We are always very happy to see a telescope arrive for review in a solid carry case, W and the WideSky 80 f/6.25 ED refractor's smart, padded suitcase provided us with an excellent first impression when it was unboxed.
Our admiration continued when we looked at the optical tube assembly, which appeared slick, robust, and incredibly well made. We were pleasantly surprised, as the WideSky 80 has the look and feel of a telescope worth twice the price. With our curiosity piqued by this new brand, we headed out to begin our tests.
Mounting the optical tube assembly wasn't an issue, although we did feel it would benefit from a slightly longer foot. For observing, this proved ample, but with a DSLR or astro camera attached we struggled to balance the setup as it was bottom-heavy. During our time with the WideSky 80, we opted for tube rings and a longer bar when we used it for astrophotography.
Despite some questionable seeing on a damp night, we were curious to see how the WideSky 80 performed as a visual telescope. Armed with eyepieces, first a 25mm and then a 15mm, we first slewed over to Aldebaran (Alpha (a) Tauri). We could resolve a beautifully crisp and sharp red star in the centre of the field of view with both eyepieces. However, as we nudged our target towards the edge of the field, the appearance did distort slightly. Happily, we saw next to no colour fringing. For a true star test, we headed to the Double Cluster in the constellation of Perseus, the Hero. The WideSky 80 rose to the challenge and returned a lovely delicate view, in which we could appreciate different colours from the yellow and blue-tinged stars within.
Enjoying the sights
Denne historien er fra June 2022-utgaven av BBC Sky at Night Magazine.
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Denne historien er fra June 2022-utgaven av BBC Sky at Night Magazine.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Could We Find Aliens by Looking for Their Solar Panels?- Designed to reflect ultraviolet and infrared, the panels have a unique fingerprint
Researchers searching for life beyond Earth spend a lot of time thinking about what telltale signs might be detectable astronomically. Forms of unambiguous evidence for the presence of life on another world are known as biosignatures. By extension, techno signatures are indicators of activity by intelligent, civilisation-building life.
Antimatter- In our continuing series, Govert Schilling looks at antimatter, the strange counterpart to most of the matter filling our Universe
Particles and corresponding antiparticles are very much alike, except they have opposite electrical charges. For instance, the antiparticle of the electron - known as the positron - has the same tiny mass, but while electrons carry a negative electrical charge, positrons are positively charged.
Where Have All The Milky Way's Early Stars Gone?- Our Galaxy has a curious lack of pristine stars
The Big Bang produced a Universe filled almost exclusively with hydrogen and helium; all other elements - what astronomers call metals - were produced by stars, supernovae and everything that happens later. So if you can pick out a pristine star with no metals polluting it from among the billions in the Milky Way, then you are likely to have a star dating from our Galaxy's earliest days.
Inside The Sky At Night - Two years ago, exoplanet scientist Hannah Wakeford received some of the first data from the JWST
Two years ago, exoplanet scientist Hannah Wakeford received some of the first data from the JWST. In July's Sky at Night, we discovered what she's learned since then.
How to stack DSLR data in Siril
Easily combine multiple frames to boost detailin your astro photos
Lunar occultation of Saturn
You'll need to strike a balance on 21 August to capture the Moon covering the ringed planet
How to plot a variable star light curve
A rewarding project to chart stars that change brightness
Smartphone photography with a telescope
Mary Mcintyre explains how to get impressive night-sky images using your phone
Once-a-century solar storm is overdue
If a Carrington Event struck today it would be catastrophic, says Minna Palmroth
The new era of human spaceflight
There's been a step-change in crewed space missions since the dawn of the 21st century. Ben Evans charts its course and looks ahead to future horizons
