This achromatic telescope has a leather-covered barrel and a single silvered-brass draw tube. The other fittings are also silvered brass and include a pivoted eyepiece cover, an objective lens cap and a sliding sunshade. Unusually for a telescope of this date, there is no mechanical stop on the draw tube, which may be pulled freely out of the barrel. There is, however, a stop line engraved on the draw tube to indicate the optimum working length of the telescope.

The words 'Achromatic Night' are also engraved on the draw tube, indicating the telescope has been designed for use in poor light conditions. It has a relatively large objective lens to collect as much light as possible when viewing at night.

The telescope is one of a group of telescopes (with NAV1562, NAV1563, NAV1564) that belonged to a T.H. Hand. The maker's name is engraved on the draw tube as ‘Dollond London’, as is an emblem of an arm with a sword in its hand above the motto 'Dextra me vibrat' ('Brandished in my right hand').

Thomas Henry Herbert Hand (1870-1933) was was an officer in the Royal Navy. He was the son of Captain Henry Hand RN and Anna McCheane. In 1888 he was recorded as a lieutenant. He subsequently joined the Royal Indian Marine, qualified as a master in the merchant services in Bombay in 1902 and was promoted to Commander in 1907.