I grew up studying astronomy the old-fashioned way – pointing my dad’s great big telescope upwards in a remote field, with nothing but the stars to guide us. Back then, you used a star chart instead of your phone, along with a healthy dose of can-do attitude to spot the astral body of your choice – if the bitter cold of the night air didn’t get to you first. However, it’s been years since I scoped the cosmos, so I jumped at the opportunity to pack up and head to the countryside to demo a new AI refractor telescope, the BeaverLAB Finder TW2.
It’s a pretty novel device, and one that sparked real excitement in someone who had only used one telescope before. More thrilling still, the TW2 comes with its own custom-made planetary camera to make astrophotography possible, if you don’t have one of the best cameras for photography or best smartphones . It’s unfortunate, then, that both the approach and execution of this telescope is so middling.
While a younger child might benefit from its simple interface, lightweight frame and all-in-one package, the fun will likely stop as soon as you approach pre-teen age, when you’re likely to develop a more discerning eye for camera and device quality. Fly me to the moon Weight : 3.8kg / 8.
38lbs Body dimensions: 190 x 85mm / 48 x 3.4in Sensor : 1/1.8-inch CMOS sensor Aperture: 82 mm/3.
2in Optical design: Refractor Focal length: 500mm / 19.69in Focal ratio: f/6.1 Mount: Altazimuth Camera storage: 30GB Camera battery life: 6 hour.
