Celestron - NexStar 127SLT Computerized Telescope - Compact and Portable - Maksutov-Cassegrain Optical Design - SkyAlign Technology - Computerized Hand Control - 127mm Aperture

To begin, the photos are shaky and blurry because I shot them by trying to stick my phone close to the eyepiece, they do not do this scope justice, it is fantastic! I had very limited experience with telescopes, but the 127 SLT has blown away my expectations. I have seen the Orion's Nebula, rings of Saturn, bands of Jupiter and the 4 Galilean moons clearly. Various star clusters and a couple galaxies. Once you understand the setup and the must have upgrades you'll be ready to go. Pros: The scope is easy to assemble. The red dot is perfectly fine for what it is and gets you close enough. The 5" lens is more than enough to see the usual objects (moon, Saturn, Jupiter, and other Solar System Bodies). The first time i found the Andromeda Galaxy i was a bit disappointed as it just looked like a yellowish smudge in the sky, cool nonetheless. Then I observed Orion's Nebula and couldn't believe how good this little scope does, granted the tripod leaves much to be desired (but there are cheap work arounds, I'll explain in the cons. It's portable if you buy the right case which is great to get out of the city light pollution or to take camping. The tracking and auto alignments are great. Always perform the 2 star alignment as the 3 star align fails 9 out of 10 times, but 2 star is very good. Once 2 star is aligned you can activate tracking and the scope keeps the object you're viewing within frame or very close over a period of time, and you can let the computer drive you to your next object. It's super useful on cold nights and to not have to constantly correct where you're looking. Cons: the mount/tripod is not great, but I've mitigated vibrations and instability by buying cheap anti vibration pads on Amazon $20 and by loading a sandbag with 10lb weight and placing it on the plate of the tripod and this makes it 100 times better. This will be something I upgrade eventually for my own purpose, but I have no problems now and have no need to upgrade after the pads and sandbag trick. The standard pieces you'll want to replace and buy better one's, these pieces are always cheap that come with the scope, but I still use the 32mm for initially locating the object I'm looking for. You'll want something around a 25-32mm, 15mm, and a 9mm , and a 2x Barlow, this is all you need and you will be able to push your scope to its limits and on good nights with low atmospheric interference push a little past them. Further, i cannot say much on battery longevity in the scope as I immediately bought a cheap $8 adapter and used an extension cord for power until I bought the celestron mobile power supply for when I take it on the go. Overall, i wouldn't have changed my mind, this purchase was perfect, the tube didn't need alignment, the motors haven't messed up on me and i have nothing negative to say about this purchase. Recommended: buy the power supply, it's a game changer. Also, get the anti vibration pads and some way to weigh the tripod down, this makes a world of difference. Upgrade your eye pieces, you don't need anything crazy expensive, and buy a case to store your tube, tripod, and accessories, it makes storage and moving it a breeze. There are other well written reviews, so take your time and review what you need before buying. As my first telescope as an adult I'd rate this 9/10 for price and the ease of use and accessories built into the computer of the mount. Next scope will be a 10" lens with a solid equatorial mount base as i have no place for a Dobsonian in my current living situation. Good luck and clear skies!

