Skywatcher Telescope AC 70/500 Mercury AZ-3

Sky-Watcher Mercury 70/500 AZ-3: compact and complete

The Sky-Watcher Mercury 70/500 AZ-3 is a short, lightweight refractor (70 mm, f/7.1) on the AZ-3 mount with slow-motion controls. The wider field of view from the short focal length makes finding objects easy, and the two included eyepieces cover everything from the moon to star clusters.

What do you see through this telescope?

The moon is the main stage: craters, mountain ranges, and the play of shadow along the terminator are different every night. Jupiter shows its four large moons, Saturn reveals its rings, and Venus its phases. Bright star clusters like the Pleiades round out the program. Don't expect faint nebulae: those require more aperture, and that's appropriate for this price point.

Short and handy

With its short tube, this is the most portable model in the Mercury line—perfect for taking on vacation or to a dark location. The AZ-3 adds fine-tuning, making tracking at 50x smooth and precise: a difference you’ll notice every night merkt.

This is how to get the most out of this telescope

• Start with the lowest power eyepiece (the largest number): first find, then enlarge.
• Magnification: 25 mm gives 20x (finding), 10 mm gives 50x (detail); with this short, fast lens, that is the comfort zone.
• Never look directly at the sun without protection., not even for a moment: only with a certified solar filter on the front.

For whom yes and for whom no

Hello the beginner or traveler looking for a compact, complete viewer with fine adjustment.

Not who already knows that the hobby will become serious can better start a size larger right away: for higher magnifications on planets, the longer Mercury-707 or a 130 mm mirror is a better fit. Our Telescope Buying Guide for Beginners and the PLP with telescopes for children Help with the choice.

Featured accessories

These accessories add the most after purchase:

• Moon Filter 25%: the Omegon Moon Filter 25% (1.25 inches) dampens the bright moonlight and increases the contrast. More explanation in our Moon filter guide.
• Smartphone adapter: clip your phone onto the eyepiece for your first moon photos. The Sky-Watcher SmartPhoto+ adapter comes with a special 20 mm photo eyepiece.

Technical specifications

Included in the box

• Sky-Watcher Mercury 70/500 optical tube
• AZ-3 mount with tripod
• 25 mm eyepiece (20x) and 10 mm eyepiece (50x)

Honest advice from observers

We sell and use the Sky-Watcher line ourselves. In our Sky-Watcher merk Guide We'll explain which series are strong and which you'd rather skip. View the full range on our Sky-Watcher merk Page. Order before 11:59 PM for fast delivery, in the Netherlands and Belgium.