Non-Illuminated Finder Scopes
Non-illuminated finder scopes offer a simple, dependable way to aim your telescope. With a wider field of view and lower magnification than your main telescope, a finder scope helps you locate bright stars, planets and the Moon, then center them precisely using the crosshair reticle.
Explore Scientific 8x50 finder scopes use a 50mm objective lens to gather enough light to show many stars that are invisible to the naked eye, which makes star hopping to deep-sky objects much easier. Without batteries or electronics, a non-illuminated finder is always ready to use and easy to maintain. Mounted in a quality bracket and properly aligned with your telescope, it is a reliable tool for observers of every experience level.
Non-illuminated finders work well for most observers, particularly those observing from suburban skies where background skyglow makes the crosshairs easy to see. Straight-through designs are simple to aim, and an illuminator can be added later if you move to darker skies. Combined with a planisphere or star chart, a quality finder scope makes it far easier to locate galaxies, clusters and nebulae, turning time at the telescope into more time observing.