In my opinion, this is an excellent beginner/intermediate or advanced grab and go scope providing crisp images, ease of use and many desirable software capabilities. I recommend it. My training is in the physical sciences but not specializing in Astronomy or Astrophysics. I have always had interest in the stars from childhood and from having been a navigator in a destroyer during my naval service where I used them to navigate by. Several years ago when I retired I purchased two 1960s vintage equatorial mount 60mm refractors at garage sales and I have been using them while I did some research and reading to decide on the best next telescope to purchase. I decided on a Maksutov-Cassegrain due its reputation for crisp, clear images and on Celestron NexStar for its quality reputation and the features of its GoTo/tracking software program. The deciding factor was that it was on sale at a large discount. I did consider Meade and Orion scopes before deciding on this particular Mak. This year (2013) I took some of my tax refund dollars and purchased the Celestron NexStar 127 SLT Mak and also purchased some of what I consider to be essential accessories. The purchase price of the tube and mount are only part of the price for a complete capable system. Beyond the sock items provided in the initial package, you will need lenses, filters, adapters, etc to fully exploit the capabilities of the mount, software and optics. In other words, to see the most, coolest stuff. By the time I have purchased all of the essential accessories to do this, they will cost almost as much as the telescope itself. I have used the telescope every clear night for the last several weeks and I am very pleased. The NexStar program and alignment are easy to use and provide a better that ballpark result when going to an object. I did purchase the GPS unit, the Celestron accessory kit with additional lenses and filters, the house current and car battery power adapter chords, the USB interface cord, and the light pollution and oxygen filters. I live in the Phoenix suburb of Glendale so light pollution is a factor. The filters help. So far everything works beautifully. My only two complaints are not vital but more nuisance -that the GPS can take some time to synch -- be patient, I was not and had some self inflicted difficulties the first time I used the Mak. -the tripod can be a little wobbly. I will eventually get a heavier tripod, the GPS is what it is. I will try adding some five or ten pound weights to the tripod to see if that stabilizes it sufficiently. I am not done with accessories. Next on my list is a hard case for the tube and a canvass bag for the tripod and accessories so I can safely carry the system to the dark sky sites and star parties. I do want to try some web cam photography of solar system objects so a webcam purchase is in the future. Further down the road, I will get a digital camera adapter, a collimation lens and some higher quality viewing lenses and perhaps a dielectric diagonal. Though I want to eventually get a large GoTo Dobsonian and I always lust after a nice, large Apochromatic telescope with a solid EQ mount for astrophotography,for now I am very happy with my NexStar 127 SLT Mak. I will update as I do new things with the Mak or as I learn new things that may be of interest to buyers. May your skies be clear and dark. Iñigo de Oña Nome de plume

Ok, I looked long and hard for a telescope and I have to say this is the most bang for the buck considering limited monetary funds. One thing I suggest getting is a lense kit when you do buy this. I got the Celestron lens kit, but Orion has a kit as well and it comes with a 40mm lens, which makes for a wider field of view. I have not tried doing the three star or two star alignment. I just used the solar alignment because I am more interested about looking at the planets, the moon and the Sun in our Solar System. If you want a scope for Nebulas and to take pictures of them, don't get this scope. The aperature is 5 inches with a long focal range; however think about this. If you go from a 5 inch aperature to a 6 inch aperature, it will cost you about 200 to 300 dollars more. I think this a good beginner scope because of the "Go To" capability. You don't need to know that much about the stary sky to find Jupiter, Saturn, Mars, Venus or Mercury. Just find out where they are in the sky, point to it, use the solar alignment and the scope follows whatever you have programmed it to follow. The scope gives clear images of whatever you have pointed at. I am think about getting a 3x barlow for the scope. I used a 2x barlow on this scope with a 32mm lens and the image is great, so I wonder how a 3x barlow would be. The scope comes with a variety of different software for use on the computer. I think you can hook the telescope up to a laptop and control it from the computer with the provided software. This telescope does not come with imaging software; however I think when you buy a camera specifically for a telescope, the camera comes with the software. Also this scope comes with a "Lite" version of SkyX software. For SkyX, you can input your location and it will give a map of the sky showing where objects are in the sky compared to your location to make planets easy to locate. If you wanna control the telescope with SkyX, you have to buy an upgrade from the website. This version does not allow for control of the telescope. The only cons are that you have to buy a lot of accessories for this scope. Two cables that go together just to hook it up to a laptop,(to update the motor and hand control software). If you want to run it on AC power you gotta buy an adapter, plus if you take this out in the middle of nowhere, you need to a get a battery pack for it and a I suggest the 12v car adapter, so that way it does not draw as much power as a 120v adapter. Note: You don't have to buy Celestron's battery pack, any generic one you get at a deparment or auto store will work as long as it has the car adapter outlet. I have not tried using it on batteries. I have heard that the batteries will only last one night, so getting rechargeable batteries would be the best best over regular batteries. All in all a very good scope for the money. The focal length is long which means a more powerful scope, but the field of view is smaller. Good buy. One thing I will add. I have not tried to look at nebulas or distance stars with this telescope. I want to see the sun(must use a solar filter, do not look at the sun with this telescope or any telescope without one) and the planets. I have not used the sky align with it, just the solar system align. Basically, align the telescope with the planet you wanna see and the press align. The scope will track, but you might have to realign every 10 minutes or so. Also if you look at the moon with this telescope or any telescope, use a moon filter; otherwise you will see spots on your eyes for a while. Oh it does shake a little when it is windy out. Also when you try to focus using a powerfull eyepiece, the image shakes a lot. The viewfinder is good. May have to make minor corrections every once and a while. The control pad takes a lot to get used too. Not user friendly but works. The only thing I don't know about this scope, and it has to do with the tripod...is if I get a bigger aperature telescope, would it fit on the mount for this one. Just ordered a solar filter for this scope. If anyone is looking for the right solar filter, go for Orion 07710 5.81 filter. It fits snuggly and you don't have to use any of the foam inserts for it, because it is already foamed lined.

