Archive for March, 2011

NexStar Celestron 130 SLT Computerized Telescope

Amazon.com Price: $390.00 (as of 2012-02-22 15:15:36 GMT) Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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Celestron NexStar 130 SLT Computerized Telescope
 
Manufacturer: Celestron
Customer Rating:
 
List Price: $769.95
Sale Price: $390.00
Availibility: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
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.

Celestron NexStar 130
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

Celestron NexStar 130
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

Pros:

  • Wide field views
  • Computerized go-to tracking
  • Light and portable
Cons:
  • Short battery life
  • Sensitive to vibration

Suggested Options:

  • Celestron Accessory Kit
  • Celestron PowerTank battery
  • Celestron Collimation Eyepiece

Product Details
  • Computerized hand control with 4,000-object database
  • SkyAlign allows you to align on any 3 bright celestial objects
  • Motorized Altazimuth mount
  • Focal ratio: f5
  • Focal length: 650mm

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Celestron Nexstar 60mm GoTo Telescope For Beginners

Amazon.com Price: View Sale Price (as of 2012-02-22 10:29:13 GMT) Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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Celestron Nexstar 60GT 60mm Go-To Refractor Telescope
 
Manufacturer: Celestron
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List Price: $358.00
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Product Description
Amazon.com Review The Nexstar 60GT is Celestron's most affordable computerized telescope. For a surprising price, you get a complete telescope with three eyepieces (and a finder), an adjustable tripod, and a computerized tracking system with a database of 4000 objects.

With the help of the well-illustrated manual, it takes only minutes to assemble the Nexstar 60GT and connect the batteries or optional AC adapter.

The NexStar handset is your user-friendly guide to more than 4,000 celestial objects.
Nexstar's "quick align" feature allows me to track bright objects like the moon and planets right away, but to get the most out of the tracking system the computer needs to be oriented to two bright alignment stars. Celestron includes some basic star charts, but if you don't already know a few constellations, you'll want a guide book like Nightwatch or a magazine like NightSky to introduce you to the bright alignment stars by name.

Once the Nexstar alignment is completed, the fun of seeing star clusters and planets and galaxies is as easy as pushing a few buttons. The low power 20mm eyepiece (35x) is best for viewing open star clusters and finding objects; I use the 10mm (70X) and 4mm (175X) eyepieces to zoom in on stars and planets. The planets show up quite nicely at 70x, and they're even better with a 6mm plossl eyepiece at 117x. Venus looks like a tiny crescent moon, Jupiter shows off its two major cloud bands, and Saturn's rings are sharply separated from the planet. Bright double stars also show up well. Castor, one of the twin stars in the constellation Gemini, turns out to be a double star only four arc-seconds wide. You'll need that 6mm eyepiece (117x) or the included 4mm (175x) to separate Castor into two beads of light.

Students from middle school on up will find the Nexstar 60GT just the right size. It's affordable, it's light and portable, and it's an easy introduction to the world of computerized telescopes. My first telescope, made of telescoping cardboard tubes, came from an ad in Popular Mechanics magazine. I would have been thrilled to have a telescope as good as the Nexstar 60GT. An adult with a serious interest in astronomy, however, is likely to outgrow a 60mm telescope rather quickly. It takes a larger scope to see the divisions in Saturn's rings or resolve globular clusters into individual stars; if you want that kind of detail, take a look at the telescope buyers guide for some larger ideas. --Jeff Phillips

Pros:

  • Complete package is light, portable, and affordable
  • Classic refractor design for good planet views up to 120x
  • Nexstar computer finds planets, star clusters, and galaxies for you
Cons:
  • It's small--the only way to see more detail is with a bigger telescope
  • Batteries only last a few hours

Product Details
  • Computerized auto align feature makes observing easy
  • Instant access to over 4,000 celestial objects
  • Common sense menu descriptions
  • 700mm focal length
  • 3 eyepieces (35x, 70x, and 175x)

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Customer Reviews

Celestron Travel Scope 70 Beginners Telescope

Amazon.com Price: $54.37 (as of 2012-02-22 16:08:34 GMT) Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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Celestron 21035 70mm Travel Scope
 
Manufacturer: Celestron
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List Price: $108.95
Sale Price: $54.37
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Product Description
The Celestron 21035 Travel Scope 70 is a compact 70mm refractor telescope optimized for portability and convenience. The telescope, the tripod, and all the accessories fit conveniently into a padded backpack style soft carrying case. The complete accessory package includes a 45 degree correct image prism, a 20mm eyepiece for 20X magnification, and a 10mm eyepiece for 40X. The fully illustrated instruction manual is supplemented by a copy of "The Sky X" astronomy software that turns your PC into a virtual planetarium.

With a focal length of 400mm and a focal ratio of f/5.7, the Travel Scope 70 compares surprisingly well with popular f/5 "Short Tube 80" refractors but at a much lower cost. The Travel Scope 70 uses a number of plastic components to keep the cost and weight down, including a plastic focuser and plastic lens shade, but the all glass lenses deliver beautiful views of backyard birds during the daytime and lovely views of the Moon and stars at night.

