PlanetGazer

So what is this plate solving? and what does astrometry do?

Is not possible to rotate the tube about its main axis when an eyepiece is an odd position?

Could be If that was the case, earth would be far away from the Sun then Saturn?

Wonder why no other objects are visible in the images?

I found another image from Cassini Spacecraft

I was considering to buy this early on. by the way I'm in a similar stage as you are, looking for an intermediate telescope. I have to say the Celestron Astromaster 130 EQ MD has got good advertising. I've read lots of reviews and some people did not like the mount, and others found parts of the product to be faulty. This is why I tried to avoid it. At the moment, I'm looking at the Sky-watcher explorer 130 or 130M if you want few extras .The 130 has got a larger focal length giving a focal ratio of 7, which is supposed to be good for planet observation The 130 is in the same price range and looks fine to me, reviews are good as well. http://www.firstlightoptics.com/reflectors/skywatcher-explorer-130m.html If you want really good view of plants, you may want to increase your budget. Others have suggested to me get the Skywatcher skyliner 200p Dob http://www.firstlightoptics.com/dobsonians/skywatcher-skyliner-200p-dobsonian.html , but size was the issue for me, it may suite you. I'm sure you will get better help from the experienced members.

I'm a beginner but I have used this scope personally... First thing you should consider is how serious are you to get into astronomy? that will decide whether to start with such a scope or invest into more better one. The mount on this scope is really terrible, don't bother using it. I bought a normal tripod to use it with this scope. You get what you pay for. check reviews of the product in this page http://www.amazon.co.uk/product-reviews/B001TI9Y2M/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1 As for the scope, it's good for the price. Can be used for fun and to teach the kids.

wait a minuate? why does my mind tell me that the picture on the left looks fake?! has it been edited from orginal? hahahaha

Gotcha. So I guess the there is no point of an Equatorial mount, except for the tracking. Unless you get a really good EQ mount.

Thanks for the honest feedback! I think the 130p is a bit different than the 130M , the later has 900mm focal length (f/7). I've been thinking of getting the 150PL which includes the EQ3-2, I'm not sure if it will be a great difference between the two mounts, but scope will be better ofc. 200P is expensive for a starter, skyliner 200p is cheaper but size is problem. Thanks for the advice every one.

Sorry you have to go easy on me as I'm a beginner. How do you exactly use the RA and DEC coordinates without the circles?

Thank you for the reply. I'm considering the Skywatcher explorer 130M . What telescope did you get with the EQ2? and how do you mange to find objects in the sky without the circles?

Nice find! Wonder if there are other images for earth from other positions?

Hello everyone I would like to get some feedback from those who have used the Skywatcher EQ2 mount. I know it's not the best in the market, but I'm considering a economical starter telescope and the EQ2 mount is part of it. In terms of stability, I've heard it's good enough. But I'm worried about the accuracy of the setting circles. Any help would be appreciated

Really looks nice and...tempting... I wish it was more suitable for me. I think the 130M will be more suitable for me at this point.

Typed this in hurry, sorry. I was trying to ask, What's the worse that can happen? few pumps will affect the telescope? Will it affect collimation only? because I'm considering to ship a telescope overseas.

If are you worried about the collimation only?

Great image this is.What did you use to mount the Camera on?

According to supplier for 130M Highest Practical Power (Potential): x260

What do you guys think of this telescope? http://www.firstligh...-telescope.html I laughed when I saw this under the clearance section XD There is no price tag on it

Good evening I'm actually interested in imaging but won't consider getting straight into it now. You make good points about the DOBs. I'm not the best when it comes to smoothly rotate an object, that is why I'm looking for a scope with slow mo rods. I'm not sure how would I be able to mange a DOB. I'm not considering any go to , but I may get a motor to keep up with an object. and yes the weight is a problem, im taking this back home so I will consider a lighter telescope. Back home there are few dealers and most of them sell advanced telescopes only. That is why I'm considering to get a light quality starter telescope from UK. Thank you for the informative reply. I'm sure that few years down the line I would have to upgrade to an advanced one. but for now I think I'm either going for: -Skywatcher Explorer 130M (EQ-2) f/6.9 (with motor , red dot finder and slow mo) or -Skywatcher Explorer 150PL EQ3-2 f/8 (with camera adapter and 6*30 finder scope) I have searched a lot and both received very good feedback. the 150PL is a clear winner on paper when it comes to specs. but with 130M accessories and price (difference of £100) it is really tempty. I like the 130M more at the moment, but will visit a store first to finalise my decision. Would be nice if I get feed back from people who tried any of these two. Thanks for all who recommended and helped me. I know a lot of votes were for the 200P, which is a great telescope, but I don't think it's for me. I hope this topic help others who are in the same position I'm at the moment. I leave you with 2 videos for the 130M and 150PL, not the best but good enough for a beginner like me - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUlI3CjGbug -

Already have one infact I got two, Redshift and Star Chart. the last one is free on Apple store . This will be helpful, but I'm interested in learning the traditional way as well

Thanks for the replies. Well I currently live in London, and I'm not going to use the scope here. I'm planing to buy a telescope from UK before finishing my studies and take it back home. I regularly go camping and will definitely take the telescope with me to enjoy the night-time. Some have pointed out that I should visit local stargazer groups or even the shop to test the kit, and that's what I'm planing to do.

I never used equatorial mounts before nor a Newtonian telescope, I was afraid that I might face such a problem, but though they're very popular and such a problem will be overcome. Is there a solution for this? because that means that I need to reconsider the Newtonian telescope type since all Newtonian s that I've seen come with equatorial mounts.

I'm surprised of the amount of replies within the short time! Thank you guys I came across the Skywatcher Skyliner 200P Dobsonian, but what put me off is its size and portability, but I can be wrong since I only judged by a picture. I was thinking of a telescope that I can take with me in car without taking too much boot space and can be re-built quickly on site. From what I understood that such telescopes are more permanent once built.. The price and specs are really tempting, but the ease of define buildability and portability made me shy away from it...it's too big for a beginner like me