Meade ETX-80 Observer Telescope with Backpack - 205002

Description

The ultra-portable Meade ETX-80 Observer Telescope is perfect for travel or adventures in your own backyard.  With day-to-night performance, it's ideal for camping, hiking, picnics, the beach, vacations, or any other time you want to connect with nature and the Universe. The computerized GoTo mount automatically locates and tracks over 30,000 celestial objects with the push of a button, making the ETX-80 Observer and ideal telescope for families and those new to the hobby. Best of all, the optical tube, mount, and accessories pack up safely in the included backpack, so you're ready to observe anywhere at a moment's notice.

What's new with the ETX-80 Observer?

For years, the Meade ETX-80 was a favorite among TelescopesPlus.com customers. It consistently received our Telescope of the Year Award and earned an impressive 4.3 out of 5 star customer rating. Meade has completely revamped this popular telescope with several new features. For added convenience and versatility, you can now fully detach the 80mm refractor optical tube from the fork arm mount. Of course, both pieces still pack away securely in the included backpack. You'll also receive the new AudioStar Handbox Controller. This user-friendly hand control features a 30,000 object database and a built-in speaker so you can listen to audio descriptions of celestial objects while you view them in the eyepiece. What's more, Meade has upgraded the telescope's included accessories. The ETX-80 Observer now includes 9.7mm and 26mm Super Plossl eyepieces, a red dot finderscope, and a bubble level/compass to make setup a breeze.

The smallest Meade ETX has big advantages

If aperture is so important, why buy the Meade ETX-80 Observer Telescope? Besides its low cost, this is simply a great telescope. Unlike the rest of the Meade ETX line, it is a refractor with multi-coated optics. To you, this means an ultra-lightweight, portable telescope with just the right amount of aperture to see all the most popular astronomy targets in all their glory, even from the city. It's the perfect scope for daytime birding and nature watching, too. 

Large aperture telescopes are awesome, but how likely are you to lug them out to your favorite dark sky location?  Remember, more aperture lets you see fainter objects.  In a different way, so does getting away from the city lights.  You can study craters on the Moon, see the rings of Saturn and the moons of Jupiter, plus a myriad of galaxies, nebulae, double stars, star clusters, you name it. And with the included backpack, the ETX Observer is just begging to come along on your next trip.

Meade AudioStar shows you the Universe 

Meade's brainy AudioStar hand controller solves the stargazer’s two biggest challenges in navigating the sky: aligning the telescope's computer and centering targets in the eyepiece. Right out of the box, with a simple initialization, AudioStar makes finding faint nebulae and star clusters as easy as pushing a few buttons. 

Don’t know what to see on a particular night? Don’t worry. Just select the Meade's “Tonight’s Best” tour and AutoStar will automatically take you on a guided tour of the best planets, stars, nebulae, and other objects out that particular night. Want to know more about what you’re looking at? The LCD display teaches you about what you’re viewing with details like distance, temperature, mass, and historical information. Or you can choose to listen to the descriptions with the built-in speaker.

Lots of extras, all included

The Meade ETX-80 offers these advanced features as standard equipment:

• A built-in Barlow lens that quickly flips into position to double the magnification of any eyepiece.
• A flip mirror that allows you to attach a camera to your ETX* and switch back and forth between viewing and imaging in seconds.
• A sturdy-yet-lightweight adjustable aluminum tripod to keep the telescope stable.
• Two premium four-element 1.25" Super Plössl eyepieces. (With the built-in Barlow, that means you'll have a choice of four magnifications right out of the box!)
• Meade AutoStar Suite Astronomer Edition Software on DVD with instructional video and printable star maps

From your very first night under the stars, you'll be engaged with the world around and above you in ways you never thought possible. With the Meade ETX-80 Observer Telescope, your Universe is about to expand.

*Optional accessories required for camera attachment

Supplier SKU

205002