Levenhuk Strike NG Telescopes for Curious Astronomers

Last weekend we went camping and kite-surfing to the Black Sea. It was already dark, the sky was crystal clear and I stepped out of the tent to have a walk. The Moon was out and I noticed a little kid and his father on the beach observing a satellite through a telescope. The kid was thrilled. He was fiddling with controls, shifting the telescope to and fro, tugging his dad by the hand, trying to show him what he had just found. It was pure joy to watch this child studying the Moon. He might grow up to be a famous astrophysicist or an astronaut; he might even be studying extraterrestrial civilizations like my uncle, for all I know. And it all starts here, on this very beach.

This family got me thinking that I should write a review on telescopes. They can be a fabulous present for a grown-up, who is keen to study the universe, or for children, who are only beginning to uncover the mysteries of the world around them.

I’ve decided to choose something for children — they are our future after all — and write about telescopes that are easy to assemble and easy to use, but are still powerful enough to see the Solar System planets at the least. Levenhuk Strike NG series seemed like the best choice.

Strike NG series includes three models:

• 50 NG (Achromatic refractor. Objective lens diameter: 50 mm. Focal length: 600 mm)
• 60 NG (Achromatic refractor. Objective lens diameter: 60 mm. Focal length: 700 mm)
• 80 NG (Achromatic refractor. Objective lens diameter: 80 mm. Focal length: 720 mm)

Naturally, they differ in price and their capabilities. The basic Levenhuk Strike 50 NG will show you constellations, lunar craters, atmospheric flows of Jupiter and its four largest moons, phases of Venus, rings of Saturn, and binary stars with a separation of 2.5 arcseconds between their components. Levenhuk Strike 80 NG is far more powerful. It will be a true stepping stone on your way to advanced stargazing. Thanks to its 360x magnification, this telescope can show you the smallest details of lunar craters and highlands, phases of Mercury, Cassini gaps in the rings of Saturn and its satellite, Iapetus; the details in the atmospheric flows of Jupiter, polar caps of Mars during opposition and binary stars with a separation of 1.6 arcseconds.

Let’s open up this colorful box and find out what’s inside apart from the telescope itself.

• A "See it all!" Astonomer's Handbook, with information on 280 interesting celestial objects.
• A CD with Stellarium software that is a virtual 3D representation of the celestial sphere with all its planets, comets, asteroids and star clusters. It can show you realistic views of the sky at a given date and time, and can even recreate a solar eclipse!
• A Levenhuk Space Posters Set (Moon, Solar System, Sun and Other Stars).
• A Levenhuk M20 Large Planisphere, or a rotating star chart, that allows you to find out what can be observed from your latitude at a given date and time.
• A compass.

Well, moms and dads, as you can see, this is a perfect gift for your child, if you want him or her to grow up properly educated, and, maybe one day make an important breakthrough in astrophysics.

by Valentina

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