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Celestron – AstroMaster 130EQ–MD Newtonian Reflector Telescope for Beginners – Aluminized Mirror – Motor Drive to Track Stars – Adjustable Tripod – Includes Eyepieces Plus Astronomy Software Package

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Availability: In Stock.
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Arrives Wednesday, Sep 17
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Style: AstroMaster 130EQ w MD


Features

  • POWERFUL TELESCOPE FOR ASTRONOMY BEGINNERS: The AstroMaster 130EQ-MD delivers sharp optics, a stable equatorial mount, motorized tracking, and easy operation, making it the top choice for beginners ready to explore the night sky.
  • HIGH-QUALITY 130MM OPTICS: Enjoy views through the 130mm (5) Newtonian reflector, which features high-quality aluminum and SiO2 coatings and enough light-gathering ability to view all the best celestial objects.
  • SMOOTH, ACCURATE POINTING: Effortlessly aim and center your target using the two slow-motion control knobs for right ascension and declination whether youre observing planets or deep-sky objects.
  • MOTOR DRIVE FOR AUTOMATIC TRACKING: Once centered, let the included RA motor drive take over to automatically follow celestial objects as they move across the sky keeping them perfectly in view without constant manual adjustments.
  • QUICK SETUP: With just a few key parts to assemble, you can go from box to backyard in minutesno tools required. The sturdy, adjustable tripod provides stable, comfortable viewing tailored to your height, perfect for adults or kids, standing or seated.
  • INCLUDED ACCESSORIES: 20mm eyepiece with built-in erect image corrector, 10mm eyepiece, motor drive, and a StarPointer red dot finderscope. You'll also receive a FREE download of one of the top-rated astronomy software programs.
  • UNBEATABLE WARRANTY & SUPPORT: Buy with confidence from Celestron, a leading telescope brand in California since 1960. Your purchase includes a 2-Year US Warranty and unlimited support from our team of US-based experts.

Description

Discover the night sky with the Celestron AstroMaster 130EQ-MD, a powerful, beginner-friendly telescope designed for both planetary and deep-sky viewing. Its impressive 130mm (5.1") primary mirror gathers plenty of light, revealing views of Saturn’s rings, Jupiter’s moons, lunar craters, and distant galaxies like Andromeda. Aluminum and SiO₂ coatings boost brightness and contrast, delivering stunning clarity on every target. The sturdy German equatorial mount features slow-motion control knobs that let you make precise manual adjustments in right ascension and declination, perfect for smoothly centering and following objects. For even easier tracking, attach the included RA motor drive and let it automatically follow objects as they drift across the sky — no constant manual adjustments needed. Assembly is fast and frustration-free thanks to the simple design with just a few key parts; no tools are required. The adjustable full-height tripod ensures a stable base and can be customized for comfortable viewing for adults or kids, in a standing or seated position. The 130EQ-MD comes complete with essential accessories, including a 20mm eyepiece with built-in erect image corrector (providing 33x magnification), a 10mm eyepiece for higher-power 65x views, StarPointer™ red dot finderscope to help you quickly locate objects, and a free download of top-rated astronomy software Starry Night to help plan your stargazing sessions. Weighing just 17 lb (7.71 kg) fully assembled, this telescope is easy to move and set up in your backyard or at a dark-sky site. Backed by Celestron’s 2-Year Warranty and US-based technical support, the AstroMaster 130EQ-MD is the perfect choice for beginners eager to explore the wonders of the universe.

Brand: Celestron


Model Name: AstroMaster 130EQ-MD (Motor Drive) Telescope


Optical Tube Length: 21.7 Inches


Eye Piece Lens Description: 20mm and 10mm eyepiece


Objective Lens Diameter: 130 Millimeters


Telescope Mount Description: CG-3 Equatorial


Product Dimensions: 33"D x 33"W x 63"H


Focus Type: Manual Focus


Power Source: The Motor Drive is powered by one 9v alkaline battery


Finderscope: Built-on StarPointer™ red dot finderscope


Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No


Language ‏ : ‎ English


Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 33 x 33 x 63 inches; 17 Pounds


Item model number ‏ : ‎ 31051-CGL


Batteries ‏ : ‎ 1 Lithium Metal batteries required. (included)


Date First Available ‏ : ‎ February 13, 2008


Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ Celestron Acquisition LLC


Best Sellers Rank: #238 in Camera & Photo Products (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo Products) #5 in Telescope Reflectors


#5 in Telescope Reflectors:


Frequently asked questions

If you place your order now, the estimated arrival date for this product is: Wednesday, Sep 17

Yes, absolutely! You may return this product for a full refund within 30 days of receiving it.

