Writing about sextant was indeed a spontaneous decision on my part. I solemnly hope that this was a wise decision that I had made.

A Featured sextant Article


sextant Items For Viewing
Tasco 60MM Refractor Special Telescope

Tasco 60MM Refractor Special Telescope
Tasco 350xmm Novice Refractor Telescopes Special Edition 30060403

Tasco Amphibian 10 x 25mm Compact Binoculars

Tasco Amphibian 10 x 25mm Compact Binoculars
Lightweight and 100% waterproof, the Amphibian 10 x 25 binoculars offer overwhelming clarity and brightness in a rubber-armored, dry-nitrogen filled roof prism compact. Features fully coated optics and powerful 10X magnification for examining small details at longer distances. Includes neck strap and carrying pouch. Limited lifetime warranty.

Barska 10-30x50 Zoom,GladiatorBinocular

Barska 10-30x50 Zoom,GladiatorBinocular
Barska 10-30x50mm Gladiator Binoculars - Zoom Binoculars w/ Ruby Lenses AB10168

Celestron 21064 AstroMaster 90 EQ Refractor Telescope

Celestron 21064 AstroMaster 90 EQ Refractor Telescope
Designed for the first time buyer... Offering exceptional value, the AstroMaster series features a compact and portable design with ample optical performance to excite any newcomer to the world of amateur astronomy. Alt-Az models have a convenient pan handle with built-in clutch for easy targeting and smooth motion. This style of mount is great for viewing nature and celestial objects. The German Equatorial mount is a good choice for viewing stars, nebulae, star clusters, and planets. A built-in setting circle aids in locating these objects. Locate and identify thousands of celestial objects on your laptop or PC with "The Sky" Level 1 software included FREE with every AstroMaster model. Which AstroMaster model best fits your needs? If you're looking for a dual-purpose telescope appropriate for both terrestrial and celestial viewing, then the AstroMaster Series is for you. Each AstroMaster model is capable of giving correct views of land and sky. The AstroMaster Series produce bright, clear images of the Moon and planets. It is easy to see the moons of Jupiter and the rings of Saturn with every one of these fine instruments. For views of the brighter deep space objects like galaxies and nebulae, we recommend the larger aperture and light gathering ability of the Newtonian reflectors. If your interest is strictly watching whales, spotting birds, viewing nature, orchecking out your favorite star or planet the altazimuth-mount

Telesteps Combiladder 300-Pound Duty Rating 6-1/2-Foot Stepladder and 8-1/2-Foot Extension Ladder #10S

Telesteps Combiladder 300-Pound Duty Rating 6-1/2-Foot Stepladder and 8-1/2-Foot Extension Ladder #10S

Celestron 21045 114mm Equatorial PowerSeeker Telescope

Celestron 21045 114mm Equatorial PowerSeeker Telescope
I love bargains, so I was eager to try out Celestron's new Powerseeker 114 Newtonian reflector telescope. With its 4.5-inch mirror, Celestron's Powerseeker 114 gathers three times more starlight than popular 60mm refractors. The Powerseeker package includes two eyepieces (K20 and SR4), a plastic 3x barlow, and a lightweight equatorial mount.

Optically, the Powerseeker 114 holds its own when compared with my Celestron Firstscope 114EQ. Using the K20 eyepiece included as standard equipment, about 45x magnification, it's easy to see the Andromeda Galaxy and its smaller satellite galaxy M32. When compared to 60mm refractors, the Powerseeker 114 brings out much more detail in the Orion Nebula, reveals many more stars in Perseus' Double Cluster and even brings out a few individual stars in globular clusters like M13. Saturn looks quite small at 45x with the K20 eyepiece, but using my own 7.5mm eyepiece (120x) I can easily detect the shadow cast by the planet on the rings, and even glimpse the ring's Cassini Division. When the mirrors are properly lined up or "collimated," the images are reasonably sharp up to magnifications of 225x. I find a collimation tool helps get this fine tuning just right.

As good as the optics are, however, the effect of cost-cutting shows up in the mechanical components. The focuser is plastic, the finder scope is plastic, the rings that attach the telescope to the tripod are plastic. Even when the tripod legs are clamped at their shortest setting, the telescope wobbles when I try to focus at higher magnifications. Celestron's instruction manual correctly recommends that most viewing be done in the range of 40x to 130x. So what about that 675x magnification proclaimed on the box? I'd say it's not worth the trouble.

Overall, the Celestron Powerseeker 114 is a budget priced telescope with good optical performance, especially when using the low power K20 eyepiece. If you're willing to spend a little more money, either Orion's SkyQuest XT4.5 or Celestron's Firstscope 114EQ will give you a sturdier mount, an improved finder scope, and better eyepieces. Also, for about the price of the Powerseeker 114, I like the dependable refractor design of Celestron's Firstscope 70EQ. --Jeff Phillips

Pros:

• Low cost
• Good optics
• Serviceable K20 eyepiece

Cons:

• Wobbly mount
• Difficult to collimate
• Plastic finder and focuser

Orion Explorer 25x100 Large-Aperture Binocular

Orion Explorer 25x100 Large-Aperture Binocular
It's the same night sky, all right. But with our jumbo Explorer binoculars, you'll see it like never before. Their large-aperture 80mm and 100mm fully multi-coated optics provide exceptional light-gathering capability for stargazing. And if terrestrial observing is more your speed, you will appreciate Explorers' long-distance range, wide field of view, and stunning resolution.These are wonderfully well made binoculars. The BAK-4 prisms and internal baffling ensure sharp images and pleasing contrast. The barrels are cross-reinforced with an aluminum rod and objective cell cuffs for maximum structural rigidity and unflinching optical alignment. A sliding 1/4"-20 mounting post is held captive on the rod, for coupling the binocular to a tripod (recommended) and achieving optimum balance.

Current sextant News
Wesley Megaw, Royal Canadian Air Force - Concord Monitor

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 04:10:53 GMT

Wesley Megaw, Royal Canadian Air Force Concord Monitor, NH - Mar 9, 2008 You learned the sextant and shooting the stars. If you made it, you learned by experience: This searchlight was purple, this searchlight that Jerry had was ...