Discontinued
Orion StarBlast 4.5: discontinued — what to buy instead
The StarBlast 4.5 was the standard recommendation for a child's first real telescope — a 4.5-inch tabletop reflector. Orion shut down in July 2024. These tabletop scopes fill the same role.
Status: no longer manufactured. We checked retailer stock feeds directly —
across the shops we track there are 102 Orion/Meade/Coronado listings and none in
stock. Any listing you find is likely a stale page or a reseller.
Closest alternatives in stock
Same optical type and within 60 mm of the Orion StarBlast 4.5's 114 mm aperture, ranked by $/mm — lower is more telescope per dollar.
| Telescope | Aperture | Price | $/mm | Mount | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Celestron FirstScope 76mmOPT | 76 mm | $59 | $0.79 | Dobsonian | Amazon ↗ |
| Sky-Watcher Heritage 130 Tabletop DobsonianAmazon | 130 mm | $305 | $2.35 | Dobsonian | Amazon ↗ |
| Sky-Watcher Heritage 150 Tabletop DobsonianAmazon | 150 mm | $439 | $2.93 | Dobsonian | Amazon ↗ |
Buying a used one instead
Dobsonians age well — the mirror is the expensive part and it doesn't wear out. A used Orion StarBlast 4.5 in good condition is still a sound buy; the astronomy classifieds and auction sites are where they change hands. Check the mirror coating and that the focuser holds position. We don't track used listings, so the prices above are for new equivalents only.