The Celestron AstroMaster 130EQ offers a simple experience of setting up and using a telescope, while getting a taster for what could be accomplished with more complex, more expensive telescopes. However, you will almost certainly want to upgrade on the eyepieces to make the most of the optical system. The bulk of the AstroMaster 130 scopes I’ve seen have had acceptable primary mirrors–usually not quite parabolic but not quite spherical either–but a few have had spherical primaries that made for mushy views. I’ve also seen a few with great optics. One of the best things about the Astromaster 130 EQ is its ease of use. It is simple to set up and comes with a StarPointer red dot finder and Starry Night Astronomy software. The Starry Night Astronomy software helps you learn more about astronomy and makes locating objects in the night sky easy.

The Sky-Watcher 6” Traditional provides similar capabilities to the SkyLine 6 but with a true 2” focuser, allowing for the use of 2” eyepieces. Its combination of affordability and ease of use make it a great choice for beginners looking to explore all that our universe has to offer. What can you see with the Celestron AstroMaster 130EQ?With these features combined, users can expect clear and detailed views of planets, star clusters, nebulae, and more. In terms of overall performance and value for money, the Celestron Astromaster 130 EQ review shows that this reflector telescope lives up to its reputation as a dependable instrument for both beginner and intermediate astronomers alike.

You can even explore basic planetary and moon astrophotography with a motorized drive upgrade. While the EQ mount may be more complex than an altazimuth mount, it’s still a great option for anyone planning to buy a telescope for kids 15 years or older. Takeaway – A beginner’s guide to the Celestron Astromaster 130 EQ telescope 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? High-quality aftermarket eyepieces can at least make the observational experience with your AstroMaster 130EQ somewhat enjoyable, even with its imperfect optics and mounting. The 130EQ’s provided 20mm erecting eyepiece is entirely ruins low-power viewing, where the telescope can still deliver sharp views with no issues. A good low-power eyepiece, such as a 25mm Plossl (26x), is far sharper than the 20mm erecting eyepiece and offers the widest practical field of view with this scope, making it ideal for observing deep-sky objects. A 15mm “redline”or “goldline” eyepiece (43x) fits well between the 32mm and the provided 10mm eyepieces, while a 7mm planetary eyepiece (93x) provides about the highest magnification you can use with the AstroMaster 130EQ before the flawed spherical mirrors no longer provide a sharp or even acceptable image. Although its short focal length enables it to perform best in planetary viewing, its 650mm focal length and 130mm aperture allow it to provide crisp, clear images of the moon, stars, and planets.The red dot finder mounted on the telescope makes it easier to find and focus on objects. You first align an object with the red dot and then use the telescope eyepiece to fine-tune your focus. 4. Portable If you’re able to achieve that level power or lower you should be able to view the following objects with the 130EQ : The primary mirror of the Astromaster 130 EQ has a diameter of 130mm and a focal ratio of f/5, making it ideal for both deep-space observation and terrestrial viewing. Within the solar system, you’re limited primarily by the scope’s optical quality. With a good sample of the 130EQ, Jupiter’s Great Red Spot, the Cassini division in Saturn’s rings, the ice caps and albedo markings of Mars, and even the tiniest lunar craters (as small as a few miles across) are visible with the telescope. With a poor unit, the planets are mushy and devoid of fine detail, though the rings of Saturn and the cloud belts of Jupiter are still visible and the Moon may look acceptable to a beginner. Astrophotography with Astromaster 130EQ

It’s important to note that after a night of stargazing, users should remember to switch off the laser to conserve battery life. Additionally, potential buyers should be aware that some vendors might still offer the older version with the fixed star finder. Therefore, it is advisable to specifically seek out models equipped with the red dot finder for a more user-friendly and efficient stargazing experience. The Equatorial Mount (EQ) with steel legs of Celestron Astromaster 130 EQWith a primary mirror diameter of 130mm and focal ratio of f/5, the Astromaster 130EQ reflector telescope delivers crisp and clear images that make it suitable for both deep-space observation and terrestrial viewing.

Collimation, the process of aligning the optics of the telescope, is critical for achieving optimal focus and producing sharp, clear images. This process might be necessary upon initial receipt of the telescope and periodically during its use. While the idea of adjusting the mirrors may seem daunting, the process is straightforward, and numerous online tutorials are available to assist in this task. Jupiter looks like a 2mm ball with very faint bands of methane distinguishable if observed for longer durations. The four moons of Jupiter are just a very minute dots if observed very minutely. But I felty it requires more magnification power to observe Jupiter with it's methane bands and the giant red spot. (May be collimation issue is there) The AstroMaster mount comes with two slow motion control knobs that allow you to make fine pointing adjustments to the telescope in both Right Ascension and Declination axes, also referred to as RA and DEC. The eq mount is heavy and not practical to use for a beginner. Thankfully I had the ressources to build a custom Dobsonian mount out of plywood, which greatly improved the observation experience. As for the telescopes weight and dimensions, fully assembled the 130EQ comes in at 12.6kg which is a little heavy but for convenience you could always separately move the tripod and the telescope tube.If you are a beginner or you are thinking about getting it as a gift for a beginner enthusiast, it’s a great choice. Please complete the form below for a quote - Please be as accurate as possible to help us give an accurate quote. The Celestron Astromaster 130EQ, with its user-friendly design and reasonably priced features, makes it a suitable choice for beginners looking to explore the night sky. This reflector telescope boasts an aperture of 130mm, which is ideal for observing bright objects in the sky such as planets, moons, and nebulae.