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Celestron NexStar 130 SLT Computerized

Telescope

From Celestron

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Price: $769.95

Price: $391.69 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders

over $25. Details

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Ships from and sold by Amazon.com

24 new or used available from $299.00

Average customer review:

(45 customer reviews)

Product Description

Celestron NexStar 130 SLT Series Newtonian Reflector Telescope - 31145

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #326 in Camera & Photo

Size: One Size

Brand: Celestron

Model: 31145

Number of items: 1

Dimensions: 8.00" h x 12.00" w x 28.00" l, 17.99 pounds

Features

Computerized hand control with 4,000-object database

SkyAlign allows you to align on any 3 bright celestial objects

Motorized Altazimuth mount

Focal ratio: f5

Focal length: 650mm

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Amazon.com Celestron’s computerized NexStar 130 SLT adds affordable "Go-To" technology

to a compact Newtonian reflector telescope. By using mirrors instead of lenses, the Newtonian

optics of the NexStar 130 SLT produce an image nearly five times brighter than the NexStar 60

SLT refractor telescope. The package includes everything except the batteries, and features easy

no-tool setup, two good eyepieces, and even includes a student version of "The Sky" planetarium

software.

The Newtonian design of the NexStar 130 SLT is optimized to produce bright images over a

wide field of view. When I use an optional 32mm Plossl eyepiece, the famous Double Cluster in

Perseus looks like a display of celestial fireworks with streamers of stars trailing across the 2

degree field of view. The standard equipment 25mm eyepiece magnifies the image about 26

times, with a wide field of view just right for viewing deep space objects like star clusters or the

Orion Nebula.

The included 9mm eyepiece (72x magnification) offers great views of the Lunar disk and

globular star clusters like M13. And when I add a 2x Barlow lens to the 9mm eyepiece for a total

magnification of 144x, I can easily see cloud bands on the planet Jupiter and pick up detail in

Saturn’s rings.

The NexStar 130 SLT also features Celestron’s patented SkyAlign technology. With SkyAlign I

don't need a star chart or a compass to align the telescope, I just enter the date and time then

point the telescope at three bright stars. SkyAlign tells me the star names, and allows the

telescope to find over 4,000 stars, planets, and galaxies by just pushing a button. The accurate

tracking makes it easy to get high power views of the planets, and allowed me to take some great

pictures using a Celestron NexImage webcam. I also like the "Two-Star align" and "Solar

System align" modes because I can often get the NexStar system up and running while older

scopes are still waiting for their alignment stars to appear in he twilight.

Reflector telescopes offer more light gathering power per dollar than any other design, but that

value is balanced by the fact that the mirrors may need to be aligned or "collimated"

occasionally. Using Celestron’s Collimation Eyepiece

I had no trouble fine tuning the optical alignment, and I was rewarded with sharp views of Lunar

craters even when I pushed the magnification up to the theoretical limit of 300x. The other

drawback of a computerized telescope, of course, is battery consumption. An optional

PowerTank battery is a handy way to power the NexStar 130 SLT, and I like to keep the tripod

legs short and observe while seated because this gives me a solid and comfortable view. --Jeff

Phillips

Pros:

Wide field views

Computerized go-to tracking

Light and portable

Cons:

Short battery life

Sensitive to vibration

Suggested Options:

Celestron Accessory Kit

Celestron PowerTank battery

Celestron Collimation Eyepiece

From the Manufacturer

NexStar 130 SLT - General Features

Compatible with 2" eyepieces

High quality 130 mm reflector

Fully computerized Altazimuth mount

StarPointer finderscope to help with alignment and accurately locating objects

Quick-release fork arm mount, optical tube and accessory tray for quick no tool set up

