WideSky 80 f/6.25 ED refractor

An all-round telescope that works well for visual astronomy and astrophotography

- CHARLOTTE DANIELS

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