As the Black Friday weekend chugs on into Cyber Monday, Amazon is not letting up on its excellent telescope deals. The latest we've spotted is the Celestron NexStar 130 SLT, reduced by 19% from $639.95 to $518.16 as part of Amazon's Cyber Monday sale.
The NexStar 130SLT is part of Celestron's computerized telescope range, making use of its proprietary SkyAlign technology which makes navigating the night sky easier than ever.
When we reviewed the Celestron NexStar 130 SLT, we called it not only one of the best telescopes for beginners, but one of the best examples of a Newton Reflector. It's aluminized glass mirror is "surprisingly well ground and polished", leading to beautiful, clear views across the galaxy. And we called the SkyAlign alignment system "a masterpiece". You can't get much better than that.
While this isn't the cheapest telescope for beginners, it is an incredibly powerful bit of kit, and newcomers to astronomy will be appreciative of the computing power it holds. That 19% saving isn't to be sniffed at, so grab this deal while it lasts.
- Read our Cyber Monday 2024 deals page for big discounts on space gifts
Celestron has designed the NexStar 130 SLT with beginners and intermediate users in mind. While it's powerful, it's easy to use and set up, making it friendly to newcomers — but still being impressive to those already familiar with astronomy.
The 'SLT' in the name here stands for 'Star Locating Technology'. This is a GoTo scope, meaning it has a built-in computer to help you locate the stars and other objects in the night sky. It makes use of Celestron's own SkyAlign software, which makes aligning your location in the galaxy an absolute doddle: simply center any three bright objects within the eye piece and the telescope aligns your position, making it possible to locate just about any visible object.
The Newtonian Reflector Optical Design scope used in this telescope is the largest in Celestron's SLT family. The 130 refers to the aperture size in millimeters, and since this telescope offers an aperture width of more than five inches, it allows in a lot of light, making observing celestial bodies easier and more beautiful than ever.
Key Specs: 130mm aperture, Newtonian Reflector Optical Design, f/5 focal ratio, 650mm (26") focal length, 26x and 72x magnification, assembled weight of 18lbs/8.16kg.
Consensus: The Celestron NexStar 130 SLT is a very powerful GoTo scope that comes highly recommended for beginners and intermediate users alike. It makes use of Celestron's own SkyAlign technology, making navigation around the sky a pleasant experience.
Buy if: You're new to stargazing and want a powerful GoTo telescope that will last. It's also a good recommendation for those who like to move around.
Don't buy if: You'd prefer a traditional telescope without computerized features.
Alternative models: Available for a similar price point, the Celestron NexStar 4SE is one of our favorite GoTo telescopes. If you'd like something a little more portable, the Celestron Astro Fi 102 is worth consideration.
Check out our Cyber Monday 2023 deals page for a roundup of the best discounts and deals on telescopes, binoculars, cameras, star projectors, drones, Lego and much more.
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