Sturdy stainless steel tripod and accessory tray included

Includes CD-ROM "The Sky" Astronomy Software which provides education about the

sky and printable sky maps

NexStar 130 SLT - Computerized Mount Features

Proven NexStar computer control technology

Database allows telescope to locate over 4,000 celestial objects

SkyAlign allows you to align on any three bright celestial objects, making for a fast and

easy alignment process

Flash upgradeable hand control software and motor control units for downloading

product updates over the Internet

Internal battery compartment to prevent cord wrap during use

Auxiliary port for additional accessories such as GPS accessory

Includes NSOL telescope control software for basic control of your telescope via

computer (with optional RS-232 cable)

Compatible with optional NexRemote telescope control software, for advanced control of

your telescope via computer

Details

The popularity of our NexStar 114 models inspired us to go bigger! We are proud to introduce

NexStar 130 SLT. The NexStar 130 SLT has 30% more light-gathering power than our 114mm

telescope.

And the 130 SLT, like the other models in the SLT Series, comes with a fully computerized hand

control. The computerized hand control gives you the ability to automatically slew to any of its

4,000+ objects, including over 600 galaxies, 300 clusters and dozens of beautiful binary stars.

With its pre-assembled, adjustable steel tripod, the NexStar 114 SLT can be up and ready to use

in a matter of minutes. Our new SkyAlign alignment technology and the included StarPointer

Finderscope with a red LED makes aligning a breeze.

View the details of the lunar surface, the rings of Saturn, the polar ice caps on Mars, the cloud

belts on Jupiter or a number of the Messier objects such as the globular cluster in Hercules

(M13), or the Great Nebula in Orion (M42). Begin to explore some of the fainter Messier objects

using the additional light-gathering capabilities of the 130 SLT's 5" primary mirror.

Because of the Newtonian design, the mirror gives fully color-corrected views that are best

suited for astronomical use.

Specs

Optical Design: Reflector

GPS: Optional CN-16 GPS Accessory

Weight: 18 lb (8.16 kg)

Aperture: 130 mm (5.12 in)

Focal Length: 650 mm (25.59 in)

Focal Ratio: 5

Finderscope: StarPointer

Mount: Motorized Altazimuth

Eyepiece 1: 25 mm (0.98 in)

Magnification 1: 26 x

Eyepiece 2: 9 mm (0.35 in)

Magnification 2: 72 x

Accessory Tray: No Tool, Quick release

Tripod: Steel

CD ROM: "The Sky" Level 1 and NexStar Observers List (v2.6.4c)

Highest Useful Magnification: 307 x

Limiting Stellar Magnitude: 13.1

Resolution (Rayleigh): 1.07 arcsec

Resolution (Dawes): 0.89 arcsec

Photographic Resolution: 400 line/mm

Light Gathering Power: 345 x

Angular Field of View: 1.7 °

Linear Field of View (@1000 yds): 91 ft (27.74 m)

Optical Coatings: Aluminum

Secondary Mirror Obstruction: 1.7 in (43.18 mm)

Secondary Mirror Obstruction by Area: 11 %

Secondary Mirror Obstruction by Diameter: 33.2 %

Computer Hand Control: Fully Computerized / Flash Upgradeable

Slew Speeds: Nine slew speeds: 4°/sec, 2°/sec, 1°/sec, .5°/sec, 32x, 16x, 8x, 4x, 2x

Tracking Rates: Sidereal, Solar and Lunar

Tracking Modes: Alt-Az, EQ North and EQ South

Alignment Procedures: SkyAlign, Auto 2-Star Align, 1-Star Align, 2-Star Align, Solar

System Align

2-year Telescope Warranty

CELESTRON TWO YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY

A. Celestron warrants your telescope to be free from defects in materials and workmanship for

two years. Celestron will repair or replace such product or part thereof which, upon inspection by

Celestron, is found to be defective in materials or workmanship. As a condition to the obligation

of Celestron to repair or replace such product, the product must be returned to Celestron together

with proof-of-purchase satisfactory to Celestron.

B. The Proper Return Authorization Number must be obtained from Celestron in advance of

return. Call Celestron at (310) 328-9560 to receive the number to be displayed on the outside of

your shipping container.