The Travel Scope 70 offers daytime views that compare with more expensive spotting scopes. The 20mm eyepiece gives 20X magnification and a 2.5 degree field of view, with plenty of crisp detail when I’m looking at backyard birds. The travel Scope 70 is also quick and easy to set up at night. The deep orange glow of the recent Lunar Eclipse was simply gorgeous, and I was even able to take some pictures using the Travel Scope 70 and a PowerShot camera. When I look at Jupiter using the 10mm eyepiece (40X magnification) I can easily see four moons near the planet. And rich field views of the Milky Way are often at their best in a small scope with a wide field of view.

The tripod included with the Travel Scope 70 is described as a “full size photo tripod”, but I like it best as a table-top tripod with the legs kept short. The tripod is designed to be light and compact, but that means the legs are thin and wobbly when fully extended. --Jeff Phillips

Pros:

  • Light, portable, and affordable
  • Excellent wide field views
  • Padded backpack style case
  • High and low power eyepieces
  • The Sky X software included

Cons:

  • Light weight tripod
  • Plastic finder and focuser

Product Details
  • All coated glass optical elements for clear crisp images
  • Smooth functioning altazimuth mount with easy pointing to located objects
  • Preassembled aluminum full size photographic tripod

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Orion SkyQuest Telescopes For Beginners

Amazon.com Price: $345.00 (as of 2012-02-23 08:15:35 GMT) Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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Orion SkyQuest XT8 Classic Dobsonian Telescope
 
Manufacturer: Orion
Customer Rating:
 
List Price: $349.99
Sale Price: $345.00
Availibility: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
A powerful and capable telescope, the Orion SkyQuest XT8 Classic Dobsonian is one of our most popular reflectors due to its elegant combination of precision optics, mechanical simplicity, and rock-solid stability. You and your whole family will appreciate the bright, clear views of the night sky provided by the XT8 Classic. The Moon and planets of our solar system like Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars shine brightly in the SkyQuest XT8 Classic, allowing you to inspect them in detail. The XT8's 8-inch aperture is also large enough to gather a significant amount of light from more distant celestial objects for great views of sparkling star clusters, cloudy nebulas, and faraway galaxies. The XT8 Classic Dob is a tremendous value considering the high quality views it provides on such a wide variety of celestial objects. The point-and-view simplicity of the Dobsonian design is not as complicated as an equatorial (EQ) mount and tripod, so with a little practice, your whole family can scan the heavens just like experienced hobbyists. For any astronomer seeking serious adventure, the XT8 Classic Dob has it all!

Product Details
  • A large aperture Classic Dobsonian reflector telescope at a very affordable price!
  • 8" diameter reflector optics lets you view the Moon and planets in close up detail, and has enough light grasp to pull in pleasing views of faint nebulas, galaxies and star clusters
  • A perfect Dobsonian telescope that can last a lifetime for the beginning astronomy enthusiast or whole family
  • The ultra-stable Dobsonian base keeps the reflector optical tube perfectly balanced for point-and-view ease of use
  • Includes a 2" Crayford focuser that accepts 1.25" and 2" telescope eyepieces, a 25mm Sirius Plossl eyepiece, an EZ Finder II reflex sight, collimation cap, Starry Night software, and more!

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Orion SkyQuest Telescope For Sale

Amazon.com Price: $549.99 (as of 2012-02-22 16:08:49 GMT) Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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Orion SkyQuest XT10 Classic Dobsonian Telescope
 
Manufacturer: Orion
Customer Rating:
 
List Price: $549.99
Sale Price: $549.99
Availibility: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Orion(r) SkyQuest(TM) XT Classic Dobsonians It's no wonder customers heap 5-star ratings on these "gentle giants." For not only do their jumbo-sized optics and uncomplicated design bring a "new level of joy to simple observing," raved Astronomy magazine, but they're also the most affordable quality Dobs on the market. SkyQuest XT Classics aren't just good bang for the buck, they're a supernova of telescope value! XT Classics give you the deep-space thrills without the deep-pocket frills. We've kept them lean and mean to keep their prices low for tight budgets. But rest assured, they come fully equipped for adventure, whether you're a beginning stargazer or are graduating to a more capable instrument. All Classics feature an expertly figured parabolic mirror housed in an enameled steel optical tube. The tube rides on a stable Dobsonian base that allows easy point-and-view navigation and has a convenient carrying handle. A 2" Crayford focuser (XT6 has 1.25" rack and pinion focuser), EZ Finder II aiming device, 25mm Sirius Plossl eyepiece (1.25"), and quick-collimation cap are all standard equipment. Setup takes only a minute, leaving the rest of the evening to marvel at the planets, the Moon, and a myriad of deep-sky treasures. Enjoy the fantastic views â?" and savings! One-year limited warranty.

Product Details
  • The Orion SkyQuest XT10 Classic Dobsonian is a big 10" aperture reflector telescope with a small price tag
  • Gobbles up light for great views of deep-sky objects such as nebulas, galaxies, star clusters,
  • Simple "point-and-view" Dobsonian design reflector telescope is easy and fun to use for the whole family
  • Stable Dobsonian telescope base and Orion CorrecTension friction optimization system
  • Includes precise 2" Crayford focuser, 25mm Sirius Plossl eyepiece,
  • EZ Finder II reflex sight, collimation cap, dust caps, and Starry Night software
  • It keeps reflector optical tube perfectly balanced in any position
  • And close-up views of more nearby targets like the Moon and planets

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