As versatile as it is portable, the Sky-Watcher Virtuoso 90mm f/13.9 Maksutov-Cassegrain Multi-Purpose Motorized Mount is more than an astronomical observing platform—it can be used for conventional nighttime celestial viewing, daytime solar viewing using the included filter, or as a terrestrial spotting scope. Swap the optical tube assembly (OTA) for its camera or smartphone mounts and start wide-field astrophotography or time-lapse and panoramic photo techniques with its automatic shutter release functions.

The mount is easily aligned and outfitted with automatic celestial tracking as soon as it's turned on for astronomy use. Two eyepieces produce a nice variety of magnifications and the included 5x24 finderscope makes star-hopping navigation easy. Multiple slew speeds aid in finding and centering objects, while manual release clutches and dual encoders let you move the mount by hand to conserve battery power without it losing its orientation so it can maintain its tracking ability.

For terrestrial use the automatic tracking is turned off with a simple keystroke, and the included 90° diagonal puts your head in a comfortable position while horizontally correcting the image so views are properly oriented. You can set up to six locations and have the mount automatically go to them. This can be used with the camera mount and your camera with a remote shutter release for time-lapse or panoramic photography when you set the mount to automatically fire the shutter, or continuous video shooting with a camcorder. The included smartphone adapter allows for instant sharing and posting of sky or ground subjects.

Whether you want to view or photograph the sky, Sun, or seas, the Virtuoso mount is a complete platform to give you the tools to accomplish basic astronomy or tackle advanced photography techniques.