All returns must be accompanied by a written statement setting forth the name, address, and

daytime telephone number of the owner, together with a brief description of any claimed defects.

Parts or product for which replacement is made shall become the property of Celestron.

The customer shall be responsible for all costs of transportation and insurance, both to and from

the factory of Celestron, and shall be required to prepay such costs.

Celestron shall use reasonable efforts to repair or replace any telescope covered by this warranty

within thirty days of receipt. In the event repair or replacement shall require more than thirty

days, Celestron shall notify the customer accordingly. Celestron reserves the right to replace any

product which has been discontinued from its product line with a new product of comparable

value and function.

This warranty shall be void and of no force of effect in the event a covered product has been

modified in design or function, or subjected to abuse, misuse, mishandling or unauthorized

repair. Further, product malfunction or deterioration due to normal wear is not covered by this

warranty.

CELESTRON DISCLAIMS ANY WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, WHETHER OF

MERCHANTABILITY OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR USE, EXCEPT AS EXPRESSLY

SET FORTH HEREIN. THE SOLE OBLIGATION OF CELESTRON UNDER THIS LIMITED

WARRANTY SHALL BE TO REPAIR OR REPLACE THE COVERED PRODUCT, IN

ACCORDANCE WITH THE TERMS SET FORTH HEREIN. CELESTRON EXPRESSLY

DISCLAIMS ANY LOST PROFITS, GENERAL, SPECIAL, INDIRECT OR

CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES WHICH MAY RESULT FROM BREACH OF ANY

WARRANTY, OR ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE ANY

CELESTRON PRODUCT. ANY WARRANTIES WHICH ARE IMPLIED AND WHICH

CANNOT BE DISCLAIMED SHALL BE LIMITED IN DURATION TO A TERM OF TWO

YEARS FROM THE DATE OF ORIGINAL RETAIL PURCHASE.

Some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages or

limitation on how long an implied warranty lasts, so the above limitations and exclusions may

not apply to you.

This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may also have other rights which vary

from state to state.

Celestron reserves the right to modify or discontinue, without prior notice to you, any model or

style telescope.

If warranty problems arise, or if you need assistance in using your telescope contact:

Celestron

Customer Service Department

2835 Columbia Street

Torrance, CA 90503

Tel. (310) 328-9560

Fax. (310) 212-5835

Monday-Friday 8AM-4PM PST

NOTE: This warranty is valid to U.S.A. and Canadian customers who have purchased this

product from an authorized Celestron dealer in the U.S.A. or Canada. Warranty outside

the U.S.A. and Canada is valid only to customers who purchased from a Celestron's

International Distributor or Authorized Celestron Dealer in the specific country. Please

contact them for any warranty service.

Customer Reviews

Most helpful customer reviews

114 of 116 people found the following review helpful.

Great Scope

By Maritime Research

I got my Celestron 130 SLT last month and am extremely happy with it. For the price, it's a great

scope and the goto software was pretty easy to get the hang of. The sky mapping software that

comes with the scope is also a great help and easy to use. A few caveats: Buy the AC power

cord....otherwise you'll need new batteries every night. You'll need to reset the date/time on the

goto computer every night.....it doesn't remember date/time between uses. It takes a few tries to

get proficient with the three star align....it works pretty well, but you need to make sure you've

setup your location and the date/time correctly. This scope isn't weighted and is very light. This

causes it to shake a LOT when you touch it (i.e. when you're focusing). It takes a few seconds for

it to stabilize after any adjustment. Some people weight the tripod tray to add stability. The

focuser could have a finer adjustment. It takes a very steady hand to get optimal focus. The scope

doesn't come with a Barlow lens, which is a necessity for this scope. You'll want to get one right

away. The scope does have a 2" eyepiece adapter, which is unusual and a really nice feature on a

starter scope such as this. It's worth buying a 2" eyepiece for wide views. I didn't find the

NexStar PC driver software very useful (after buying the $15 cable to use it). Instead, I

downloaded a trial version of the pricey NexRemote software, which allowed me to operate the

scope from my laptop much more easily. These caveats are all very minor, as this is a solid scope

with better optics and software than the alternatives. In short, the scope was way better than

cheap toy scopes I'd used and all reviews I read said it had great optics for the price with very

few problems/annoyances. I got a great view of Jupiter and its moons the first night I used it.

