Explore Scientific 8x50 Illuminated Right Angle Polar Finder Scope with Illuminator II

Explore Scientific 8x50 Illuminated Right Angle Polar Finder Scope with Illuminator IIAn 8x50 right angle finder scope with an erect image eyepiece, dual hemisphere polar alignment reticle, and variable brightness red LED illumination built for precise polar alignment on German equatorial mounts without the neck strain of a straight through polar scope. The 90 eyepiece lets you look down into the finder instead of crouching behind the mount, and the erect image means what you see matches whats in the sky no mirror reversed confusion.

An 8x50 right-angle finder scope with an erect-image eyepiece, dual-hemisphere polar alignment reticle, and variable-brightness red LED illumination — built for precise polar alignment on German equatorial mounts without the neck strain of a straight-through polar scope.

The 90° eyepiece lets you look down into the finder instead of crouching behind the mount, and the erect image means what you see matches what’s in the sky — no mirror-reversed confusion. The precision-etched reticle includes star patterns for both hemispheres: a triangular asterism around Polaris for the north, and a polygon pattern around Sigma Octantis for the south. Match the pattern to the stars, center the pole star, and you’re aligned.

Dual-focus adjustment lets you sharpen the objective and eyepiece reticle independently — critical for getting both the stars and the alignment pattern crisp at the same time. The Illuminator II uses standard AAA batteries for significantly longer runtime than coin-cell illuminators. The 7° field of view is wide enough to acquire alignment stars quickly.

Mounts on any Explore Scientific finder base (standard, T-shaped, or Hybrid).

Key Features

• 8x50 optics with 7° field of view
• 90° erect-image eyepiece — comfortable, intuitive viewing
• Dual-hemisphere polar alignment reticle (Polaris + Sigma Octantis patterns)
• Dual-focus: independent objective and reticle sharpness
• Illuminator II with variable red LED, AAA batteries
• 200mm × 62mm × 112mm, 1 lb 9.1 oz

Ideal For

• GEM astrophotographers — precise polar alignment is the foundation of accurate tracking for long exposures
• Observers who find straight-through polar scopes uncomfortable — the right-angle design eliminates crouching behind the mount