Where do I start? I used my 8 and 10 yr. old daughters as an excuse to get a computerized scope for the ease of use. This scope is easy. We set it up. Calibrating the finder scope is easy day or night. The red dot is super accurate. The eye relief is very comfortable. I am waiting on the wifi module and I suspect this will make everything even easier. That being said, the first night we calibrated, looked at the moon, Jupiter, Saturn, and Andromeda...and then it was bedtime. I recommend putting some form of shock absorber under the tripod. It wasn't horribly shaky but after putting little 1" rubber squares under the legs, it was perfect. If you think of a kid looking at the sky and seeing a shiny moon and sparkling dots with the naked eye, a scope puts the universe in a whole new perspective. Starting with the moon, they can see the surface in incredible detail and depth...it's not just a shiny disc anymore. Compared to the other planets, Jupiter's moon is clearly in the field of view, giving Jupiter more depth perspective. Saying goodnight to Saturn's rings, with stunning clarity, was a treat for my daughters. My 10 year old made me almost knock over the scope when she said, "Flat Earthers need this scope more than we do." In addition to the scope. I HIGHLY recommend purchasing the following: Barlow lens (this is a simple mechanism...no need to buy the $100+ versions...but don't buy the $10 one either, wide-angle lens >66° (I got a 15mm to start) this will give you the feeling of floating out in space, Moon filter for sure and the other filters are helpful to specific needs (contrast of planets' surface, nebula, dbl. stars, city lights) I bought a 7 filter set from Celestron (hoping the 7th filter if for the sun), wifi Module (you've dropped $700 so far, and extra $100 will turn this into a $1500 scope), Don't pay $60 for custom shock absorbers for the feet...make them for free...they will come in handy as the Earth vibrates, POWER chord ($10 knock off 12V will work fine...Don't use your pc chord even if it fits...they're 35/45V. I used the chord from that Brookstone neck massager everyone got for Christmas 10 years ago). Lastly, check out blogs, Astronomy Magazine for great tips. When COVID goes away, join a local club...these cats are amateurs but full of knowledge and tips. Oh and build a Dobsonian Scope in the garage with 10"+ aperture and turn this Celestron into your spotting scope.