After I got the hang of it, I started checking out Messier Objects, including the brighter galaxies

and nebulae, which are easily recognizable with this scope. I'm extremely pleased with it and I'm

very glad I got this scope instead of comparable competing scopes, which all seem to have

serious issues per the various reviews I've read.

65 of 70 people found the following review helpful.

This scope needs maintenance.

By Tom H.

I received this telescope about a month ago. It is easy to use and works well. The 2 lenses that

come with the scope allow you to begin checking things out in the sky, but there are a few more

things needed. 1- A filter kit (at least one filter for the moon. It's too bright to look at without

one). 2- 2X Barlow Lens. This will double the magnification of the lenses you have.

Also, this scope needs maintenance. The mirrors must be perfectly collimated (lined-up) on an

F5 scope. (The lower the focal ratio, the more precise the collimation must be, and F5 is low.)

My scope needed collimating right out of the box. The scope does not have to be shaken hard to

knock the mirrors off of angle or alignment. This requires tools and some mechanical ability. Get

info online or visit local stores that sell reflector scopes. I paid $200 for my set of collimating

tools (Sight Tube, Cheshire and Autocollimator). For this scope to work properly, this

maintenance must be done regularly.

PS- This scope is a Newtonian Reflector type.

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful.

Great optics. Here's what to do if you get the "BOOT LOADER Invalid Pkg: 0080"

error.

By David C. Filmer

OK, here is the Bible according to Celestron SLT scopes.

When the scope is working, it's fantastic (see below if you have a non-working scope with a boot

loader failure). The Newtonian design is comfortable to look through - the eyepiece is at the

front of the scope, and it is positioned around eye-level when standing. Newtonian optics are also

simple, which keeps the cost down (and minimizes light lost to lens absorption).

The optic properties of this scope are outstanding. The 650mm focal length and 150mm (about 5-

1/8") aperture are great specs, especially when paired with the highly-recommended Celestron

accessory kit (Celestron Model 94303, available on Amazon). The scope comes with a 9mm and

25mm eyepiece, for magnifications of 72 and 26 power (magnification is focal length divided by

eyepiece length, so magnification increases as focal length increases, and decreases as eyepiece

length increases). The big 130mm aperture of this scope gives the scope a maximum useful

magnification of about 307 power, using the rule of thumb that you can magnify 60 times for

each inch of aperture.

At a focal ratio of f5, this is a fairly "fast" scope, meaning it lets in a lot of light for it's focal

length. The f-number is the focal length divided by the aperture size, and the lower the f-number,

the faster the scope. Faster is (generally) better. F-numbers will be familiar to photographers, and

telescopic "lenses" operate on the exact same concept as fast photographic lenses. In

photography, a lens is "fast" because it allows a shorter shutter speed (because it lets in more

light), meaning you can capture faster motion that would be blurry with a longer exposure (as

would be required by a "slower" lens).

The auto-orientation works like magic, but it's better to give it very precise time and location.

Use a GPS for location; don't just tell it what city you are in (you can choose your location input

method). For some reason, the controller can remember your last location and the time zone of

your previous observation, but the controller does not keep time when it is switched off, so you

must enter the (exact) time again whenever you switch the power off and back on (C'mon,

Celestron - seriously?)

You can orient the scope by pointing the scope at ANY three bright objects (you do not need to

know what they are) or two objects if you know what they are (but this is said to be less precise).

