Still Time for a Telescope for Christmas - here's some of our favourites for beginners

Can $100 buy you a "proper" telescope? - the Celestron FirstScope

A complete telescope kit for under $200 - Meade Infinity 90

Go hi-tech for under $350 - Celestron StarSense Explorer LT70AZ

Full computer control for under $500 - Sky-Watcher 70/900 AZ-Go2 Explorer

Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 5- SCT Telescope kit for under $1000

BINTEL trading hours this Christmas/New Year - we're only closed on the NSW public holidays + open on Sunday, Christmas Eve until 2.00pm

The "Silver Dollar Galaxy" - NGC 253 in the constellation of Sculptor, taken by Chi Chan using a Celestron EdgeHD 9.25 telescope and a QHY268M camera. Check out the full post with complete details of this wonderful image by visiting the BINTEL Society Facebook Group here. 

To be featured, you can send us your Astro and Nature images here or post them the BINTEL Society Facebook Group where you can join more than 1.6k fellow astronomy and nature fanatics! 

Still time to get your telescopes, binoculars, and more from BINTEL - Santa's getting ready!

These are the latest dates to have your BINTEL orders in to ensure delivery by Christmas as advised by Australia Post.  Your orders - either online or over the phone - need to be placed by 12pm Sydney time to make sure our BINTEL elves have enough time to pack and get them out the door.  

• NSW 19th December
• ACT 19th December
• VIC 19th December
• QLD 19th December
• SA 19th December
• WA 15th December
• TAS 19th December
• NT 15th December

If you can get orders in prior to these dates, there will be less stress for everyone!

It's now too late for country NT and WA orders to be received by Christmas. 

How Hurricane Jasper will impact freight for customers in north Queensland is unknown at the moment. (And it you're in the path of the storm - please take care and everyone here at BINTEL is hoping all are safe.)

*** Just-in - between now and Saturday 22nd of December, if you visit BINTEL in-person, drop your card into our entry bowl or put your details on one of ours and go into the drawer for one of two Meade telescopes worth over $500 ***

Can $100 buy you a "proper" telescope? - the Celestron FirstScope

Cool little telescope for young and young at heart star gazers!

The little Celestron FirstScope has a been a best-seller at BINTEL for years for two main reasons –

Firstly, it’s the best low cost “bang for your buck” telescope we have at BINTEL.

For $99 you receive a:

• 76mm reflector telescope
• Solid, tabletop mount
• Two multi-coated eyepieces for 15x and 75x magnification

Plus it's not a toy. This is a real, small telescope. You'll see the Moon, the planets and lets you explore star clusters and star clouds in the Milky Way. The Celestron FirstScope is small enough for even the youngest astronomers just starting out on their astro voyage and we know more than a few experienced star gazers who keep one in their car for casual observing when travelling.

A complete telescope kit for under $200 - Meade Infinity 70

Includes adjustable tripod.

Meade Infinity 70 - $199

The most affordable, complete telescope kit including a full-height tripod that BINTEL has this Christmas is the Meade Infinity 70.

This is a 70mm diameter classic style refractor telescope. It comes with:

• Full height, adjustable tripod
• Two eyepieces
• Barlow lens
• Red dot finder

Planets, deep-sky objects and star clusters are all visible with this Meade Infinity 70mm telescope.

Binoculars for the night sky - Sky-Watcher 15X70 Astronomy Binoculars

Binoculars are great for easy viewing of the skies above us.

There's something quite magical about observing the night sky with binoculars. Some complex structures, especially in the Milky Way, are spread across a comparatively wide area of sky and the large field of view offered by binoculars are a perfect way to observe them.

These low-cost Sky-Watcher Astronomy binoculars are ideal for viewing the rich star clouds we see in our Southern skies and well as the Magellanic Clouds - our nearest major companion galaxies - and much more.  They'd also work well for long distance viewing during the day. A good choice as well if you like to view whales from the coast.

Go hi-tech for under $350 - Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 70AZ 

Discover the night sky with your phone!

Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 70AZ - $325

For under $350 BINTEL has good stocks of the Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 70AZ telescope. This is the lowest cost member of the StarSense Explorer range, and they all feature a simple to use but highly effective way to navigate around the night sky using your phone.

You'll quickly be finding and looking at Solar System favourites like Saturn, Jupiter, Mars along with star clusters, nebulae and even galaxies outside our galactic home, the Milky Way.

We've sold thousands of Celestron StarSense Explorer telescopes over the last few years and the feedback from our customers has been overwhelmingly positive. Lots of comments along the lines of how easy they've made discovering astro objects!

Full computer control for under $500 - Sky-Watcher 70/900 AZ-Go2 Explorer

Full computer control for just $449

Sky-Watcher 70/900 AZ-Go2 Explorer Refractor - $449

For Christmas 2023 you're now able to buy a fully computerised "GOTO" telescopes for just $449. This includes everything you'll need to get going apart from some AA batteries. Tripod, mount, telescope and eyepieces are all part of the package. 

This is also a 70mm refractor telescope. The Sky-Watcher AZ-Go2 mount is controlled over Wi-Fi from your phone or iPad/tablet.  Once aligned with a couple of stars, you tell your telescope which astro object you'd like to observe on the Sky-Watcher app and the telescope will automatically move to and then track your selection throughout the night. 

There are other models in the exciting new Sky-Watcher AZ-Go2 range. Find out more here. 

Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 5- SCT Telescope kit for under $1000

The Celestron StarSense DX 5 and DX 6 are some of the best value SCT telescopes available!

Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 5 - $999

Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 5 is a 5" or 130mm diameter SCT (Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope). Celestron SCT telescopes are renowned for their flexibility and are supported with a wide range of accessories and add-ons.

This telescope also has the StarSense Explorer system for quickly locating astro objects using your mobile phone. You'll be able to see:

• The rings of Saturn, the bands across Jupiter and its largest moons
• Nebula - the clouds of gas where new stars are being formed
• Star Clusters
• Mountains, craters and valleys on the Moon
• Clouds of stars in the Milky Way
• Galaxies far beyond our own galactic home, the Milky Way
• Plus more!

What's the next model up and why would you buy it?

The StarSense Explorer DX 5 collects around 340 times as much light as your eye. The larger StarSense Explorer DX 6 at just $1099 collects around 450 times - a significant difference, especially when viewing faint and distant objects.

Quick reminder of when we're open - BINTEL Opening Hours over the Christmas/New Year break. 

The BINTEL showroom in Glebe and in-person phone and support services are open normal hours throughout December Monday to Friday from 9.30am to 5.30am as well as Saturday from 9.30am to 4.00pm.
 

BINTEL is also open on Sunday, Christmas Eve – 24th of December 2023 – from 9.30am to 2.00pm.
 

Last pick up for click and collect orders at BINTEL is 1.00pm on Christmas Eve

All click and collect order are ready for pickup within 30 minutes for in-stock items
 

We’re closed only on the NSW Public Holidays:

• Monday 25th December – Christmas Day – closed
• Tuesday 26h December – Box Day – closed
• Monday 1st January 2024 – New Years Day – closed

We are also open normal trading hours on the days between Christmas and New Year:

• Wednesday 27th December – open 9.30am to 5.30pm
• Thursday 28th December – open 9.30am to 5.30pm
• Friday 29th December – open 9.30am to 5.30pm
• Saturday 30th December – open 9.30am to 4.00pm