| Celestron’s computerized NexStar 130 SLT adds affordable "Go-To"
technology to a compact Newtonian reflector telescope. By using mirrors
instead of lenses, the Newtonian optics of the NexStar 130 SLT produce
an image nearly five times brighter than the NexStar 60 SLT
refractor telescope. The package includes everything except the
batteries, and features easy no-tool setup, two good eyepieces, and even
includes a student version of "The Sky" planetarium software. The
Newtonian design of the NexStar 130 SLT is optimized to produce bright
images over a wide field of view. When I use an optional 32mm Plossl
eyepiece, the famous Double Cluster in Perseus looks like a display of
celestial fireworks with streamers of stars trailing across the 2 degree
field of view. The standard equipment 25mm eyepiece magnifies the image
about 26 times, with a wide field of view just right for viewing deep
space objects like star clusters or the Orion Nebula.
The included 9mm eyepiece (72x magnification) offers great views of the
Lunar disk and globular star clusters like M13. And when I add a 2x Barlow lens
to the 9mm eyepiece for a total magnification of 144x, I can easily see
cloud bands on the planet Jupiter and pick up detail in Saturn’s rings.
The NexStar 130 SLT also features Celestron’s patented SkyAlign
technology. With SkyAlign I don't need a star chart or a compass to
align the telescope, I just enter the date and time then point the
telescope at three bright stars. SkyAlign tells me the star names, and
allows the telescope to find over 4,000 stars, planets, and galaxies by
just pushing a button. The accurate tracking makes it easy to get high
power views of the planets, and allowed me to take some great pictures
using a Celestron NexImage
webcam. I also like the "Two-Star align" and "Solar System align" modes
because I can often get the NexStar system up and running while older
scopes are still waiting for their alignment stars to appear in he
twilight. Reflector telescopes offer more light gathering power
per dollar than any other design, but that value is balanced by the fact
that the mirrors may need to be aligned or "collimated" occasionally.
Using Celestron’s Collimation Eyepiece
I had no trouble fine tuning the optical alignment, and I was rewarded
with sharp views of Lunar craters even when I pushed the magnification
up to the theoretical limit of 300x. The other drawback of a
computerized telescope, of course, is battery consumption. An optional
PowerTank battery is a handy way to power the NexStar 130 SLT, and I
like to keep the tripod legs short and observe while seated because this
gives me a solid and comfortable view. --Jeff Phillips - Wide field views
- Computerized go-to tracking
- Light and portable
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