EDIT - I've lowered the rating on this scope. Not because of the optics, but because of the mount and Celestron's laughable warranty and awful customer service. I originally bought this scope in November 2014. Within 3 weeks, the mount failed, which I describe below. Amazon's 30-day return policy was still in effect, and they were champs. Amazon sent out a second, brand new scope which I got in 2 days. They sent it out to me even before I sent back the old one. 7 months later, the mount failed again - in exactly the same way. Since Amazon's 30 days was long over, that meant I had to deal with getting the mount repaired under Celestron's 2-year warranty. Suffice it to say that Celestron's warranty isn't worth the paper it's written on. Celestron customer service lies to you at every opportunity, saying "Oh, that 30-day turnaround period in the warranty is 30 working days, even though the warranty clearly doesn't say that at all, and legally, of course, our not saying that is binding upon us," and then saying, "Oh, your mount already shipped out. Oh, I mean, your mount has been repaired and is at our shipping desk, ready to be shipped out. Oh, I mean, we haven't started working on your mount. Oh, I mean, we can't find your mount." They literally told me all of these things, and in that order,. It took over two months of emailing, telephoning, and just generally beating my head against the wall until I got my mount back with the clutches tightened. I have never encountered worse customer service. Because of that, I have lowered the rating for the scope. The optics are just as terrific as I described below. But not only two mount failures, but lying, deceitful, dishonest customer service means that the rating has gotta be lower. Oh, they returned the scope to me - after just over TWO MONTHS, not the promised 30 days. I thought about giving this just two stars, but that would imply that the optics of the scope were bad, which they're not. - END EDIT ORIGINAL REVIEW - I've had the scope for just over three weeks now, and have had it out about ten times. Or I should say, I've had "them" out, because this is my second of the same scope. The first one had to be returned because of a bad motor or handset. Let me start off by saying that the optics on this scope are absolutely superb; more on that later. Let me also say that Amazon's return policy is great; couldn't be smoother. They sent me out a second scope even before I returned the first one. I was only without a scope for three days until the new one got here. That's not the problem. The problem was the motor failure on the first scope. It happened while I was observing, with the motor engaged, right after I took an eyepiece out. As I lifted it, the eyepiece got caught by the setscrew in the diagonal, and was stuck there for a second. In that second, because the eyepiece was stuck, I lifted the back end of the scope up about 5 degrees or so. Immediately after this, the azimuth motor (left and right) developed an incredible delay - even though I had moved the scope in altitude (up and down). The delay was such that it would take 11 seconds for the telescope to move in azimuth after I pressed the button. I literally had time to be looking through the eyepiece while I was pressing the button, then time to remove my eye from the eyepiece, more time to look at the hand controller, and confirm both that I was pressing the correct button, and that the hand controller was registering the press (a little number appears in the upper right corner when you press, indicating the motor speed), and had time to return my eye to the eyepiece, all without the telescope moving at all. 11 seconds, every time I pressed, left or right. Obviously, the telescope had responded almost instantaneously before this. This is a big problem, because of two things - it becomes very difficult to move the scope, and the goto function was shot - it was not finding objects any more. This was not a function of temperature - I had had the scope out in subfreezing temperatures, and this did not happen. This also continued to happen once the telescope warmed back up inside. This was not a function of a bad power supply. I had both fresh batteries installed, and a freshly recharged 12V Lithium ion pack attached. It also wasn't a backlash problem. I went through the backlash settings and nothing changed. I've asked around, and no, it does not make logical sense that my pull in altitude would cause a problem in azimuth. But the timing still says to me that this was the cause of the motor failure. AND THAT SHOULDN'T HAPPEN. The motor should be a lot more robust than that. Like I said, now I have a new scope. I've had it out, and it's just fine. Everything is as it was. As you probably know, this is a computerized goto scope. That means that it is motorized, and there is a hand controller with a readout where you can tell the scope what you want to see by pressing some buttons. The whole procedure is very easy to learn, very easy to do, and after only a couple of observing sessions, is completely intuitive. The goto finding feature is also very accurate. Now for the optics. They are beautiful. The scope puts up great sharp images. You feel like you're orbiting the moon. I even used my 4mm Plossl on the moon and got it up to 385x and it was still plenty detailed - although the focus was soft, because that is simply too much magnification for this size scope. Star clusters are nice and sharp. I could see detail in the Orion Nebula from my rooftop in Manhattan. MANHATTAN!!! THE