While spherical mirrors have a cheaper design, they suffer from spherical aberration, which is more of a problem with larger mirrors. This is particularly useful when observing planets or other objects at high magnification where any vibration or movement can cause significant image distortion. The five-inch aperture is a decent size for a beginner’s telescope, giving the user sufficient light grasp and resolving power at their disposal to get good views of the popular targets – the Moon’s craters, Jupiter’s atmospheric belts, Saturn’s rings, the bright wisps of the Orion Nebula (Messier 42) or the fuzzy shape of the Andromeda Galaxy (Messier 31). HI. I've just bought this Astromaster 130. It's great but needed more magnification to at least see Saturn's rings, so I searched and found this thread founding all my answers, and such good answers! Thanks to all. I am settling for the BST EPs. Had already seen recommended and this gave me more confidence for the quality/budget. Now, Im just wrestling HOW many....

Assembling your own telescope might seem daunting at first, especially for beginners in astronomy. However, rest assured that Celestron has designed its Astromaster line with accessibility in mind. With patience and attention to detail, you’ll soon be able to enjoy stunning views of Jupiter’s moons or distant galaxies thanks to your very own Celestron Astromaster 130EQ. Limitations of Celestron AstroMaster 130EQ: Like other Astromaster telescopes, the 130EQ is conveniently lightweight and compact for those who’d love to take their planet gazing on the road. I was under the impression that the telescope in question did not come centre-spotted, like this one...Here’s a tip you’ve probably heard from experienced astronomers: one feature worth paying more for when buying a telescope is an equatorial mount. I would suggest that for now you limit yourself to a magnification the same as the mirror diameter (have a reason for this) so around the 130x area. For this you need an eyepiece of the same focal length as the f number of the scope. So if it is an f/5 scope you want a 5mm eyepiece if it is around f/8 then you need an 8mm eyepiece. This means I do not need to know the focal lengh specifically to suggest an eyepiece focal length, just get one as per the f number and you have about 130x. Accessories include a 20mm and 10mm eyepiece, a finderscope, and a motor drive. The two eyepieces offer different magnifications for low and high powered views. The 20mm has a built-in erect image corrector. I took out all the bits and put them on the floor and read through the manual. I don't think it was the physical putting-together that was hard to understand. Rather the explanations on how to set up the aligment and collomination. These both being rather daunting when first read about, but once understood, become all too easy. We also slewed to Jupiter, which dazzled at magnitude -2.34 in the south. We pushed the AstroMaster 130EQ toward our target with ease, and are pleased to discover that the mount moves quite smoothly, with no drooping or huge amounts of resistance. At a magnification of 33x, a white disk and Galilean moons – Io, Ganymede, Europa and Callisto – is visible, but upping the magnification to 66x brings the storm systems into view.

EP: 5.5mm, 8.8mm, 14mm, 20mm, 24mm Meade 5000 UWA's, BCO's w/ Q-Turret, 26mm, 32mm, 40mm Meade 4000 Plossls, Orion Expanse, 30mm, 20mm, 15mm GSO Superview, Various others. Are you satisfied with the motor focuser? And did you get the holder with the motor or you made it yourself / used something else?The primary mirror- I’ve since learnt that it has a spherical primary however I don’t know what spherical aberration looks like so no idea if we’re getting that or not haha. Either way is it possible to buy mirrors from somwhere and is it worth replacing it with a parabolic? Would I have to change anything else if I changed the primary? The Astromaster 130 EQ is a good value for the money and an excellent choice for beginner and experienced stargazers. But at times, getting the correct information can overwhelm many intending buyers. Finally search this forum for Astrophotograhy Resources - Index 2015. Then navigate to the Lunar Planetary section. You'll find some useful information there. Neither the CG-3 mount nor the AstroMaster’s focuser are heavy duty enough for astrophotography with a DSLR, though webcam planetary imaging is in theory possible with a 3x or 5x Barlow lens coupled to the optical tube. But in practice, you’re really limited to shots with a mobile phone or the like – and this is assuming the mirror is parabolic and not spherical, which is a real gamble. Alternative Recommendations If you are looking for a telescope mostly to observe Jupiter, Saturn and the moon, then the 130EQ is a great choice.

The telescope comes with two eyepieces (20mm and 10mm), a finderscope, and an equatorial mount with steel legs that make it easy to set up and align. Neither scope would be capable of Astrophotography with a DSLR due to the weight. You would be able to use it for AP with a webcam for planets or a long exposure modded webcam for DSO's. The Skywatcher 130 has a collimation spot installed at the factory - the Astromaster doesnt. Again a bit of mirror spotting is not hard stuff for the hardened newt owner but its all bit unnerving for the beginner. Just a note to all on the forum thanking for contribution on this topic as it helped me decide what to get. I just bought the SW130P over Celestron 130EQ and really pleased thus far. I'm in the blessed honeymoon period with a new scope and haven't come across the disappointments yet! Carry, set up, and level the stand in daylight to familiarize yourself with the controls and leveling.I believe your telescope has a focal length of 650mm - this is important to calculate the magnification a particular eyepiece will give. The Astromaster usually comes with 20mm and 10mm eyepieces which will give x32.5 and x65 magnifications.

Even if the mount has slow-motion right ascension and declination adjustment knobs, keeping the object in view is hard because of the earth’s rotation. The smartphone adapter connects your smartphone to your telescope, so you can capture images and video through the eyepieceOverall, this telescope is an excellent choice for anyone looking to explore astronomy on a budget while still having access to quality equipment that provides engaging views of our universe. Overview of Astromaster 130EQ Optics Performance While I can only guess, I assume that Celestron wanted to cut costs and offer a telescope at a lower price point to beat the competition. Hence, the telescope is considered an entry-level model with an attractive price.