The scope must be level (it has a built-in level bubble). Although this scope is not really

classified as a "beginner's scope," it is great for beginners - you don't need to know anything to

begin viewing amazing things, and a beginner will not "outgrow" this scope anytime soon. The

only comparable computerized Newtonian scope that I could find in this price range is the Orion

StarBlast 6i IntelliScope, but it is available only with a table-top mount (???). If that Orion scope

(750mm focal length, 6-inch aperture) was available with a sturdy tripod mount in this price

range then I would be writing this review for that scope, because I would have bought that scope

instead, without a doubt. Orion lost my business because they expected me to have a study

TABLE available at each observation site.

The optional Celestron accessory kit includes (among other things) 6mm, 8mm, 13mm, 17mm,

and 32mm eyepieces and a Barlow 2X adapter. With a 6mm eyepiece and a Barlow 2X adapter

(which effectively doubles the magnification of the eyepiece, making it a 3mm focal length), the

scope can achieve a magnification of 216 power (pretty respectable). You could purchase shorter

eyepieces or a 3X Barlow to push the magnification near the 307 power limit, but I don't think

you will find yourself wanting to do so - you will be amazed at what you can clearly see (the

bands of Jupiter and its Galelian moons, the rings of Saturn, etc). Note that the 307-power limit

cannot be exceeded with eyepieces or Barlow lenses - the image will be pretty much worthless if

you try to exceed this limit, which is a function of how much light the scope can gather (which is

determined by the aperture size). As you approach this limit, the image quality decreases, so you

will probably find images much more satisfying at low-to-mid-200 power than you would at

theoretical maximum 300+ power.

The gray moon filter in the accessory kit is especially useful for bright objects (such as the moon,

of course, but also Venus and Jupiter).

The longer eyepieces are needed for viewing large objects such as various asterisms, galaxies,

and nebula. Some of these objects span 2 or 3 degrees of sky (or more) - which is really big (the

sun and moon are 0.5 degrees.) Some objects can only be fully viewed at very low magnification

(such as afforded by binoculars), so don't make the mistake of assuming that high magnification

is always better. If you attend a star party, expect to find binoculars (usually mounted on a

tripod) in use. The Pleiades star cluster, for example, is best observed at lower magnification.

The eyepieces that come with the scope (and the accessory kit) are 1.25" diameter, but the scope

can also accept large, very nice (and expensive) 2" eyepieces - just remove the 1.25" adapter

which comes with the scope.

The tripod mount is good, but will wiggle a bit in the breeze, especially at higher magnifications.

It helps to add some weight - the tripod has a small shelf which lends itself to this purpose. A

couple bags of rice or beans will do, but I bought a 20-lb theatrical-grade sandbag (double

zippers keep sand out of my optics, and sand doesn't attract bugs or rodents). Put that weight on

your tripod and don't touch the scope while viewing (take your hand OFF of the focus knob) and

you should have a steady view, even in breezy conditions. Stiff winds may require additional

measures, such as springs attached to the legs and anchored to stakes in the ground.

I was told by someone at a Star Party that this mount is not well suited for long-exposure deep-

field photography. As it tracks objects across the sky, the mount makes slow adjustments, but it

does not adjust azimuth (side-to-side) and altitude (up-and-down) at the same time, but in

succession, in a stair-step pattern. The eye won't notice, but a long-exposure photo will see

blurring. Alas. But I have not verified this info. In any event, it should work fine for short-

exposure shots, like the moon (you will need a camera adapter, of course).

The motorized mount goes through batteries pretty fast, especially if it is tracking something all

the time. The default power source of eight (standard alkaline) AA batteries will probably last a

night, but I would not push it to two nights if I had been tracking the whole night before. You

can hook it up to a car battery and it will run forever. I use a wheelchair gel battery - they are

smaller and lighter than car batteries, and will take the deep-cycle use (charge and deplete,

charge and deplete). Buy a trickle charger and use it when the battery is not being used, to keep

the battery fresh and extend its life. Or you can get the Celestron Power Tank. You can use an

AC adapter if you have access to AC - any adapter that puts out 12 volts DC at 2.5 amps or more

with a 2.5mm barrel plug (negative on outside, which is standard) will work just fine (you can

have all the extra amps you want - it won't hurt anything). There are scads of suitable adapters on

Amazon that are a whole lot cheaper than the one Celestron sells.

