Is this a good telescope for star glazing(links included).?

Question

http://www.telescopes.com/telescopes/reflecting-telescopes/celestronastromaster114eqreflector.cfm

Answer 1

no. avoid it like the plague. ppl have asked about such atrocities before around here. do a search to find out why.

ppl also ask about good telesscopes to buy. do a search for the answers. there are lots of good ones.

Answer 2

while i wouldn't go all out and say its a terrible scope... any scope that gets you out and viewing stuff is a good scope. if you already have it and it works i'd say enjoy it for a while. but if you are looking for a scope I think you'd be much happier with a refractor of the same price range.  

Answer 3

No, I would not recommend this scope.  First, the EQ1 mount is undersized for the weight of a 4.5" scope.  It will shake a lot and be very hard to use at any magnification.

Second, I'm suspicious of the Erect Image Optics.  Considering the price of the scope, I think it's just a gimmick to hide the real shortcomings of this scope.  Most likely this scope has a cheap spherical primary mirror, and the "Erect Image Optics" is really a lousy way to correct for horrendous spherical aberration using some cheap lenses in the focuser.  This "trick" has been used by many cheap scope manufacturers.

Unfortunately, it's hard to find a good new scope for under $300.  If your budget is limited, you may try to find a used one (on www.astromart.com or www.cloudynights.com classifieds), or buy a pair of good binoculars.

Answer 4

First, i should say that i do not believe in beginner telescopes. Buy what you'll use.

This is a 4.5 inch telescope.  It comes with eyepieces that don't totally overpower the aperture.  You'll see alot in it.  My concerns are the stabilty of the mount, the ease of use of the focuser, and the ease of aligning the finder scope, and how well the finder scope stays aligned.

I personally have no direct experience with this model.

It is inexpensive.

The Starblast 4.5 is the same size, and probably has a more stable mount.  The Celestron scope has an equatorial mount, but no motor.  These mounts are difficult to make cheaply, whereas the Starblast mount is easy to make cheaply.

But you should try before you buy.  Join a local astronomy club.

<edit>

No, no, no, no.  Refractors at this price level are junk.  You do not get a high end APO refractor for this amount of money.  You're much better off with a reflector.

Answer 5

No, this is a terrible telescope! Its "short tube" optical design produces blurry images, and its flimsy mount will shake so badly you won't be able to see a thing.

Here are a few web pages with good information on beginner's telescopes:

http://www.gaherty.ca/tme/TME0702_Buying...

http://www.scopereviews.com/begin.html

http://observers.org/beginner/j.r.f.begi...

For more advanced information, read Phil Harrington's Star Ware, 4th edition (Wiley).

You'll get the greatest value for your money with a Newtonian reflector on a Dobsonian mount, such as these:

http://www.telescope.com/control/categor...

http://www.skywatchertelescope.net/swtin...

Buy from a store which specializes in telescopes and astronomy, either locally or online; don't buy from department stores, discount stores or eBay as mostly what they sell is junk. Find your local astronomy club and try out different telescopes at one of their star parties:

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/community...

Answer 6

I'll second Tina's advice to avoid this telescope. They are known for poor optical quality and shaky mounts. Note that applies to this particular model, not Celestron in general, though the low end of their range is pretty much junk. Orion is a much better choice in the under $200 range:

http://www.telescope.com/control/product...