Earth to all astronomy enthusiasts! This great beginner telescope from Celestron is reduced by 32% on Amazon in their Prime Day deals — it's now just $239.20, which is a huge $110 saving. And if that wasn't enough, we've also found another deal that includes a motor drive for $280 when you apply a coupon at the checkout.
If you're in the market for your first telescope, the Celestron AstroMaster 130EQ would be a fantastic option — it's incredibly easy to set up and get going, and features fully coated glass optics to provide stunning views of the night sky.
We really rate Celestron as a brand, and although we haven't reviewed this particular mode, we've regularly featured Celestron's telescopes in some of our guides, including best telescopes, best budget telescopes and best beginner telescopes.
This would be a fantastic first telescope for beginners who don't want to break the bank in case they don't continue with the hobby, and it offers sharp, detailed views of Saturn’s rings, Jupiter’s moons and even some deep space objects like nebulas and star clusters. It comes with two 1.25-inch eyepieces (20mm and 10mm), StarPointer red dot finderscope and free Starry Night astronomy software — and if you opt for the second deal, you'll also get a motor drive so you can automatically slew to objects in the night sky.
Don't forget, if you want to make the most of Amazon Prime Day 2023, check out our Amazon Prime Day hub for a roundup of the best discounts and deals on telescopes, binoculars, cameras, star projectors, drones, lego and much more.
Key Specs: It's got a nice big aperture of 114mm and a focal length of 1000mm. With a magnification of 50x and 100x from the supplied eyepieces, it's ideal for spotting planets, nebulas and star clusters. It weighs 17 lbs, so it sits somewhere in the middle between super portable and 'one for the backyard'.
Consensus: An ideal first telescope for beginners, this scope will give bright, clear and detailed views of the night sky at an affordable price.
Buy if: You're a beginner and you're looking for an affordable first telescope.
Don't buy if: You're a more advanced stargazer and you want some of the high-tech aspects that come with more expensive scopes.
Alternative models: If you have big bucks to spend and want the best scope that money can buy, our favorite telescope overall is the Unistellar eQuinox 2. Or if you're on a budget, the Celestron PowerSeeker 127 EQ is also a favorite.
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