Although this is not exactly something many people were aware of, 2009 is the International Year of Astronomy, due to the fact that, exactly 400 years ago, in 1609, the famous Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei introduced an elementary telescope to the growing astronomy community, managing to spark interest into the mysterious night sky for centuries to come.

In order to mark this event, the Celestron company, one of the world's most important telescope manufacturers, launched the FirstScope, a device that's both simple to use (similar to the first such product ever created) and worth having, mostly due to its historical significance. And that's because the FirstScope pays tribute to Galileo Galilei and many of history’s most notable astronomers and scientists by displaying their names around the optical tube.

According to the manufacturer, the FirstScope is a Dobsonian style telescope that features a 76 mm aperture reflector optical tube. It can be classified as an entry-level astronomical telescope that is fun and easy to observe with, since the user simply navigates the night sky by moving the tube in the direction of their desired object.

Furthermore, it has a very compact form factor, which makes it very easy for users to take it along when going on an exploration trip in the great outdoors, for example. However, as you can see from the photo, the FirstScope is also stylish enough to be a decorative fixture on one's bookshelf or desk.

“Celestron’s FirstScope pays tribute to the most notable astronomers, who have expanded our knowledge of the Universe. It is this appreciation of the cosmos that we are celebrating in 2009, the International Year of Astronomy. FirstScope promotes widespread access to knowledge of fundamental science through the excitement of sky-observing experiences, one of the IYA2009 goals,” said Pedro Russo, IYA2009 Global Coordinator.

Best of all, the FirstScope is a very affordable product, since it sells for around 50 US dollars, a price point that might make it an attractive option for all those people who are interested in astronomy but never had enough money to get themselves such a product.


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