Skywatcher Telescope AC 70/500 Mercury AZ-3

The Skywatcher Telescope AC 70/500 Mercury AZ-3 is a lightweight, compact refractor for those who want to start stargazing in a simple way. Combining a user-friendly setup with a stable mount, this telescope is ideal for both night observations and daytime nature observations.

The optics AC 70 has an aperture of 70 mm and a focal length of 500 mm. As a result, the telescope collects about 100 times more light than the human eye, providing sharp images of the moon, Jupiter and Saturn. Thanks to its short focal length (f/7.1), you have a wide field of view, ideal for easily navigating along star clusters or the lunar rim.

For daylight observations, use the included 45° Amici prism. This ensures an upright and side-correct image, so you can also enjoy birds, landscapes or ships on the horizon with the same telescope. Focusing is via a rack-and-pinion mechanism, which allows you to precisely adjust the focus and keep it stable during observation.

The AZ-3 mount is an azimuthal mount with smooth movements in both horizontal and vertical directions. The flexible fine adjustment axes allow you to track objects effortlessly, even at higher magnifications. The aluminum tripod is height adjustable from 70 to 123 cm and provides adequate stability even on uneven surfaces.

Thanks to its low weight and quick setup, the Skywatcher AC 70/500 is also suitable as a travel scope or as a companion scope (guidescope) to a larger telescope. Thus, it remains useful even if you later switch to a more advanced system.

Application

The Skywatcher Telescope AC 70/500 Mercury AZ-3 is perfect for beginners and young observers who want to discover the heavens through play.
What you can see with it:

• The moon with sharp craters and high-contrast shadows
• The rings of Saturn
• The moons and cloud bands of Jupiter
• Bright star clusters such as the Pleiades
• Birds and landscapes in daylight

Specifications

Optics
Type: Refractor (Achromat)
Opening: 70 mm
Focal length: 500 mm
Aperture ratio: f/7.1
Maximum useful magnification: 140x
Resolution: 1.64 arcseconds
Boundary magnitude: 11 mag
Light output: 100× human eye
Material tube: Aluminum
Construction: Closed tube
Focuser: Rack-and-pinion, 1.25″

Mount
Type: Azimutal (AZ-3)
Movement: Horizontal 360°, vertical 50°-90°
Fine adjustment: flexible shafts with slip clutch
Carrying capacity: 5 kg
Weight of mount: 3.9 kg

Tripod
Material: Aluminum
Height: 70-123 cm, infinitely adjustable
Accessory tray: yes

Included

• 25 mm and 10 mm eyepieces (1.25″)
• Red dot finder
• Amici prism 45°
• AZ-3 mount
• Aluminum Tripod

Suitable for
Moon & planets: Yes
Deep-sky objects: Limited (bright nebulae and star clusters).
Nature observation: Yes
Astrophotography: No
Recommended age: From 10 years of age