Refractor · Beginner
Celestron Travel Scope 70
A grab-and-go 70mm refractor with backpack portability, upright daytime views, and minimal setup friction.
- Aperture
- 70mm
- Focal ratio
- f/5.7
- Mount
- Alt-Az
- GoTo
- Manual
₹12,000View details
Celestron Travel Scope 70 vs Celestron AstroMaster 90AZ
Both are achromatic refractors on alt-azimuth mounts with no maintenance requirements, which makes them look like the same telescope in two sizes. In practice the AstroMaster 90AZ is a serious astronomical instrument and the Travel Scope 70 is a genuinely portable one, and that difference matters more than the 20mm of aperture.
The short answer
Buy the 90AZ as your main telescope; buy the Travel Scope 70 if portability is the actual requirement or as a second grab-and-go instrument.
Refractor · Beginner
Celestron AstroMaster 90AZ
A lightweight alt-az refractor that favors easy handling, clean planetary contrast, and quick backyard observing.
- Aperture
- 90mm
- Focal ratio
- f/11
- Mount
- Alt-Az
- GoTo
- Manual
₹25,000View details
Specifications side by side
| Specification | Celestron Travel Scope 70 | Celestron AstroMaster 90AZ |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ₹12,000 | ₹25,000 |
| Aperture | 70 mm | 90 mm |
| Focal length | 400 mm | 1000 mm |
| Focal ratio | f/5.7 | f/11 |
| Optical design | Achromat | Achromat |
| Mount | Alt-Az | Alt-Az |
| GoTo | Manual | Manual |
| Max useful magnification | 140× | 180× |
| Experience level | Beginner | Beginner |
| Best suited to | Portable | Planetary |
Choose the Travel Scope 70 if
₹12,000
- The telescope needs to travel — treks, holidays, trips to darker skies
- You want something that doubles as a daytime spotting scope
- You are buying for a younger child who needs to handle it themselves
- Budget is the binding constraint
Choose the AstroMaster 90AZ if
₹25,000
- This will be your main telescope for backyard or balcony observing
- You want meaningfully more light and higher usable magnification
- You want a mount steady enough for sustained planetary observing
- You want a telescope that will still satisfy you in three years
What the spec table does not tell you
The specification gap understates the practical one. The 90AZ has about 1.65 times the light-collecting area, but it also has a far steadier mount and a much longer focal ratio — f/11 against f/5.7 — which means dramatically better performance at the high magnifications planets require. The Travel Scope is excellent at what it is for; it is not a smaller version of the 90AZ.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better, the Celestron Travel Scope 70 or the Celestron AstroMaster 90AZ?
Buy the 90AZ as your main telescope; buy the Travel Scope 70 if portability is the actual requirement or as a second grab-and-go instrument.
What is the price difference between the Travel Scope 70 and the AstroMaster 90AZ?
The Travel Scope 70 is ₹12,000 and the AstroMaster 90AZ is ₹25,000 — a difference of ₹13,000. The AstroMaster 90AZ is the more expensive of the two.
How do the apertures compare?
The Travel Scope 70 has 70mm and the AstroMaster 90AZ has 90mm. That means the AstroMaster 90AZ collects about 1.65× as much light, which matters most on faint deep-sky objects and very little on the Moon and planets.
Related comparisons and guides
ComparisonCelestron AstroMaster 90AZ vs 130EQBuy the 90AZ if you value simplicity and mainly observe the Moon and planets; buy the 130EQ if you want the most capability and are willing to learn collimation and an equatorial mount.GuideHow to choose a telescopeFour questions about your circumstances that make the specifications obvious.Buying guideBest telescopes in IndiaRanked picks across every budget, with the caveat each one carries.