REVIEW

This reflector is great for observing the planets and bright sky objects, but absolute beginners will require patience with its mount

Reviewed by Damian Peach

DETAILS

Cost: £229 / $349.95 From: Celestron

Type: Newtonian reflector

Aperture: 5.11” Focal length: 25.6”

10 and 20mm eyepieces are supplied with the AstroMaster 130EQ

BEST FOR...

? BEGINNERS

£ MEDIUM BUDGETS

The telescope and mount are sturdy and wellmade, while also being lightweight

PLANETARY VIEWING

BRIGHT DEEP-SKY OBJECTS

Choosing a telescope as a beginner is a process often fraught with pitfalls. These C days we are spoilt for choice with the enormous range of equipment available. Telescopes for beginners are wide and varied, but some are most certainly better than others. The budget Celestron AstroMaster range seeks to reveal the wonders of the cosmos to those who are perhaps just taking their first steps into exploring an interest in the night sky without breaking the bank. We tested the 130mm-aperture reflecting telescope from the range, which is at a great price for a complete telescope of this size.

The AstroMaster 130EQ comes supplied in a single box which includes the telescope optical tube, mount and accessories. Assembly of the whole telescope took us around 10 to 15 minutes and was very straightforward. The telescope is supplied with a German equatorial mounting, which unlike its more simplistic alt-azimuth counterparts requires a little more thought and patience to set up correctly. The mount will require basic polar alignment for use under the night sky, which is a fairly easy process, especially if you are just using the telescope for visual use. A rough alignment of the polar axis towards the celestial pole is easily good enough, which can be achieved using Polaris in the Northern Hemisphere.