration.
Like the rest with the scope, the red dot finder is easy to use. My sister’s scope did not have the jerkyness other reviewers have reported, but I can’t say no matter if we were lucky or they weren’t. Telescope Reviews
I have an informal check of whether a initial telescope is any fine: did the new owners place it in closet right after a few frustrating attempts, or have they developed a growing fondness for and knowledge of astronomy? In our case the little StarBlast excelled at this check.
One prior reviewer asked why, using a telescope this great at this cost, everybody didn’t have a telescope? Great question — for a initial scope, its nicely worth the cost. If you are planning to buy or give a first scope, I wouldn’t look any further. You will still be happily making use of this scope long right after you move up to larger, much more powerful telescopes.
Very first, let me share my experience: I’m an advanced amateur astronomer, having been in the hobby for over fifteen years. I have a 16″ diameter telescope that I made myself, and I worked for a telescope firm (not Orion!) for 4 years, designing telescopes for them. I think I know a little bit about telescopes…
I bought this scope (my 5th!) mainly because it received a quite positive review in Sky & Telescope magazine, and it fit my needs: something portable, easy, of excellent quality, and inexpensive. I bought it with the intention of using it only for quick sessions when someone asks me to look at something. I’ve ended up using it for much more than that!
In talking with my students, I see that choosing a telescope becomes incredibly complicated if you try to learn about the features and specifications and try to make a choice that way. Frankly, don’t bother. Just buy this one and most likely you’ll be satisfied. It certainly beats other telescopes in its price range.
It has only 2 drawbacks. First, the eyepiece ends up extremely low, so you need to place the scope on a table, crate, etc. The option is to observe on your knees, which is fine for most, but might not be what you expect.
The second drawback is that views of the planets will be small. But they WILL be decently SHARP. I would recommend buying a 2x Barlow lens, to increase power. This is an inherent tradeoff in wide-field telescopes like this one, and a tradeoff I would take ANY day because finding objects is much easier if you’ve got a wide field of view. Just buy the Barlow and you’re all set.
Some other reviewers mention a “jerky” motion in either axis. You can adjust that! Just loosen the bolt holding the axis together, and you’ll reduce friction. Note, however, that if it’s too loose, the scope won’t stay put! This happens on every telescope, by the way, not just this one.
I highly recommend this scope. Good luck, and keep looking up!
This telescope is adequate for seeing the moon in great detail, very small images of planets, and some detail in nebulae. However, don’t expect to see huge colorful gas clouds filling the viewing field of the eyepiece…I naievely thought I’d be able to see at least a smaller image of those beautiful Hubble-style nebula shots, but later learned that almost no amateur scope can deliver that kind of viewing. The best Telescope Reviews
You have to be willing to spend thousands to get that, and get into astrophotography to boot, with a specially mounted scope that follows the stars with the earth’s orbit so you can expose the film long enough to capture colors. However, we’ve had fun with the StarBlast, and the Orion company has excellent customer service & quick shipping.
FYI, you can usually get free shipping on “starter scopes” if you order directly from Orion (telescope.com), and despite what their website says they can work with you on shipping small-moderate size items to PO Boxes if you call them.
I have been interested in astronomy for over 50 years and am familiar with quite a few amateur level scopes. Never had a chance to view with the “big boys” but I do know the difference between a toy and an instrument and this scope is not a toy.. I in fact bought this scope as a gift for a quite remarkable 5 year old thinking that it might spark some interest. Prior to giving it to her, I took it for a test run. Within 10 minutes of taking it out of the box it was ready to go. The tabletop model is extremely to move around and setup is a breeze. It uses a battery powered red dot finder rather than a finder scope but this was basically a blessing.
The alignment is proper on. If the red dot is on target, the object is visible. The night I introduced the youngster to the scope afforded just a few targets. No moon out or major planets were visible. She was fascinated far more by the red dot finder than the targets visible. A few nights later, although, her parents took her out and showed her the moon. Now she can’t seem to get enough.
If I’ve any gripes at all, I would have liked to see eye pieces with a small a lot more relief as both the little girl and I wear glasses. Also a moon filter would have been a nice addition. All in all although, I was so impressed, I am going to have myself the 6″ model. I’m not into photography, just looking and this scope does a fine job.
If you’re the occasional stargazer on a budget, you couldn’t do much much better. And hopefully, I’ve sparked an interest in another that will afford her the same pleasure that astronomy has given me almost all my life.
I’ve had an Orion StarBlast for over a year now, and even even though I’ve larger, more sophisticated telescopes, it will be the one I use most. The setup is instantaneous although, like other reflectors, it takes some time to cool down on cold nights. It’s quickly portable, and works well being a grab `n go. The short focal length makes it exceptional for low power, wide field views of deep sky objects along with the moon. By way of the StarBlast, I have observed (to name a few) the Ring Nebula, the Andromeda Galaxy (along with its two neighboring galaxies), Galaxies M81 and M82, countless open clusters, the Lagoon and Trifid nebulas, The Eagle Nebula, the nebula in Orion, comets NEAT and LINEAR. Jupiter’s belts and moons are apparent at higher power, as are Staurn’s rings as well as the phases of Venus and Mercury. In the course of the last opposition, I could see Martian polar ice caps. In the course of the last lunar eclipse, I had no trouble taking digital photographs through this instrument.
This is the same fast optics formula as the Edmund AstroScan and Bushnell Voyager bowling ball. The StarBlast is far and away the ideal of the three, but as with the others, the high power views are soft. That feature is not a difficulty for those of us primarily interested in deep sky. Planetary views could be more detailed, and my own StarBlast won’t split the double double in suburban skies. (Orion’s somewhat longer 4.5″ f 8 dobsonian is a lot more suited to these subjects.) Additionally, most globular clusters present as unresolved fuzzy balls, as they will in any instrument of this aperture.
For the price, although, you can’t actually beat the StarBlast. It works well as a family telescope, or as a casual scope for someone interested but not obsessed by astronomy. It can be little, inexpensive, and intuitive sufficient to be handled by kids. It also functions nicely for crusty old guys like me who have bigger hardware, but just don’t feel like moving it each and every night.
Date first available at Amazon.com: November 1, 2003
Product Description
Orion offers quality telescopes for youngsters that are easy to use and will inspire their natural inclination to explore. The StarBlast, pint-sized in stature, is a real reflecting telescope that’s super-simple to use and yet manufactured with the kind of quality you’d expect in more expensive models. The StarBlast is a point-and-view telescope that swivels smoothly on its sturdy, low-profile base. It comes pre-assembled and ready for action right out of the box! Just carry it outdoors by its built-in handle, place it on the ground or on a picnic bench, and let the fun begin!
I’ve wanted a telescope since I was a kid and now that I’m all grown up and can afford one I did a lot of research and comparison of scopes in my price range and also the StarBlast often had the finest reviews. The reviews are right, the very first night I went out and looked at the moon, Venus, and a few other objects and they all exceeded my expectations for such a little scope. I can’t wait for warmer weather so I can use it even more.
The equatorial mount is a bit complicated to use but I got used to it pretty quickly. I’d recommend the original Orion StarBlast 4.5 Astro with the simpler dobsonian mount for younger kids or people who need a lot of portability.
