Celestron Firstscope 114EQ 114mm Reflector Telescope
by Celestron

List Price: $358.00
Category: Digital Camera
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Digital Photo Product Details

• Manual slow-motion controls
• Newtonian reflector optics
• 900mm focal length
• Comes with adjustable aluminum tripod
• 227.5x maximum magnification

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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Celestron Firstscope 114EQ 114mm Reflector Telescope

Customer Review: Off to a great start!
Summary: 5 Stars

Description of Celestron Firstscope 114EQ 114mm Reflector Telescope

The Firstscope 114 EQ features a classic Newtonian reflector design.

What can I see with the Firstscope 114 EQ telescope? On clear, calm nights I've been able to see the Cassini division in Saturn's rings and multiple cloud bands on the surface of Jupiter. The Firstscope 114 EQ even brings out pleasing detail in deep space objects. Many of the best galaxies and star clusters were discovered by comet hunter Charles Messier. The Pleiades cluster (M45) is known as the seven sisters because sharp-eyed people can make out six or seven stars with the naked eye. A telescope turns M45 into a beautiful cluster containing dozens of blue- white stars. In 1764, Messier described another deep space object, globular star cluster M13 in the constellation Hercules, as a glowing nebula without a star. That's just how M13 looks to this day in smaller 60mm and 80mm telescopes. When I observe M13 from a dark rural location with the Firstscope 114 EQ however, at 90x magnification, M13 takes on the distinctly grainy appearance of a glowing snow ball full of tiny stars.

The Firstscope 114 EQ, like any Newtonian reflector, is a telescope that rewards patience. The mirrors in the Firstscope 114 EQ may need to be aligned or "collimated" from time to time--I find the Celestron Collimation Eyepiece helps get this fine-tuning just right--but the reward is sharp images of the planets even when using the 4mm eyepiece in Celestron's optional accessory kit for a magnification of 225x. The CG3 equatorial mount can be equipped with an optional #93515 motor drive to track the planets at high power, although I find that manual tracking with the standard slow motion controls works pretty well up to magnifications of 120x or so. You'll want some star charts to help find your way around the sky, I like the monthly star charts in Night Sky magazine because they help to find the planets as well as stars and galaxies. --Jeff Phillips

Pros:

• Reflector design good value
• Pleasing detail on brighter star clusters and galaxies

• Optics may need occasional fine-tuning
• Terrestrial images appear upside-down

The 114mm (4.5 inch) Newtonian equatorial telescope is the most popular size telescope for the more serious beginning or intermediate level astronomy enthusiast, and for good reason. The large light gathering power of this 4.5 inch telescope makes it ideal for deep-sky observation of galaxies, star clusters and nebulae, as well as lunar and planetary observing. This makes for a very useful and versatile instrument that can take an observer from the very first time looking through a telescope's eyepiece, through years of observing interesting subjects near and far in the night sky.

Reflectors     This is a reflector telescope. Reflectors (also known as Newtonian reflectors or catoptrics) capture light with a mirror at the bottom of a tube, which sends the image to the eyepiece at the top of the tube.    First-time telescope users sometimes have difficulty with the idea of looking through the side of a telescope, but the big draw for reflectors is that they are by far the cheapest to manufacture--and thus offer the best value--of all telescope types. They also generally have zero chromatic aberration.     Read more about different telescope designs in our buying guide

Firstscope 114 EQ Specifications:

• 114mm (4.5") Aperture
• Focal Length of 900mm
• Focal Ratio of f/8
• Weighs: 19 Lbs.

• Two 1.25 inch Eyepieces: 20mm MA Eyepiece (45x), 10mm MA Eyepiece (90x)
• 1.25 inch Focuser with .96 inch Adapter
• Star Pointer Finderscope
• Sturdy, Adjustable Aluminum Tripod with Accessory Tray

Moon viewing 101
The moon is often one of the first celestial objects a beginner will look at through his or her telescope. Here are a couple hints for you once you get your hands on your new 114 EQ.

Often, it is tempting to look at the Moon when it is full. At this time, the face we see is fully illuminated and its light can be overpowering. In addition, little or no contrast can be seen during this phase. One of the best times to observe the Moon is during its partial phases (around the time of first or third quarter). Long shadows reveal a great amount of detail on the lunar surface. At low power you will be able to see most of the lunar disk at one time. The optional Reducer/Corrector lens allows for breath-taking views of the entire lunar disk when used with a low power eyepiece. Change to higher power (magnification) to focus in on a smaller area. Choose the lunar tracking rate from the NexStar's MENU tracking rate options to keep the moon centered in the eyepiece even at high magnifications.

Reflectors

• Camera & Photo > Binoculars, Telescopes & Optics > Telescopes > Reflectors