Celestron EclipSmart ISO Certified, 2017 North American Total Solar Eclipse Refracting Telescope, White (22060)

It works great, we used it to put the eclipse this year on a big screen TV (had it powered up in the truck bed) so we didn't have to look up constantly until the actual moments.Have been using it to peep the sun spots lately as well, solar maximum is a good time to have a solar scope!

Pros:~Set-up was easy. 1st time having a telescope/mount and was very simple in putting together and use- Very light and easy to move around- Comes with compartmentalized bag for easy transport and/or storage of Telescope and accessories- Great view of the sun for the priceCons:- Tripod a bit of a pain on unlevel ground/thick grass, but that is to be expected w/ most mounts, I'd imagine- Fully extended tripod is a bit low for an adult to get into position and view for more than a few seconds without being uncomfortable. Will probably have to makeshift something to stand tripod on and also for person to kneel on for an extended view.Overall, I am happy with this telescope. It came easy to assemble, aim, and have in position. Everything came sealed up and new. Even backpack had a new kind of smell to it.The solar finder was a big help in getting the sun into the window and start observing. The safety of having the filter built in to the telescope was a big plus for me and will be for anyone newer to solar viewing. Forgetting to have filter on or tightening filter onto a telescope used for the sun can be a HUGE problem and risk with us that are forgetful and/or clumsy. We are humans...it happens ¯\_(ツ)_/¯I was able to get the sun in view easily and was presented with a white, 2D circle with a bit of brighter white in the center and the rest a slightly more focused white. Could not distinguish any sunspots as of yet, but from looking at a few websites, there are not many big sunspots, at the moment, that would probably be able to be seen through this particular telescope. I am sure, with a few more views over this next week and learning the focusing on this telescope better, I will find some sunspots without many issues. If I am not mistaken, we are currently heading into the 11 year solar maximum, so this telescope can and would provide plenty of further use for solar viewing to those interested in the sun even after the upcoming eclipse on April 8th, 2024.I have seen plenty of people on the review complain about the mount that comes with this telescope.I have had no issues with it at all. It is very lightweight and I could see how trying to use it on uneven ground or in a windy environment could possibly affect someone using it effectively, I have so far had success using it on concrete/even ground.My only issue w/ this telescope was the low set-up. with the sun, mostly you will be looking pretty high up to see it. The eye piece(Picture for reference) ends up only a few feet off of the ground. Making it hard to find a spot/posture to effectively get into to view comfortably. I would recommend placing it up on something higher so that the eye piece ends up around 5 feet or so(Your height my vary) off of the ground or go lower and use a type of chair to sit in. Also, Even though you are using one eye for the eye piece, your other eye will experience a lot of light, even when closed. For that, what I did was put on a beanie and slated it over the non-viewing eye to help me be able to focus more on what I am looking at. Just a suggestion that did help me out. I'm sure using a blanket or other cover could also work out.In summary, I am glad I bought this and feel it was a good investment that will no-doubt take me down a rabbit hole of better solar viewing telescopes, in the future.Eyes skyward, My friends! Cheers

Pude ver el eclipse de octubre en Mexico, toda la familia pudo participar, valió lamprea cada centavo que pagué a cambio de compartir con la familia la experiencia de observar el eclipse. El campo de visión es Perfecto ya que puedes ver el sol completo cubriendo casi todo el campo de visión y se pueden observar hasta las manchas solares. La estabilidad es suficiente para el uso que se le dará ya que no es para observar planetas ni objetos de cielo profundo (no sirve para la noche). Su sistema de alineación es fabuloso proyectando una sombra y solo toma unos segundos alinear.

Very cheep

This hunk of cheap plastic masquerading as a telescope failed within the first half hour of use. Despite being careful with it, the fastening screw stripped in the plastic mounting ring, meaning that the prism would not longer stay in place, and so any focusing of the eyepiece was impossible. I didn’t expect much from a bottom-end telescope, but this was a big waste of time and money.I used to harbour the notion that Celestron made okay - although cheap - astronomy equipment. But this (and another Celestron purchase) have made it clear that they just make complete junk and hope they enough inexperienced (usually well meaning grandparents or parents) will purchase their products to get Jane or Jake interested in the stars.Save your money and buy something better quality that will last longer than one or two trips to the backyard.