LIGHT POLLUTION CAPITAL OF THE WORLD! Jupiter is still too low in the sky right now, but next month when it's higher, I'll take a look and report back. EDIT 12/19/14 - I've had the scope out to look at Jupiter now that it's much higher in the sky, and it is gorgeous. The two main equatorial bands are quite distinct and show some detail. Not only that, but the other night I saw the transit of the shadow of Europa across the face of Jupiter. You have to use a lot of power to see it - the 9mm eyepiece that comes with the scope, or even higher, if you've got it - but it was there, a tiny little black dot, moving along. Wow. Just wow. Other reviews state that the eyepieces that come with it are not as good as they could be. This is true, but it is an unfair criticism and therefore irrelevant. This is the way of things with all telescopes - the supplied eyepieces are okay/fine, but not great. Any telescope you buy is going to come with just okay/fine eyepieces. You should therefore leave yourself a budget of an additional $165 for upgrades, both for additional eyepieces, and for other accessories, which I discuss below. There have been complaints about the mount not being stiff enough or robust enough to make vibrations tamp down quickly. This may be true. I haven't really had much of a problem here, but it can be dealt with by 1) tightening all the tripod screws about a quarter turn each (don't over tighten, or you could crack the plastic!), 2) tying some weight off of the bottom of the connecting rods that hold the accessory tray, and 3) putting the mount on anti-vibration pads. These simple steps will make the mount much more stable - if you even have this problem. I don't. Admittedly, this motorized scope goes through regular batteries very quickly. And you cannot use regular rechargeables on this scope, because they are rated at 1.2v, not 1.5v that regular alkalines have, and therefore provide insufficient voltage. (8 x 1.2v each = 9.6 volts, instead of 12.) You should get a rechargeable 12V battery pack instead. With all that in mind, here is a list of things you may need to buy for that $165 extra dollars. Remember, however, that you don't absolutely NEED any of these things - the scope will work just fine without any of them. These things will make the scope better. 1. A 12V Lithium ion battery pack. Amazon sells a nice one for $21.95 here: http://www.amazon.com/Portable-4500mAh-Rechargeable-Battery-Wireless/dp/B008UKKXRC/ref=pd_bia_nav_t_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=03G4P0GKEJ972N3G6P79 2. A 32mm Plossl. The scope comes with a 25mm eyepiece, which again, is just fine. However, the 25mm doesn't provide the widest possible field of view possible in the scope, and you will want that. While the Goto function can be extremely accurate, placing what you want to see right in the middle of the field of the 25mm, on some nights it's better than others, which I believe has to do with how well you have levelled the scope on the surface from which you're observing. (The scope has a spirit bubble level built into the mount to make this very easy to do.) The 32mm has a wider field than the 25mm, so that your chances of landing on target are greater with the 32. Any 32mm Plossl will do; Amazon sells a nice one for $39.95 here: http://www.amazon.com/GSO-1-25-Plossl-Eyepiece-GSP-32/dp/B006I0IWQU/ref=sr_1_9?s=photo&ie=UTF8&qid=1417061856&sr=1-9&keywords=32mm+plossl 3. A dew shield. Here in Manhattan, I have not had any dew accumulating on the front lens (called the meniscus) of this scope, probably because there isn't much grass and plant life around, and probably also because I'm observing from the roof of my apartment building. However, if you're observing from just about anywhere else, you probably will have this problem. A dew shield is a tube that extends off of the front of your scope that helps prevent this from occurring. Amazon sells one of these (which I cannot vouch for either in terms of fitting the scope or quality - you'll need to do your own homework on this) for $36.50, but you can find it cheaper elsewhere, or you can make one yourself: http://www.amazon.com/AstroZap-Flexible-Telescope-Shields-Celestron/dp/B003VPYJRG/ref=sr_1_23?s=photo&ie=UTF8&qid=1417062055&sr=1-23&keywords=dew+shield 4. You might want to upgrade from the red dot finder that comes with the scope. There are a few problems with the red dot finder that comes with the scope: 1) it doesn't magnify the image, so the accuracy in alignment is limited, 2) you can't see any more stars with it than you can see with your own eyes, and 3) they are hard on the neck/back/knees, because you have to crouch down and contort yourself behind the scope to look through it. Instead, you could get a "right-angle correct image" (RACI) finderscope. Of course, Amazon sells these; here's a good one for $67: http://www.amazon.com/Right-Finderscope-Bracket-High-Point/dp/B006GTC9Y4/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1417062318&sr=1-2&keywords=finderscope These upgrades come to $165. Like I said, however, these aren't immediately necessary to enjoy the scope. You can work up to these slowly. Take the scope out a few times, see if you really need to get these things before diving in. All in all, even with the motor problem, this is still a terrific scope because the optics of the Maksutov design are excellent. I would heartily recommend this scope to anyone who asked. If you have any questions about anything I've written, please feel free to ask me a question in the comments selection. Enjoy!

