ORION STARBLAST 4.5 VS STARBLAST 6.
The study of astronomy is as fascinating as it is exciting. But to become an amateur astronomer, one has to spend considerable time peering at the night sky through the lens of a telescope to record and assess the movements of celestial objects.
It is rewarding but also can keep one busy for hours on end since celestial events often occur just once every while and one has to be prepared to observe and record it as well as they can. And to that effect, a good telescope can mean a world of difference to an amateur astronomer.
The two telescopes discussed below from Orion are some of the best beginner telescopes that are available on the market today. But before we can compare them, let us first jump in and get a detailed idea of what makes these telescopes so favored among amateur astronomers today!
Orion Starblast 4.5.
If you are new to stargazing, you should look at the Orion Starblast 4.5 Astro Reflector telescope. In spite of the fact that the Starblast is a telescope intended for beginners, it’s still incredible and precise. The Orion Starblast 4.5 is a compact telescope that the whole family will love for its staggering pictures!
The Starblast 4.5 Astro Reflector is a reflective telescope, which means it is intended for the investigation of close-up celestial objects. This telescope is generally viewed as the ideal present for guardians who need to show their youngsters the beauty of stargazing or for beginner space enthusiasts who never possessed a telescope.
Equipped with an aperture of 114 mm, the Starblast 4.5 performs best in brightly lit deep skies. Also, thanks to its low thermal expansion borosilicate glass, it is capable of focusing light with increasing precision.
Starblast review.
Video by Dan Cantrell
As a reflector telescope, the Starblast 4.5 uses parabolic optics with a focal length of 450mm and a focal ratio of f/40. Using this telescope, you’ll be able to see crisp and vivid images of the Moon, Saturn’s rings and other celestial objects.
Furthermore, due to its design, the Orion Starblast can also be used for planetary observations. Mobility won’t be a problem because the telescope has a compact design and weighs less than 15 lbs when fully assembled. This means that you can easily carry it around in your hand, without needing to disassemble it.
You don’t have to spend time assembling the Orion StarBlast 4.5 Astro Reflector, as the telescope arrives pre-built so that anyone can take it out of the box and begin using it right away. The telescope is also small enough to be easily stored at home, and it comes with an altazimuth base that is stable and designed to be placed on a tabletop.
Pros.
Can be mounted on basically any surface, thanks to its wooden azimuth base
Very easy to use and to set up
It’s a good telescope for beginners
Good for planetary and celestial observations
Good magnification factor
Easy to carry around
The telescope comes preassembled in the box so that you can start your adventure right away
Easy to track celestial objects
Cons.
More suitable for beginners than pros
You cannot mount a motorized drive, which means that taking pictures with an SLR or DSLR can be hard
Limited shipping areas
Being a reflective telescope, it does not fare well when exposed to heat
The collimation process takes a lot of time
Optically, the Orion Starblast 4.5 offers an exceptional level of performance. Due to its 4.5 inch aperture, the images are very bright, and clear. The parabolic mirror ensures wide-field views of the sky that will delight the whole family.
On clear nights, you will be able to view not only the Moon and its craters, but also Jupiter, Saturn, and its beautiful rings. The Orion Starblast 4.5 has a Dobsonian mount, which means that beginners and new users can point easily. All in all, the Orion Starblast 4.5 will enchant even advanced users with its bright images of the galaxies, nebulas, and star clusters. You can find all the great customer reviews on Amazon and also the latest price here.
Orion Starblast 6.
The Orion StarBlast 6 is a beginner reflector telescope. It comes as an upgrade of the popular StarBlast 4.5. The earlier model has a slightly lower field of view at 4.5 inches and now the Orion StarBlast 6 has a 6-inch field of view. This allows the telescope to garner up to 73 percent more light. With its wide field of view, the unit tracks objects with great ease especially for beginners.
StarBlast assemble.
Video by Orion Telescopes & Binoculars
The telescope features non-stick PTFE bearings with adjustable altitude tension at its base, allowing you stability when focusing on objects terrestrially or celestially. You are offered two Sirius Plossl standard sized eyepieces, allowing you great adaptability when watching.
The eyepieces can be kept on the three-hole rack when not in use. At the base of the telescope, there are handle cutouts so that you can lift and transport the unit with no hassle.
Pros.
Requires little setup
High optical power for a beginner telescope
Can be used for casual observing as well as a learning tool
Detachable rings allow you to upgrade it
Offered with software, so, you can observe better and even take pictures
Sturdy base with adjustable altitude tension for ease of focusing
Compact and lightweight for portability
Highly versatile with two eyepieces
Cons.
Has to be set on something
Plastic focuser
Price relatively steep
The Orion StarBlast 6 sports a 150mm aperture. This is almost twice what most beginner telescopes have to offer. Granted, enough light enters the unit, allowing bright and crisp images. This is bettered by a 750mm focal length, which is adjustable, so, you can focus on near and distant objects with great ease. Again you can find the customer reviews and the latest price on Amazon right here.
Comparison.
While both are excellent choices for beginners, the Starblast 4.5 is more budget friendly and is a perfect instrument by which to get introduced to the skies. It has a big enough aperture that produces bright images and it does a good job at reproducing superior quality pictures. The Starblast 6 is mostly seen by amateur astronomers as an upgrade over the 4.5 model.
It sports a bigger aperture, is more powerful and comes with a lot more additional bells and whistles; and although it can be used as a first telescope, people usually do not because of its high price and additional sophistication. Both are wonderful instruments but serve different purposes. Therefore, as an enthusiast yourself, it is upon you to choose based on your prior knowledge and handling experience of similar savvy tools.
Want to know what some of the best telescopes for stargazing are? We have written a article of our recommendations here.
Related questions.
Is the Starblast 4.5 portable?
Unlike other reflective telescopes which are bigger and harder to carry unless you have the luxury of owning a vehicle, the Orion Starblast 4.5 Astro Reflector telescope is incredibly light. In fact, it’s so light, that you’ll literally be capable of carrying it in your hand.
Does the Starblast 6 have comatic aberrations?
Comatic aberration or coma will be present and is typical of Newtonian reflector telescopes. With coma, stars along the edge of the field of view will have a distorted comet-like tail appearance. Stars in the center of the field of view are unaffected. This will be noticeable at low magnification for the most part.