There are so many things that I like about this wonderful telescope, the Orion SpaceProbe 130ST. The best thing about reflector telescopes is that the eyepiece is at a convenient height for viewing. Doesn’t matter whether you want to check out a full or new moon low on the horizon, or a galaxy high overhead, a reflector gives you and easy vantage point from a standing position. As a point of difference, a refractor telescope is a bit trickier to align, especially at objects which are straight above you in the sky, where you have to get your eye (and the rest of yourself) down to a viewing position beneath the telescope and the eyepiece. But that is just a preference thing.
The SpraceProbe 130ST is an upgraded version of the Orion SpaceProbe 130 reflector, and therefore an improvement that is worthy of inclusion in this list of Best Telescopes for 2015. The 130ST has been upgraded with redesigned internal optics, and has been designed ST which stands for ‘Short Tube’. The Orion SpaceProbe 130 ST retains the brilliant 130 mm aperture and parabolic mirrors, but is more compact than the standard model. The 130ST reflector telescope now has an optical tube that measures a mere 24 inches long rather than the 33 inches on the standard 130 telescope.
The SpaceProbe 130 ST has undergone a significant internal upgrade. The 130mm aperture is made up of a primary diffraction limited parabolic mirror, which is usually limited to much larger and much more expensive reflector telescopes. Additionally, the secondary reflector mirror is mounted in a precision adjustable mount, which is tailored to reduce diffraction, loss of focus, and maximise the light path.
All of this is the technical description of the internal optical physics of the instrument, but what it actually means is that the upgraded model is much more compact and easy to set up and transport.
As the Orion SpaceProbe 130ST weighs in at between 12 and 13 kg, this telescope is easy to transport, enabling you to set up in your own backyard with no trouble, but also pack up and travel to your favorite viewing location whenever you get the urge. The big advantage with this telescope is the equatorial mount, which allows you to constantly adjust the telescope scope to follow the path of your chosen target with a simple tiny twist of the control thumb wheel. The SpaceProbe 130 ST makes it a very simple adjustment for tracking, aligning and maintaining focus on a particular object, by having a manual fine control knob.
If you find the task of manual adjustment of the telescope becomes too onerous, an optional AstroTrack electronic drive is available for automatic tracking, but this is not included with this package.
To maximise your viewing pleasure, the Orion SpaceProbe 130ST EQ reflector telescope comes with two Sirius Plossl eyepieces (25mm and 10mm), a very handy 6×30 finder scope. The package also comes with a collimation device and factory marked primary for easy optical adjustment. The Orion SpaceProbe 130ST telescope is mounted on a precision made equatorial mount with slow-motion hand controls, and the manual rack and pinion adjustable tracking unit will help you to stay in focus!
Click Here for a closer look at the Orion 09007 SpaceProbe 130ST Equatorial Reflector Telescope at Amazon
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