EXPLORER-130M 130mm (5.1") f/900 Newtonian reflector kit complete with RA Drive motor

With its larger 5.1" primary mirror, the Sky Watcher Explorer 130 telescope represents stunning value for money, and remains our top selling starter package

Click the link below to see our informative video tour of this stunning telescope:

Video tour of the Sky Watcher 130 Newtonian telescope series

The award winning Sky Watcher 130 really is a stand out example of truly amazing modern value-for-money and performance � this would be a great scope at more than twice the price.

The Deluxe motorised EQ2 mount and tripod To the new user it always comes as a surprise that we talk about the mounting before the optics. Are the optics no good they wonder? On the contrary; the large 130mm optics are of excellent quality. But it doesn�t matter how good the optics are if the mount won�t hold them steady. The EQ2 mount is solidly engineered and tried and tested for over ten years now. It carries the weight of the telescope and is generously specified so that it will work well with the additional weight of accessories such as cameras etc. The included deluxe motor drive is a fantastic feature and is an upgrade for most other telescopes. (and the included drive is Sky Watcher's Deluxe RA motor with handset, that normally sells for nearly �60) The RA drive is not just an unnecessary luxury � the motor functions to compensate for the daily rotation of the Earth and effectively stabilises the telescope so that the observed target appears to stand still in the eyepiece. True, the 130 has manual slow motion handles that would allow you to examine a target at high magnification without the motor but at higher powers this can feel like the trick of rubbing your stomach and patting your head at the same time! The motor is a major boon and allows you to get the best out of the instrument and even allows you to do basic long time exposure motor guided astro-photography (i.e. wide-angle piggy-back camera method).

The 130mm optics The 130mm mirror of this instrument is of excellent quality and is (when used with the appropriate accessories) capable, in ideal seeing conditions, of delivering magnifications up to 265x and 275x without break down. An amazing achievement for a telescope in this price bracket. The 900mm focal length allows very high power magnifications to be achieved easily without employing uncomfortably short focal length eyepieces. The 130mm aperture (that�s over 5� in old money) makes this telescope and all-round performer giving high resolution images of the Moon, planets and other solar system targets as well as penetrating deep-sky views of galaxies and nebulae.

Quality accessories includedThe Sky-Watcher 130 is supplied with good quality accessories (low-quality accessories is a common failing in lesser scopes). The 25mm and 10mm eyepieces are bright and pin-sharp providing 36x and 90x magnification respectively. Also included is a quality 2x Barlow lens that is used by positioning it in front of the eyepieces to double the focal length of the telescope and thereby double the magnification of each eyepiece. So when used with the Barlow 36x becomes 72x and 90x becomes 180x; thus the two eyepieces actually provide four different magnifications.

The red dot LED finder is also a great boon especially for the inexperienced user. The electronic finder is designed to be used with both eyes open and from just about any viewing distance! These features just make it so easy to use compared with squinting through a little optical finder. But there�s more to it even than that � optical finders give magnified views of the sky and they are usually inverted , this can make accurate targeting star identification difficult for the inexperienced observer (actually, experienced observers can be caught out too! James). The red dot finder in contrast is optically one-to-one having no magnification and the view of the sky is natural and not inverted. Simply look along the telescope tube at the sky (no need to look �at� the finder at all) and place the glowing red dot over the target you wish to view � it�s that simple.

Unanimous � 10 out of 10! We can�t recommend this telescope too highly � it�s a great choice for people who have already enjoyed a basic starter scope and want to move on. But the 130 is also user-friendly enough to be a first scope for the user who knows that wants something one long stride beyond the basic starter scope.

Specification:

• Eyepieces Supplied (1.25"): 10mm & 25mm

• Magnifications (with optics supplied): x36, x72, x90, x180

• Highest Practical Power (Potential): x260

• Diameter of Primary Mirror: 130mm - 30% more Light Gathering than 114mm

• ALL Sky-Watcher reflector mirrors are Multi-Coated with Silicon Dioxide as standard for Optimum Durability and Long Term Performance.

• Telescope Focal Length: 900mm (f/7)

• x2 Barlow Lens

• R.A. Motor Drive(D.C.)

• Primary Mirror

• 0.5mm Ultra-Thin Secondary Mirror Supports

• Red Dot Finder

• EQ2 Equatorial Mount

• Aluminium Tripod with Accessory Tray