The optical system consists of a spherical mirror that reflects incoming light to form an image at the focal point, where it is viewed through an eyepiece. While a spherical mirror produces images with some distortion due to off-axis light, Celestron has improved image quality by adding a secondary parabolic mirror to correct the 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).

If you can get one that’s motorised, even better, especially if you want to do some astrophotography. The 130mm aperture of the AstroMaster 130EQ is a significant feature, providing substantial light-gathering capacity, which is crucial for reflector telescopes. This capability allows for brighter and clearer images, especially under dark-sky conditions.

Celestron Astromaster 130EQ review

The software is handy for beginners who need some help identifying different objects in the sky. To conclude… The Apertura DT6 offers a significant boost in aperture, much better build and optical quality, superior accessories, and a stable, easy-to-use Dobsonian mount.

Secondary mirror position fore and aft (toward or away from the primary mirror). You change the fore and aft position by loosening the center mounting screw and tightening all 3 collimating screws equally to move the secondary mirror toward from the primary mirror(and then adjust the tilt to realign the cross hairs with the primary mirror center marker). Reverse the procedure to move the secondary mirror away from the primary mirror. As some users have noted, you may need to adjust some nuts on the pointer to get it to work properly. 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. PortableNote: In the images, I've put a piece of white paper between the secondary and the primary mirror so I can see the secondary mirror edges clearly. QUESTION: How do I move the mirror? I see the center bolt on the secondary which will move the mirror to the right (towards the primary mirror) but I don't see any adjustments to move it down towards the bottom of the picture. Can I do this with the 3 tilting bolts? If I use those will that affect the eccentricity of the mirror image? It is currently perfectly round to my eye and I thought we want to keep it that way. Included as a bonus with the Celestron AstroMaster 130EQ is a CD containing the Starry Night Astronomy software, an invaluable tool for both beginners and seasoned astronomers. This software is particularly helpful for those looking to deepen their understanding of astronomy and for aiding in the identification and location of celestial objects in the night sky. The AstroMaster 130EQ reflector telescope is a well-rounded instrument that comes equipped with Starry Night astronomy software. This feature allows users to delve into the night sky through a virtual setting, enhancing their astronomical experience and providing them with an opportunity to learn more about planets, stars, and celestial objects.

Speaking of eyepieces, this particular model comes with two: a 20mm eyepiece (which provides a magnification factor of 32x) and a 10mm eyepiece (which provides a magnification factor of 65x). We also measure the Power with our systems which is essentially the error from the reference sphere to the test optic. The reference sphere we use on our system is a very high quality sphere so the closer to zero the Power, the less error between the 2 elements thus ensuring a higher quality optical surface. If you have setup on soil/grass do push down on each leg so that it bites into the ground slightly as you continue to level the stand – this will stabilise the stand and cushion any movement.You may also like: Is Celestron a Good Telescope Brand? What can you see with a Celestron Astromaster 130EQ? Not compatible with #93648 Off-Axis Guider, not compatible with #93519 2" Mirror Diagonal (discontinued) QUESTION: Can I do this without a center spot? Seems like one could...adjusting the secondary until it appears centered in the sight tube AND the three clips are exactly visible the same would mean the focuser axial alignment is pointing at the center of the primary mirror...correct? If so, how does the accuracy compare versus using a center spot? FWIW, looking at your most recent alignment, the focuser axis error (blue cross hairs to red cross hairs) is probably about 0.3-inch (assuming the face of your collimation cap is about 1-inch). This just falls within the "acceptable" high magnification tolerance (any defocus near the edge of the field will likely be hidden by coma and/or eyepiece astigmatism). You've done a remarkably good job considering your primary mirror has no center reference!

In this “home position” your telescope should be pointing up nicely at the sky – and, assuming you orientated the stand roughly right, you’ll find that the scope is now already pointing in the general direction of Polaris or Sigma Octantis. We will discuss various aspects such as optics performance, mount design, software compatibility, and limitations. Our aim is to provide readers with a comprehensive overview of the product so that they can make an informed decision about whether or not the Celestron AstroMaster 130 EQ is right for them.It is important to consider the limitations of the Astromaster 130EQ when evaluating its suitability for astronomical observation. One significant limitation is its aperture size, which measures only 5.1 inches in diameter. Raise or lower the telescope using the latitude adjustment and move it from side-to-side by rotating the mount head until you have Polaris targeted in the finder scope. The eyepieces are average and are to be expected at this price point. The 20mm eyepiece did seem to create internal reflections, marring the narrow true field of view of just 0.9 degrees (the Full Moon’s angular diameter is just 0.5 degrees, for comparison). The 10mm eyepiece is perhaps the best of the two, but the eye relief on both is quite poor - you have to push your eyes right up into the eyepiece cup to see anything, making for uncomfortable viewing, and almost impossible viewing for spectacle wearers.