To initiate a return, please visit our Returns Center.

View our full returns policy here.

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Top Amazon Reviews


  • Great telescope to get beginner interested in hobby
Style: AstroMaster 130EQ
So there's been a lot of discussion in the reviews about if this is a beginner telescope or not. As a person who never touched a telescope (except maybe in high school a thousand years ago) until I decided it was something I wanted to try out this year, I emphatically say YES! This is a great beginner scope. Here's the problem with most people's definition of a "beginner" anything. They want it to be rock-bottom priced, and ultra-easy to use. The problem with this mentality, is that often you go so cheap that you wind up getting a product that does not really expose you to the prospective hobby, and while trying to find something ultra-easy to use, it winds up being extremely difficult because it lacks the more expensive tools that were specifically designed to enhance the human ability when performing certain tasks.... NET RESULT: You wind up putting the hobby down out of frustration without ever really trying it out. I think the reality with getting into telescoping (is that a word?) is that you have to first decide that it is something you truly want to try, so that you don't go by a $74 telescope at W*****t (like I did) and expect to actually be introduced to this hobby. So after trying the $74 failure I got this scope due to the (mostly) good reviews, and because of the brand name. Never being in the hobby myself, I still had heard of Celestron. Many reviews showed broken parts. This wasn't the case for me. Everything was intact and assembly was relatively easy for a novice. A few reviews said this was not a beginner telescope because you had to adjust the mirrors, which apparently was a very difficult task to do. I researched this requirement ahead of time, found that for just over $20 you can buy a laser collimator that allows you to do this adjustment in just a few minutes, and decided that wasn't too much to ask to have an opportunity to enjoy this hobby. P.S. when I got the telescope, I used the laser collimator just to find out that the mirrors were perfectly aligned and I didn't need to do any adjusting. But apparently mirror adjusting is inevitable with Newtonian telescopes, so I'll just keep the laser collimator in my kit bag. Now about the beginner using this scope: 1. The red dot starfinder is a life saver! At first I thought you could just look through the starfinder, see what you wanted to look at, then see it in the telescope. NOPE! You really need that red dot to put the object into the site picture of the scope (especially on a low MM eyepiece). My only complaint might be that I couldn't perfectly adjust the red dot. When I first got the scope I focused in on a house way down the street, then tried to calibrate the red dot so that it was pefectly centered on the center of what I saw in the eyepiece... It was close, but wasn't perfect. HOWEVER. It is more than sufficient for my beginning level telescoping. With my $74 flunkee scope, I would use the cross hairs to try to align the scope to an object, yet even on a large MM eyepiece I could never find anything smaller than the moon! With this red dot starfinder, I have (easily) been able to align the telescope to both Jupiter and Saturn. 2. I may have started of with the starfinder, but the equitorial mount is probably the show winner with this thing. Not to keep referring to my $74 fail, but it is good to have a frame of reference when explaining why sometimes you have to make an investment even for entry-level equipment into a hobby. The $74 fail used a super cheap camera tripod. Problem with these tripods is they don't adjust at a fine enough level to make the small changes to put an object into the site picture. And, despite the fact that the cheap scope didn't weigh anything, it still would drift on the tripod... basically making it impossible to do anything except look at the moon. The Celestron is big and heavy, yet the EQ mount holds it masterfully in position, but the real winner is the fine tuning knobs. I didn't realize just how fast objects move in space (I mean.. I get it. The earth is spinning at 1000 mph, I just never put that together to mean objects move out of a telescope site picture QUICKLY). But with one hand on the fine tuning knob, I can follow the object for a reasonable amount of time to enjoy viewing it. NOTE: I recently bought a motor that I am suppposed to be able to connect to the knob, so that it can automatically hold the picture for me (again... spending more to get the right tools to enjoy the new hobby). Only complaint I have is that one knob seems to be able to adjust indefinitely while the other can only change maybe 20 degrees (10 in each direction) before it hits a stop. After additional study, I think this is because space objects only move in one direction, so if you properly polar align the scope, you should only need one knob to get the object where you want (left and right) and then not touch that again, then solely use the (up and down) knob to follow the object as it moves in the sky... but hey.. I'm new.. I'll learn to use this better too :-) Other than that, the only thing left is the scope. Like I said, I've looked at Jupiter, Saturn, Moon. I can't really speak to the provided eyepieces. Understanding from my research about focal length, and deciding that as a beginner it would help if I had an adjustable eyepiece (so that I can start zoomed out, find the object easier, then zoom in), so I bypassed the provided eyepiece and went straight to a x2 barrow with an 8-24mm adjustable eyepiece. So far it's been great! Saturn is still a little small, so I'm going to see if I can go even smaller on MM and higher on barrow zoom to see if I can really clearly make out the rings. ....but do you see what Celestron did? They created a (relatively) affordable telescope that grabbed my interest in the hobby and now I am full on exploring new ways (EQ mount motors, higher zoom barrow, lower MM eyepieces) that I can explore the universe above! ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on January 17, 2024 by CW5_Reviewer CW5_Reviewer

