Celestron - PowerSeeker 114EQ Telescope - Manual German Equatorial Telescope for Beginners - Compact and Portable - BONUS Astronomy Software Package - 114mm Aperture

Whether you’re an amateur astronomer or becoming more comfortable with using a telescope, you’ll love the technology and user-friendly features packed into Celestron’s PowerSeeker Newtonian Reflector telescope. The Celestron PowerSeeker 114EQ is a powerful yet easy-to-use telescope. Our PowerSeeker Series telescopes for astronomy beginners have been designed with a combination of value, quality, power, and user-friendly features. They are built to enhance the experience for beginners but are also exceptional for mid-level experienced astronomers. This 114EQ telescope features powerful magnification and easy-to-use controls that allow users to obtain crisp views of the Moon, the rings of Saturn, and Jupiter’s Galilean moons. The telescope’s sturdy and durable German Equatorial mount and slow-motion rod deliver smooth and accurate pointing. Move the slow-motion altitude rod in an up/down fashion to pinpoint and track your object. The 3x Barlow lens is added to triple the magnification power of the included 20mm and 4mm eyepieces. We’ve included an accessory tray to store accessories conveniently and a free download of our BONUS Starry Night Basic Edition astronomy software with information on 36,000 celestial objects, printable sky maps, and more. The software can be used on your Mac, PC or laptop. It’s the best way to learn about the night sky and plan your next observing session. Additional accessories include a tripod. You can purchase this Celestron telescope with confidence from the world’s #1 telescope brand, based in California since 1960. You’ll also receive a 2-year warranty and unlimited access to technical support from our team of US-based experts. Tom Johnson founded Celestron in 1960 after building a telescope to share the night sky with his sons. Since then, Celestron has established itself as the world’s #1 telescope brand. Celestron telescopes are used by scientists in world-class research observatories and even aboard the International Space Station. this webshop I love bargains, so I was eager to try out Celestron's new Powerseeker 114 Newtonian reflector telescope. With its 4.5-inch mirror, Celestron's Powerseeker 114 gathers three times more starlight than popular 60mm refractors. The Powerseeker package includes two eyepieces (K20 and SR4), a plastic 3x barlow, and a lightweight equatorial mount. Optically, the Powerseeker 114 holds its own when compared with my . Using the K20 eyepiece included as standard equipment, about 45x magnification, it's easy to see the Andromeda Galaxy and its smaller satellite galaxy M32. When compared to 60mm refractors, the Powerseeker 114 brings out much more detail in the Orion Nebula, reveals many more stars in Perseus' Double Cluster and even brings out a few individual stars in globular clusters like M13. Saturn looks quite small at 45x with the K20 eyepiece, but using my own (120x) I can easily detect the shadow cast by the planet on the rings, and even glimpse the ring's Cassini Division. When the mirrors are properly lined up or "collimated," the images are reasonably sharp up to magnifications of 225x. I find a helps get this fine tuning just right. As good as the optics are, however, the effect of cost-cutting shows up in the mechanical components. The focuser is plastic, the finder scope is plastic, the rings that attach the telescope to the tripod are plastic. Even when the tripod legs are clamped at their shortest setting, the telescope wobbles when I try to focus at higher magnifications. Celestron's instruction manual correctly recommends that most viewing be done in the range of 40x to 130x. So what about that 675x magnification proclaimed on the box? I'd say it's not worth the trouble. Overall, the Celestron Powerseeker 114 is a budget priced telescope with good optical performance, especially when using the low power K20 eyepiece. If you're willing to spend a little more money, either Orion's or Celestron's will give you a sturdier mount, an improved finder scope, and better eyepieces. Also, for about the price of the Powerseeker 114, I like the dependable refractor design of Celestron's . --Jeff Phillips Pros: From the Manufacturer Celestron PowerSeeker telescopes are a great way to open up the wonders of the Universe to the aspiring astronomer. The PowerSeeker series is designed to give the first-time telescope user the perfect combination of quality, value, features and power. Amateur astronomy is a great family hobby that can be enjoyed year round, and Celestron’s PowerSeekers are the ideal choice for families looking for an affordable and high quality telescope that will provide many hours of enjoyment for children and adults alike. PowerSeekers are quick and easy to set up – even for the novice. No tools are required for assembly! Their sturdy equatorial mounts are perfect for tracking objects in the night sky, and the collapsible alt-azimuth mounts are perfectly suited for terrestrial (land) viewing as well as astronomical use. All of Celestron’s PowerSeekers include a full range of eyepieces plus a 3x Barlow lens that provides an increase in viewing power hundreds of times greater than that of the unaided eye! PowerSeekers are designed and manufactured using all fully coated glass optical components with high transmission coatings for enhanced image brightness and clarity. Erect Image Optics are ideal for terretrial (land) and astronomical (sky) use.