Celestron has been a provider of easy to use hobbyist telescopes since 1955, though they are also a great choice for seasoned astronomers as well. Originally, founder Tom Johnson went into electronics to manufacture parts for the US military, but a side project involving building a telescope for his children led to a newfound passion and the creation of the Celestron brand. Today, although they may be owned by the Taiwanese company Synta, Celestron’s style of telescopes still perform as wonderfully as they did in the past, and remain the industry’s leader of compound telescope design and manufacture.
Digitally Assisted
The Celestron NexStar 130 SLT Computerized Telescope removes the issue of struggling to find a planet or star using a paper star map. With the Celestron NexStar 130 SLT Computerized Telescope comes a handheld computer that features SkyAlign technology incorporated right into the telescope, automatically finding and pointing the telescope to the planet or star that you would like to see by way of a few button presses.
The software in the telescope also boasts a database of over 4,000 celestial objects including nebulae, galaxies and stars. You can upgrade the software online to ensure that you always have the latest information included with your Celestron NexStar 130 SLT Computerized Telescope.
Newtonian Reflector
The Celestron NexStar is a Newtonian, or reflector, telescope that presents itself as a hefty upgrade from other types of scopes in this range. The 130 millimeter (5″) primary mirror allows a minimum of 30% more light to enter into it than its 114 millimeter equivalent, allowing you to see crisp images of the moon, and much further a field including the ice caps on Mars, the cloud belts on Jupiter along with its four moons, and many deep space Messier objects, including over 600 galaxies. Furthermore, the Newtonian design produces fully colour-corrected views of objects.
Since a Newtonian telescope does require calibration, you will have to perform some basic maintenance on this telescope every once in a while, but that is the cost of a high-quality reflector scope. This also means that this sort of scope might not be best the best choice for young children.
Perfect for Casual Viewers
Designed for hobbyists, the NexStar Celestron features a rugged stainless steel tripod accessory tray, with the body of the telescope also made of the same material. The best part about this telescope’s exterior is that you can have the scope itself out of the box and ready for use in only a few minutes. Hobbyists will enjoy the SkyAlign technology, and how it eliminates the need for the user to do a manual pole alignment themselves. The optics are crisp and clear and deliver excellent results even for beginners, taking away the trial and error that many novice astronomers have to go through in the beginning.
Main Features:
– Computerized data base with 4,000+ celestial objects
– High quality 130 mm (5.12″) reflector
– Compatible with 2″ eyepieces
– Focal Length 650 mm (26″)
– Fully computerized Altazimuth mount
– Sturdy stainless steel tripod and accessory tray
Pros
– Wide field of view
– Handheld computer makes it easy to find celestial bodies
– Weighs only 18 pounds for simple transport
– Deep views of the sky
Cons
– The motor uses up batteries fairly quickly
– The date and time must be set after each use
Final Thoughts
The Celestron NexStar 130 SLT Computerized Telescope has much to offer anyone interested in stargazing through a telescope, whether novice or expert. It features a Newtonian design and a computer fixed with SkyAlign technology that allows the user to find stars and planets easily. With just a few minutes of total set up time, the telescope is functioning and ready to go, making it worth having to set the date and time during each use on this high quality telescope.
Verdict
Excellent telescope at amazing overall value!