This is a Newtonian scope, and Netownians are subject to collimation errors, meaning that the

two mirrors are not precisely aligned. I recommend the Celestron Collimation Eyepiece

(Celestron Model 94182, available on Amazon). This will allow you to quickly and easily (and

accurately) calibrate your scope for an absolutely perfect image. Some people do this each time

they transport their scope, because any sort of vibration can cause the mirrors to drift (though it

seems to be a rather minor problem for this scope, in my experience). The instructions that come

with the eyepiece are excellent.

Get a red flashlight. Celestron makes one that has a dimmer. Red won't mess up your night

vision nearly as badly as other wavelengths.

I rate this scope at five stars, despite the BOOT LOADER problem (solution below).

========= BOOT LOADER PROBLEM

====================================================

Within two days of getting this scope, it failed to "boot" (the mount is computerized, and it needs

to successfully "boot up," just like any computer. If it cannot boot, it is useless). When the hand

controller was turned on, it said, "reading packages" and then stopped with an error message,

"BOOT LOADER Invalid Pkg: 0080." This renders the scope dead - it cannot be moved, even

with manual arrow buttons.

Fixing the problem is a bit tricky. You need to flash the firmware in your hand controller (which

has somehow become corrupted), but it's not as simple (or as well-documented) as it should be.

First, you need to buy a serial cable to connect your computer to the controller. It's 9-pin RS-232

(female) on one end and a modular connector on the other end (it looks like a telephone plug).

The Celestron model number for this cable is 93920, and you can buy it on Amazon.

If you have a reasonably modern computer then you probably don't have a serial port. If you

have a 9-pin MALE D-connector then you have a serial port (though it may be disabled in your

system BIOS settings). Otherwise you need to buy serial capability - I recommend a USB to

Serial converter (also available on Amazon from many suppliers).

Connect the computer to the controller. Make sure you are plugging the serial cable into the base

of the handheld controller, and not into the body of the motorized mount. Both the controller and

the mount have modular serial connections (and both can be flashed), but you are flashing the

handheld controller, not the mount.

You need to download and install the Celestron Firmware Manager (CFM) from Celestron's

website (it's in Support/Downloads/Software, near the bottom of the list). It's a Java application,

so it should work on any computer platform. But it will be downloaded as a zipfile - you must

extract the contents and then run CFM.jar (on Windows, just double-click it). You can't run it

within the zipfile - it must be extracted. Make sure your scope is connected first.

THIS IS IMPORTANT: There are two types of Celestron motorized controllers. There's the

Alt/Az (which is used by this SLT mount, as well as LCM, SE 4/5/6/8, and CPC) and the

Equatorial mount (used by CGE, Advanced, and CGE*). In the CFM menu (along the top of the

CFM window), select "Hand Control" and make sure the proper type of control is selected for

your model of scope (this CST scope is Alt/Az). THIS IS THE REALLY REALLY

IMPORTANT PART - Under the mount type selection you will see three radio buttons. The first

one is selected by default, and it tells CFM to automatically detect the mount type. This is NOT

GOOD. CFM thought I had an Equatorial mount. Even if I select Alt/Az, my selection will be

overridden by the "Auto Detect" option. Select the Second option, which says "Always do what I

selected this time" and CFM will then respect your selection.

Now flash the controller in the CFM, and you should be good to go.

And if you go to a remote site or star party, it's a good idea to bring a laptop with CFM (and your

cables), just in case you need to do this again. I was 160 miles from home (beneath a rare Class-1

darksky!!!) when I had this problem. Fortunately it was only an hour before sunrise, so I didn't

miss too much.

See all 45 customer reviews...

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