The Orion Add Planetary Explorer Kit includes multiple items which will enhance your views of Earth’s neighbors in the solar system. Most of the planets are nice and bright when visible in the sky, making them wonderful targets to train your telescope on. This affordable add-on kit will help you make the most out of planetary viewing sessions with the included Orion Set of Four Color Telescope Filters, 7.5mm Orion Sirius Plossl eyepiece, Orion Shorty 2x Barlow Lens, and the Orion Beginning Stargazers Toolkit.

Because many planets have a characteristic color (e.g., Mars is reddish), a color telescope filter will reduce the predominant hues to enhance contrast and uncover hidden surface markings. That’s why "the Red Planet" is most effectively enhanced with a green filter! The 1.25" Set of Four Orion Color Telescope Filters includes a new foam-lined hard case that holds all four filters! Here’s a bit more information on each of the four included filters:

#15 Deep Yellow Planetary Filter

• red and orange features on Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars
• contrast of lunar features
• low-contrast cloud detail on Venus

#25 Red Planetary Filter

• Martian surface details in large scopes
• bluish cloud regions on Jupiter and Saturn
• contrast of Mercury against blue sky
• cloud definition on Venus

#58 Green Planetary Filter

• contrast of blue and red structures on Jupiter (including Red Spot)
• melt lines around Martian polar ice caps
• Saturn’s cloud belts

#80A Medium Blue Planetary Filter

• details in Jupiter’s cloud belts and Red Spot
• high clouds and polar caps on Mars
• lunar surface details
• Venus cloud features

Offering a wide 52-degree apparent field of view, the 7.5mm Orion Sirius Plossl Telescope Eyepiece provides extremely sharp images with impressively high contrast. It’s ideal for all types of telescopes: reflector, refractor, and catadioptrics like maksutov-cassegrains. The Plossl 4-element design is renowned for its outstanding performance, and has become the standard by which all other telescope eyepieces are judged. The 7.5mm Orion Sirius Plossl Eyepiece is superb for high-power planetary and lunar observation, and is well suited to double-star viewing when stable seeing conditions permit.

A 2-power (2x) Barlow lens is an extremely versatile eyepiece accessory that doubles the magnification of any eyepiece installed. For example, if you have a telescope with a 350mm focal length, using a 7.5mm eyepiece will yield a view with 46.7-power magnification. If you installed the same 7.5mm eyepiece into the Shorty 2x Barlow Lens and used the same 350mm telescope, your viewing magnification would be increased to 93.3-power magnification (46.7 x 2). What’s more, the Orion Shorty 2x Barlow gets it’s "Shorty" moniker from its compact size compared to other Barlow lenses, so it’s easier to find a spot for it when packing your gear for a night under the stars.

With the included Orion Beginning Stargazer’s Toolkit, you’ll never be "lost in space!" It contains four items designed to help new astronomers find their way around the heavens.

1. Star Target Planisphere — Dial in your local date and time and it shows you the locations of the constellations and deep-sky objects in the night sky
2. Discover the Stars — A wonderfully written and illustrated observer’s guide
3. Moon Map — Identify craters and other lunar features with your telescope
4. Orion RedBeam Mini LED — Astro Flashlight emits pure red light that won’t spoil your night vision. Perfect for reading your planisphere or seeing what you’re doing at the telescope

Limited Warranty against defects in materials or workmanship for one year from date of purchase. This warranty is for the benefit of the original retail purchaser only. For complete warranty details contact us at 800-676-1343.

Please note this product was not designed or intended by the manufacturer for use by a child 12 years of age or younger.