  • Beginner-Friendly, Mind-Blowing Views!
Style: AstroMaster 114EQ
The Celestron 31042 AstroMaster 114EQ is everything I hoped for and more! 😍 As someone totally new to telescopes, I was nervous about the setup—but Celestron made it incredibly easy. The instructions were clear, and I had it up and running in under 30 minutes, no tools needed! This telescope is perfect for beginners who are curious and ready to experience something new. The image clarity blew my mind—moon craters, Saturn’s rings, even some deep-sky objects became real from my own backyard. It feels like having a personal window into space. 🌌🔭 Not only does it perform beautifully, but it looks sleek and professional too. It instantly made me feel like a legit stargazer. If you’re even slightly interested in astronomy or just want to see the universe in a whole new way, this is your sign to go for it. 💫 Huge thanks to Amazon for the fast shipping and seamless experience as always. If you’re scrolling through reviews trying to decide—this is the one. 👏 ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on June 4, 2025 by TwoTampaDads TwoTampaDads

  • This was an excellent purchase. This was my second purchase ever in ...
Style: AstroMaster 130EQ
This was an excellent purchase. This was my second purchase ever in Astronomy. It has a clean look, gives crisp views and not terribly priced for a beginner scope. CON's: NOT FOR ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY! I thought I had researched allot about what I wanted in my telescope, but I was wrong. I could not in any reviews where it was stated that astrophotogaphy with this telescope was going to be possible. So, I figured I'd be the one to warn. Please don't misunderstand, this is an outstanding scope for the money. Modifications need to be done to the scope in order to bring a subject into focus. I have read everything from cutting off a portion of the tube, removing a portion of the focus tube allowing for more in-focus (please take a look through Cloudy Nights-a forum for astrophotography) and modifying the mirrors position in the telescope. It can be done, so don't be discouraged if this is the scope you absolutely want. The star finder is not a star finder either. The reviews in here which denote that piece of equipment as a pain, well, agreed. What I have learned is that the telescope mount is absolutely key. I purchased the RA motor mount that goes with this setup, and it will not help you much. In order for the image to reach the DSLR chip, you have to use a barlow lens which increases the focul length, and proportionately, the difficulty in tracking DSOs. The better the tracking and shorter the focul length, the longer you can expose for. The longer duration exposure allows for more photons to reach your DSLR chip, and finally rendering you a nice image of nebula's, galaxies, etc. The mount is pretty sturdy despite some of the reviews here, with slight modification. I only extend the legs approximately half way or less out. This decreases the number of seconds required to allow the mount to steady itself before taking photos, or even achieving focus. The RA motor allows you to increase and decrease tracking speed. I have not found a perfect setting just yet. I have only been able to capture .3 second frames, which is just enough to capture a tiny glimpse of nebula and only the brightest stars. Out of frustration, I mounted my $70 Celestron PowerSeeker 70mm refractor to the mount and was able to achieve a maximum of 6 second subs before star trails appeared. This was while I framed it in BackyardEOS, and also while i was constantly adjusting the speed to keep Orion Nebula in place. I have attached two photos, one with the Astromaster and one with the PowerSeeker. The refractor is not better quality than the Astromaster, the mount is just better able to keep the lighter refractor on point just a fraction longer. When I had done my research, I could not find any photos from this setup, so I will attach one from the PowerSeeker. I was unable to render a useable photo utilizing the Astromaster 130. I intend on purchasing the Celestron AVX mount with the Astromaster 130. It is a much more accurate mount. Visually. this is an awesome scope. Jupiter, moon, viewing Orion Nebula, it's wonderful. Conclusion, this is a wonderful scope and mount for viewing the heavens, not for astrophotography. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on March 20, 2017 by Amazon Customer Amazon Customer

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