Sky-Watcher Evostar 90/660 AZ Pronto Telescope

Sky-Watcher Evostar 90/660 AZ Pronto – a versatile beginner refractor

The Sky-Watcher Evostar 90/660 AZ Pronto combines a light-gathering 90 mm refractor with an intuitive alt-azimuth mount. It sets up quickly and is suitable for first observations of the night sky as well as mobile use. Its 660 mm focal length balances a useful field of view with moderate magnification.

What you can observe

The 90 mm aperture gathers about 65% more light than a 70 mm aperture. It makes lunar craters and features along the terminator rewarding targets. Jupiter’s brightest cloud bands and its four large moons, as well as Saturn and its rings, can also be observed when the air is steady. Open clusters and some bright nebulae are within reach; faint deep-sky objects are naturally limited by the aperture. A darker observing site improves contrast considerably.

The objective is a two-element, air-spaced achromat with multicoated lenses. As with achromatic refractors, a slight colour fringe may be visible around very bright objects, especially at high magnification. For a versatile beginner telescope, this design balances straightforward handling, low maintenance and capable optics.

Eyepieces and magnification

The supplied 25 mm and 10 mm eyepieces give calculated magnifications of about 26× and 66× (660 mm focal length divided by the eyepiece focal length). The 25 mm eyepiece is useful for finding targets and viewing larger fields; the 10 mm eyepiece shows the Moon and bright planets at a larger scale. The manufacturer lists 180× as the maximum useful magnification. Treat this as an upper guideline for suitable conditions, not a power that will be useful every night: atmospheric seeing, target contrast and tripod stability limit visible detail.

AZ Pronto mount: easy pointing and tracking

The AZ Pronto moves in altitude and azimuth. Point the telescope by hand and follow objects with the slow-motion controls. It has no GoTo system or motor drive, and it does not require polar alignment. The aluminium tripod includes an accessory tray for eyepieces and small items.

Included accessories and terrestrial viewing

The set includes the Evostar optical tube, AZ Pronto mount, aluminium tripod and tray, a red-dot finder, a 1.25-inch diagonal and 25 mm and 10 mm eyepieces. The finder helps point the telescope roughly before you centre the target in the eyepiece. The supplied diagonal gives an upright but laterally reversed image. For a fully upright and correctly oriented image during terrestrial observing, an optional Amici prism is required.

Buying advice

This set suits beginners who want to observe the Moon and bright planets with a straightforward manual mount. Its 90 mm aperture gathers noticeably more light than small starter telescopes, while the refractor does not require routine primary-mirror collimation. The AZ mount is easy to learn and works well for short observing sessions or trips to a darker site.

If your main interest is very high magnification, fine planetary detail or faint galaxies, a sturdier mount or a telescope with a larger aperture is a better choice. The manual AZ Pronto is not designed for long-exposure astrophotography. For visual observing and occasional terrestrial viewing with an optional Amici prism, the Evostar 90/660 is a versatile complete set.

Technical specifications