70mm Astronomical Telescope

The first thing a telescope has to do is get used, and the telescopes that do not get used are the ones that are complicated to set up. This is a 70mm refractor on a tripod - a simple, light, alt-azimuth format that a beginner can carry outside and be looking through in five minutes. The aperture is what decides how much light the instrument collects, and 70mm is the sensible entry point: enough to show the moon in real detail, Saturn's rings and Jupiter's moons, and a good deal of what is on a bright-sky list.

What you get

• One 70mm aperture refractor on a tripod
• Interchangeable eyepieces for different magnifications
• A finder to help you line the scope up before you look through it
• An adjustable tripod height
• The listed maximum magnification of 375x with the supplied eyepieces

What it is like to use, honestly

The moon is spectacular in a scope this size, and it is the right first target because it is impossible to miss. Planets are small but unmistakable once you have found them. Deep-sky objects appear as faint smudges of light rather than photographs, and that is true of every telescope at every price - the photographs you have seen were taken with long exposures, not with an eye. Magnification is the number everyone asks about and the least useful one: on most nights the atmosphere caps usable magnification well below the figure on the box.

Shipping and duties

Ships to United States addresses only, from United States stock held by our supplier partner. The supplier's published delivery window for United States addresses is 4 to 10 days, and tracking is emailed once the parcel is dispatched. Standard shipping is $8.00, orders of $125.00 or more ship free, and express delivery is $15.00. Any customs duty or handling fee raised on arrival is the recipient's responsibility.

Good to know

• The listing states a maximum magnification of 375x; usable magnification on an average night is far lower, so do not buy on that number.
• Let the scope stand outside for half an hour before you look - a warm tube gives a soft image.

Where this comes from

Tidilo does not hold this item in stock. It is supplied by a vetted third-party supplier partner and shipped to you directly from that partner's stock.

Orders ship from outside the United States. Dispatch takes 2–5 business days and delivery to US addresses typically takes a further 15–30 business days, with tracking. Since the US ended its de minimis exemption, customs may assess duties or handling fees when your order arrives; those charges are the recipient's responsibility and are not included in the price you pay here.

Standard shipping is $8.00, and it is free on orders of $125.00 or more. If you need something by a particular date, write to hello@tidilo.com before you order and we will tell you honestly whether it can arrive in time.

You can request a return within 30 days of delivery. The item must be unused, undamaged and in its original packaging with everything that was included. Email hello@tidilo.com before sending anything back.

Read the returns policy

• Delivery timing. Delivery typically takes 15–30 business days after dispatch, which is longer than a domestic order.
• One item, one parcel. Order several things and they may arrive separately, because each one is dispatched by the supplier that holds it.
• Plain packaging. It arrives in ordinary shipping packaging, without a marketing insert.
• Color and tone vary. Natural materials vary between batches, and screens vary too.
• A customs fee may apply on delivery. It is set by customs, not by us, and we cannot estimate it in advance.