Q1: Please, explain if a refractor or reflector telescope is "better." Thank you, Indra

A: There really is not one telescope style that is better than the other, there are differences however. Refractors are what the average person identifies with the word "telescope", a long, thin tube where light passes in a straight line from the front objective lens directly to the eyepiece at the opposite end of the tube. Advantages Easy to use and reliable due to the simplicity of design. Little or no maintenance Excellent for lunar, planetary and binary star observing especially in larger apertures Good for distant terrestrial viewing High contrast images with no secondary mirror or diagonal obstruction Color correction is good in achromatic designs and excellent in apochromatic, fluorite and ED designs Sealed optical tube reduces image degrading air currents and protects optics Objective lens is permanently mounted and aligned Disadvantages More expensive per inch of aperture than Reflectors or Catadioptrics Heavier, longer and bulkier than equivalent aperture Reflectors and Catadioptrics The cost and bulk factors limit the practical useful maximum size objective to small apertures Less suited for viewing small and faint deep sky objects such as distant galaxies and nebulae because of practical aperture limitations. Reflectors usually use a concave parabolic primary mirror to collect and focus incoming light onto a flat secondary mirror that in turn reflects the image out of an opening at the side of the main tube and into the eyepiece. Advantages Lowest cost per inch of aperture compared to refractors and catadioptrics since mirrors can be produced at less cost than lenses in refractors in medium to large apertures. Reasonably compact and portable Excellent for faint deep sky objects such as remote galaxies, nebulae and star clusters because of their larger apertures for light gathering. Low in optical aberrations and deliver very bright images Disadvantages Generally not suited for terrestrial applications Slight light loss due to secondary obstruction when compared with refractors

Q2: Is this a good telescope for my 11 year old son? He is interested in astronomy and would like to view planets and other space phenomena.

A: this is an excellent scope for an 11 yr beginner. The 70mm will allow him to see such things as the ring of Saturn, the Galilean moons of Jupiter, and even the Andromeda galaxy.

Q3: Why do my picture appear up side down

A: If you have an Aurora 70, you'll see upside down images if you don't have the star diagonal installed. With the diagonal in, your images will be right side up but reversed left to right. That's an inherent trait of the refractor design.

Q4: Hello, I am keen to buy my first telescope. I would like to capture COLOR images directly to my COMPUTER. Which model supports this?

A: The Zhumell Aurora 70 with Motor Drive can be used with a digital camera or CCD imager to transmit color images to your PC or laptop. Here is the URL for the Meade Deep Space Imager, which will capture color images; just paste it into your browser's address window: http://telescopes.com/products/meade-dsi-deep-sky-imager-color-wautostar-suite-31017.html. You will not, however, be able to control the Aurora 70 from a PC. To do that, you will need a telescope with a computerized GoTo pointing and tracking device. The Meade ETX-105AT, is one such scope. Here's the URL: http://telescopes.com/products/meade-etx-105at-astro-telescope-uhtc-coatings-18209.html.