The Orion StarBlast Astro telescope is marketed as a first-time telescope for kids of all ages. Even though this scope is meant for first-time users, it has fundamentally good optics. It's also so easy to use that seasoned amateurs use it as a quick "grab-and-go" scope for observing the sky at a moment's notice.

The StarBlast Astro is a 4.5-inch f/4 Newtonian reflector scope, mated to a small altazimuth mount that includes a built-in handle. It's easy to pick up the base and scope in one hand. The base is quite sturdy, but it's relatively small. Placing the StarBlast Astro on a table or other structure puts the eyepiece at a more comfortable viewing height for adults. The simple altazimuth tabletop mount means this scope has no computer go-to or clock drives to keep the scope focused on a single object; instead, this is a point-and-view scope, a good tradeoff in a starter scope.

As a reflector scope, the StarBlast Astro uses a set of mirrors to gather light and project the image onto the eyepiece for viewing. In order to provide the best possible viewing capability, a reflector's mirrors must be in proper alignment. Orion provides a Collimation cap and very good instructions to make the alignment process quick and relatively painless.

The StarBlast Astro is supplied with two eyepieces: a 6mm that provides about a 75x image, and a 17mm that produces close to 26x power. Together with the f/4 aperture, the eyepieces produce a wide field of view that is more appropriate for viewing deep space objects than planetary images, such as Saturn's rings. Deep space objects, such as nebulas, clusters, Messier objects, and galaxies, are the focus of fun for many amateur astronomers, so this scope fits the bill nicely. We found the eyepieces to lack good eye relief, making some viewing tedious as we tried to get our eye and the eyepiece aligned perfectly. A better eyepiece may be the first upgrade that avid users will make.

The Orion StarBlast Astro telescope is a great choice for beginners, with excellent optics, a wide field of view and no unnecessary features.


Pros: Good optics, good for quick grab-and-go use, wide field for deep space viewing
Cons: Poor eye relief with the supplied eyepieces, planetary viewing not ideal due to wide field and supplied eyepieces

Warranty
1 year, limited