Is this a Good Telescope for the Beginner? This Orion scope is great if you are that type of person that won’t settle just for a bargain, but will go all out to acquire quality equipment. It does come with a collimation cap, but you may need Allen keys and/or a laser to get it done efficiently and quickly. Its primary mirror is parabolic, so there will be little to no noticeable aberration. The optical tube assembly (OTA) comprises a 1.25-inch 25mm Sirius Plossl Eyepiece with 26-power view when used with the scope. Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links and I may earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. The mount is decent and provides some necessary skills needed to learn manual tracking, but it does have the option of upgrading to a motorized drive if that is something you desire in the future. This relatively compact yet performance-driven device is equipped with a 6×30 Finder Scope that lets you accurately aim the telescope at targets in the night sky. The 130ST has a 24” tube compared to 33” in the 130EQ. Orion This Orion 09007 SpaceProbe 130ST Equatorial Reflector Telescope is perfect for beginner to intermediate astronomers alike. As is, the SpaceProbe can handle webcam-style cameras and possibly smartphones with an adapter. With no polar scope or sighting hole on the mount, you can’t get a precise polar alignment, but you can do a rough alignment that is more than good enough for visual purposes. A sturdier tripod would be an excellent upgrade to minimize shake and tremors, but the optics itself is fundamentally sound. Orion provides some of the best quality products in the market with its unmatched customer care services. You either love it or you hate it. It is the portable scope and occupies less space in your room. You can use a different type of camera such as a smartphone or an eyepiece camera. We’ll answer these questions to see if there really is usable potential in the telescope or if it’s all hype. Designed for use by the mid-level astronomer as well as the novice stargazer, this model is able to collect an adequate quantity of light with its parabolic, How to take amazing photos with your telescope and a smartphone, How to take shots of the moon with your telescope, How to use a DSLR camera with your telescope, easy portability with this versatile telescope. This is a great telescope for the beginner. Additionally, instead of incorporating a dovetail and saddle, the tube is simply bolted to the EQ2, and as for the setting circles, they’re pretty much just décor add-ons. It also features a 24-inch long optical tube design referred to ironically as a Short Tube. The optical tube provides fine viewing, and the necessary accessories and attachments are better quality than what is normally packaged with scope kits. Ideal For: Celestial Viewing, Stargazing, DSO Viewing, Beginners, Intermediates. This model even allows you to explore the skies on a cloudy evening because of the free Special Edition of Starry Night astronomy software. So, what can you do? The mount is engineered for precision with its slow-motion hand controls and dual setting circles. Can this Reflector Telescope be used for Terrestrial Viewing? The potential is there, but are you willing to learn how to maximize its performance? After alignment, just look through the finder scope and adjust the scope till you see the crosshairs perfectly centered on the target. Our largest aperture SpaceProbe reflector telescope is the niftiest Newtonian reflector on an equatorial mount we've seen in a long time. A carry case is not included in the purchase. The EQ2 is a manual equatorial mount with setting circles and slow-motion hand controls. But, can it be equipped with a motor drive? A 6×30 achromatic finder is also included and it does a decent job of revealing more stars in the sky than your naked eye. The software comes with natural-looking sky simulations and contains information on telescope control. This telescope has all the great features which make it an incredible scope. - F. Who is the Orion 09007 SpaceProbe 130ST EQ Best Suited to? You will have to buy one separately. If you prefer a different Orion finder, you can always switch it out with one that fits a dovetail base. This is one of the major benefits of this telescope versus Dobsonians – its light weight. Sold as is with its accessory package, it’s a decent purchase for the beginner buyer. For long exposure DSO photography, there still may be some coma, apparent blurriness, and noticeable drift that is in part due to the mount’s less than perfect polar alignment. Perfect for the serious beginner and intermediate astronomer, the Orion 09007 SpaceProbe 130ST comes equipped with a parabolic 130mm primary mirror. Great for amateur photos, not so for serious astrophotography. The SpaceProbe is not designed to be used with DSLR cameras because it won’t reach focus. The supplied 10mm Sirius Plossl Eyepiece delivers a powerful 65X magnification along with a wide 52-degree apparent field of view. Intermediates will keep this telescope for a long time to come and it can be equipped with a motor drive for automatic tracking. Weighing so little, there is some instability that results in shakiness and/or tremors. It gets put on multiple lists of "good first telescopes" all over the internet for a space fan in your family. 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