Celestron 130EQ Astromaster Reflector Telescope
An established brand for over 50 years, Celestron has become the world's leading telescope maker recognised among both seasoned and amateur astronomers for superior optics, outstanding design, and cutting-edge technology. The Celestron 130EQ Astromaster is a very good all-round telescope, fairly sturdy, very bright optics and easy to use and should give you many years of fun.
It's quite impressive when put together although the counterweight is quite heavy, and the actual telescope quite large, so it's not that portable, without taking it off the tripod.
Since the main factor in telescope size is diameter of the mirror or lens, a larger scope is a better choice if you want a scope that has potential to maintain an interest in astronomy.A small telescope can see exactly the same types of objects as a large telescope, it just can'tsee as many of them or in as much detail. If you are concerned with performance, buy the largest telscope you can afford that has all the features that you want. In that respect the Celestron 130EQ Astromaster is a good choice.
The AstroMaster Series produce bright, clear images of the Moon and planets. It is easy to see the moons of Jupiter and the rings of Saturn with every one of these fine instruments. For views of the brighter deep space objects like galaxies and nebulae, we recommend the larger aperture and light gathering ability of the Newtonian reflectors. You may find you'll need a greater collection of eyepieces than the 2 supplied, if you want to see Venus in any appreciable size.
Pros:
* Outstanding build quality
* Very precise control
* Solid tripod
* Quality eyepieces
Cons:
* A bit heavy if you're carrying it very far
* Judder - it will take a few seconds to settle once you've focused
Specifications:
Optical Design: Newtonian Reflector
Aperture: 130 mm (5.12 in)
Focal Length: 650 mm (26 in)
Focal Ratio: 5
Anglular field of view: 1.5 deg;
Eyepiece 1 (20mm) Magnification: 33 x
Eyepiece 2 (10mm) Magnification: 65 x
Highest Useful Magnification: 307x
Lowest Useful Magnification: 19x
Limiting Stellar Magnitude:73
Linear Field of View (@1000 Yds): 24 m (79 ft)
Optical Coatings: Aluminium
Mount: CG-3 Equatorial
Optical Tube Length: 610 mm
Celestron Travel Scope 70 Telescope
"The best telescope is the one you use the most" so they say. The Celestron Travel Scope 70 Telescope was designed with travelling in mind while offering exceptional value. You get a serviceable 70mm compact refractor, a tripod, eyepieces, Barlow lens, software and a backpack to keep it all in, which makes it very portable and ideal for carrying on hikes or on camping trips. Its size and magnification also mean that it is useful for viewing wildlife. The build quality is fantastic, it feels light and empty, yet solid and pretty durable.
Super fast and easy to set up with no tools required, the Celestron Travel Scope 70 Telescope comes with its own preassembled aluminium full size photographic tripod to support the scope whilst in use. The tripod is a bit flimsy which makes setting up a little more tiresome, however it's suitable for starting off.
The Sky X – First Light Edition CD-ROM is also included with this product. A computerized sky map that features a 10,000 object database, 75 color images, horizontal projection, custom sky chart printing, and zoom capability. A fun, useful and educational product.
This is fantastic value for money for those just wishing to start astronomy and to find out how telescopy works. If you want a cheap but perfectly useable scope for looking at the moon and birds and ships at sea and want to use it every day, you won't go wrong with this little beauty.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS:
| Optical Design | Refractor |
|---|---|
| Aperture (mm) | 70 mm (2.76 in) |
| Focal Length | 400 mm (16 in) |
| Focal Ratio | 5.71 |
| Focal Length of Eyepiece 1 (mm) | 20 mm (0.79 in) |
| Magnification of Eyepiece 1 | 20 x |
| Focal Length of Eyepiece 2 (mm) | 10 mm (0.39 in) |
| Magnification of Eyepiece 2 | 40 x |
| Finderscope | 5x24 |
| Highest Useful Magnification | 165 x |
| Lowest Useful Magnification | 10 x |
| Limiting Stellar Magnitude | 11.7 |
| Resolution (Rayleigh) | 1.99 arc seconds |
| Resolution (Dawes) | 1.66 arc seconds |
| Light Gathering Power (Compared to human eye) | 100 x |
| Optical Coatings | Fully Coated |
| Warranty | 2-year Telescope Warranty |
Celestron Travel Scope 70 Refractor Outfit
The Celestron Travel Scope 70 Refractor Outfit features all coated glass optical elements, so you experience nothing but the clearest, crispest images during both celestial and terrestrial observations, with the erect image diagonal and smooth altazimuth mount ensuring that you can correctly orientate your views and track objects with supreme ease and comfort. Furthermore, this exclusive package contains not only the standard 10mm and 20mm eyepieces and The Sky X – First Light Edition CD-ROM (featuring a 10,000 object database, colour images, custom sky chart printing and more), but also includes an additional 4mm eyepiece and 3x Barlow Lens to boost your viewing power.
Let's get this straight - The Celestron Travel Scope 70 Refractor Outfit is not an astronomical telescope per se, yet you can do some astronomical observations with it with care. This is a scope that is intended to sling over your back, use as a spotting scope for bird watching, terrestrial scenic views and some night time astronomical use. The supplied lenses are also excellent and give a nice sharp view of the Orion Nebula, some of Jupiter's moons and Saturn, for example. So if it is a multi-use scope that you require then this is for you. And for the price you pay, even with the rather poor tripod that comes with it that makes night time astronomy a little tricky, you still get a great versatile scope that will cope with most daylight viewing well, and with some care also night time viewing too.
Box Contains
1 x Celestron Travelscope 70
1x Preassembled Aluminium Tripod
1 x Custom backpack
1 x 4mm Eyepiece
1 x 10mm Eyepiece
1 x 20mm Eyepiece
1 x 3x Barlow Lens
1 x Sky X - The First Light Edition
