Celestron 31045 AstroMaster 130EQ Newtonian Reflector Telescope, Dark Blue

Product Information

Out of the box, this reflector comes with everything the observer needs to shoot pleasing images of the Moon, bright planets and more luminous deep-sky targets. It's not possible to partake in long-exposure images, but as an introduction to astrophotography the AstroMaster 130EQ is certainly worth a look – especially given the very reasonable price tag, clear and crisp views and excellent overall build. The tripod is also of heavy construction but if expanded fully it feels more shakey so I don't expand it. With an aperture of 130mm and a focal length of 650mm, the AstroMaster 130 EQ has a focal ratio of F/5. The optical system consists of a spherical mirror that reflects incoming light to form an image at the focal point, where it is viewed through an eyepiece. While a spherical mirror produces images with some distortion due to off-axis light, Celestron has improved image quality by adding a secondary parabolic mirror to correct the distortion. The Astromaster 130EQ reflector telescope offers high magnification capabilities that allow viewers to observe even faint details on celestial objects such as planets, galaxies, and nebulae. The maximum useful magnification of this instrument is approximately 260x, which can be achieved using a Barlow lens or other accessories.

The 10mm Kellner supplied for medium power (65x with the 130EQ) works well, and thanks to its much greater and more reasonable apparent field of view (around 50 degrees) it actually achieves a similar true field to the 20mm Kellner. The Finderscope Weight is fairly heavy, making this a little hard to travel with. Requires some disassembly, but it is doable with patience and some arm strength. The 130mm refractor telescope is intuitive to use. Explore the sky with the two slow-motion control knobs that allow for fine pointing adjustments in both Right Ascension (RA) and Declinations (DEC) axes. The included tripod has an adjustable height of up to 1.3 meters and an accessory tray. Furthermore, the equatorial mount provides smooth and precise movements when adjusting your telescope’s position in response to changes in celestial bodies’ positions. The telescope is very heavy (around 16kgs) and very difficult to move it around in assembled condition. It gave me body pains the next morning after my first setup and observations.Speaking of eyepieces, this particular model comes with two: a 20mm eyepiece (which provides a magnification factor of 32x) and a 10mm eyepiece (which provides a magnification factor of 65x).

Included as a bonus with the Celestron AstroMaster 130EQ is a CD containing the Starry Night Astronomy software, an invaluable tool for both beginners and seasoned astronomers. This software is particularly helpful for those looking to deepen their understanding of astronomy and for aiding in the identification and location of celestial objects in the night sky.Read on for my full review. Celestron Astromaster 130EQ review What are you buying? 1. Beginner 130mm reflector telescope Its equatorial mount with steel legs provides a sturdy base for astronomical observations while its high-quality optics produce sharp and vibrant images that capture even subtle details in celestial objects. Anyone looking to explore our universe should definitely consider adding this telescope to their collection. AstroMaster 130EQ Starry Night Astronomy Software The Sky-Watcher Heritage 130p offers the same aperture as the 130EQ but with better optics, better accessories, a collapsible tube, and a simple tabletop Dobsonian mount. The Celestron Astromaster 130 EQ is absolutely worth it. It is a fully functional telescope that can serve you for many years, providing you with views of celestial objects like the moon’s craters, Jupiter’s bands, Saturn’s rings, and deep-sky objects such as galaxies, nebulas, and star clusters. Hence, it is a fantastic choice for beginners, especially with its affordable price point.

Der Saturn ist sehr scharf sichtbar, eine Vergrößerung (Zoom) vergrößert das Bild, bringt aber nur wenige neue Details. Man kann den Mond Titan als winzigen Lichtpunkt sehen. Die Teilung oder den Schatten des Ringes konnte ich bisher nicht sehen, die Sichtbedingungen waren aber bisher allenfalls "gut". Ab einer Vergrößerung von ca. 60x wird das Bild merklich dunkler und "wabert". Im Bereich 40-50x ist man am besten aufgehoben. The 20mm eyepiece is very subpar and isn’t even rubberised which does make it pretty uncomfortable to use, the 10mm is alright but the kellner brand isn’t known for its quality so, this is an upgrade you’ll probably need to make. Balancing the telescope with a counterweight is also crucial for optimal operation. It’s important to note that the mount may exhibit some wobbliness. To counteract this, it’s advisable not to overly extend the legs and to add weight between them to lower the center of gravity. This additional weight should be placed on the central body of the mount where the legs converge, and not on an accessory tray, which might not support the extra weight. However, higher magnifications may result in image degradation due to atmospheric turbulence or insufficient aperture size.Lots of patience is required to be able to see what you actually want to see, trust me patience will give you all that you want from this telescope. Various celestial objects such as planets, stars, and galaxies can be observed with the Celestron Astromaster 130 EQ telescope. This telescope is a reflector type of telescope, which means that it uses mirrors to reflect light from distant objects into an eyepiece. The Astromaster 130 EQ has a primary mirror that measures 130 millimeters in diameter, allowing for clear and detailed images of various celestial bodies. As a reflector telescope, it requires occasional collimation (alignment of the internal mirrors) to ensure optimal viewing clarity. The telescope comes with a manual equatorial mount, simplifying the process of locating celestial objects. By using the finderscope to first locate and center an object, users can then enjoy detailed views through the main eyepiece. Is the Celestron Astromaster 130EQ a good telescope for beginners?