Celestron provides a great range of telescopes that should serve beginner, intermediate, and advanced stargazers well. Most people interested in the night sky already know a little about Celestron, and experts within the optics industry hold the company in high regard. Our review today will focus on the Celestron 127EQ PowerSeeker telescope.
The 127EQ PowerSeeker telescope from Celestron is perhaps the largest beginner’s telescope on the market today. Its aperture is 127mm in diameter. Once you start going for larger apertures, you move into intermediate or advanced telescopes. Therefore, the Celestron 127EQ PowerSeeker telescope is our recommendation for any beginners that may have some skill or experience with stargazing already.
Main Features of the Celestron 127EQ PowerSeeker Telescope
We will cover the primary features and technical specifications for the 127EQ PowerSeeker in this section. You’ll see more about some of these specifications in the next section.
Specifications
Analysis
This model is a Newtonian Reflector. This means that the device uses both a primary and a secondary mirror to track and display celestial images for you. The primary mirror is a concave one, and the secondary mirror is a flat one. A simple design makes this telescope a great choice for newcomers to astronomy. Newtonian telescopes do not have the problem with aberrations that refracting telescopes might encounter. You can get a short focal ratio with a wide field of view in most cases when using this telescope.
We have mentioned already that the aperture is one of the largest you’ll find for a scope at this price point. It is also the largest aperture you can get on Celestron’s PowerSeeker models. Two eyepieces provide you with some viewing variety, and the 3x Barlow attachment can magnify even some of the most distant objects. Special coatings on the lens allow the maximum amount of light in for a sharp image in the viewfinder. Note that you can even make use of a corrective lens to clear up any distortions you might experience.
You can tell that this telescope is a great one for amateur astronomers because it’s easy to set up and use. You won’t need special tools or accessories to get it working, and the company shows you how to put it together in just a few steps in a video.
The telescope is not large or heavy, so it’s a great one to use if you need a device that is portable. You can follow changes in the night sky with ease using the PowerSeeker. While some users say the tripod can be wobbly, we found it to be a sturdy unit when we balanced the scope.
What We Like
Since the Celestron 127EQ PowerSeeker telescope is one of the largest entry-level scopes on the market, we found plenty of things we liked about it during our various test phases.
- This is an ideal choice for beginners that want to start with a large-aperture telescope. It is our top pick for a larger beginner’s scope.
- Although the aperture is large, the optical tube is relatively small and lightweight. These factors make the Celestron 127EQ PowerSeeker telescope easy to store and transport in most cases.
- It maintains an affordable budget stargazer’s price point even with such a large aperture.
- You’ll get planetary software that can help you locate and track thousands of celestial objects.
- The optical components contain coatings that can enhance the quality, clarity, and brightness of the images in your viewfinder.
- A 3x Barlow lens has the potential to triple the magnification of either of the lenses you get with this telescope.
- It utilizes an Equatorial mount that is easy to set up and sturdy.
What We Don’t Like
The Celestron 127EQ PowerSeeker telescope is an excellent budget model for beginners. However, during our testing, we did find a few points that the company might want to fix for any of their future iterations of this line.
- Some users claim that you’ll need an additional eyepiece that is at least 12mm in diameter. This may not be the case for you, however.
- You will need to familiarize yourself with the process of collimation and how to do it. This skill will help you align your telescope properly.
- Learning the process of collimation can take some time. This means that you might wish to add a learning curve aspect to the Celestron 127EQ telescope.
- Because it is a Newtonian Reflector, dust or debris can get to the telescope’s mirror. It will require some maintenance from time to time.
- A few users have found the slow-motion controls to be a bit tricky.
Price Range
In most cases, you should be able to pick up the Celestron 127EQ PowerSeeker telescope for less than $200. Its cost is somewhat higher than that of other entry-level telescopes, but that price comes with its own advantages. It has one of the largest apertures for a telescope in its class and price range. The aperture should allow you to view some of the most distant, faintest celestial objects that a beginner’s telescope can track. In addition, the German Equatorial mounting system uses an excellent counterweight system to move the optical tube along the axis of declination.
Final Verdict
The Celestron 127EQ PowerSeeker telescope is an affordable entry into the world of telescopic stargazing. You’ll get the largest aperture in its class and all the basics you need to start enjoying the hobby straight out of the box. The unit has excellent magnification properties and can help you spot all the objects in the Messier guide. Please share your thoughts about this model with us in the next section.