Out of the box, this 127SLT telescope goes together easily. Learning to align the mount to the stars was simple The optics are clear, and it was easy to dial in a sharp focus. I purchased the SkyPortal WiFi aux for this telescope and was connected to the mount via my smartphone and the Android version of SkyPortal. After a day of getting my berings about working this telescope, we were ready to explore. The computerized mount located and tracked objects which was always a struggle for me on older manual mounts. We were not disappointed, and this is the first telescope I've owned that allowed me to see Orion's Nebula for the first time. That's not to say my experience with this has been all I expected. The bad? The telescope comes with software Starry Night 8 SE for Windows which can not connect to the WiFi dongle. The same software developer, Simulation Curriculum, makes SkyPortal which is a version of SkySafari; these only run on iOS or Android; not Windows. As a solution, I installed BlueStacks Android emulatior and Skyportal to my Windows PC to test connectivity and was able to run the mount remotely on PC rather than running the battery on my smartphone. dry In short, Celestron / Simulation Curriculum do not offer a wireless solution for Windows PC, nor can I find any planetarium software that will. As I understand, Starry Night will connect via cable (which is not included with this telescope). Luckily, I had the right cable. Unluckily, I beat my face on a brick wall for an hour trying to get it to work with no results. Given the BlueStacks/SkyPortal conectivity on PC, this is clearly not a hardware issue. For $550+ and another $120 for the WiFi dongle, there should be much better cross-platform support. Why offer Windows software to "control your computerized mount" when that software can't connect via the WiFi dongle and wont connect via a cable? Starry Night is useless, and I wont support Simulation Curiculum without a comprehensive WiFi solution for Windows PC. Further, I agree with other reviewers that the tripod is a bit flimsy. Likewise, (and I'm noting that this may be more of a personal preference) putting it lightly, the red dot scope sucks for allignment. I have no issues with the telescope itself, but the additional features that are supposed to make this a stellar deal just don't add up. If you're a Windows PC user, be prepared to make additional concessions to get PC to Mount functionality. A better finder scope is a must, and avoid the $120 upgrade until a premium item like this offers proper cross-platform support. EDIT: While I remain satisfied with the optics, the mount is is junk. After several sessions, the mount does not align properly. On a few occasions using a 12.5mm illuminated double cross-hair reticle eyepiece, it failed to align. When it does align, it's as much as 30 minutes off target. 3 star alignment and computer tracking was supposed to make my sessions easier, but this mount has only wasted valuable time. The images I've captured were not without an unnecessary waste of time fussing with the mount to find and track an object as small as THE MOON. Seriously, it's that bad.

This is my first telescope as an adult, after having a cheaper Newtonian reflector as a kid. I never was able to really get that telescope working like I wanted, and eventually it ended up in a storage box and sold. I've been wanting to get another telescope for quite some time, and the choices were daunting. Do I buy a cost effective for aperture Dobsonian? Do I go whole hog and buy an 8" CST? What about a refactor so I don't have to worry so much about collimation? Eventually I settled on the 127SLT Maksutov-Cassegrain. It was small enough that I could transport it to and from the local astronomy club, which is a big plug for a beginner. An 8" Dob is great if your backyard is dark, not so much if you need to travel for some darker skies.The GoTo functionality is also a plus in my book, as my wife has never used a telescope, and showing her how to check out Jupiter in just a couple minutes was pretty incredible. I knew that buying this there would be some opportunity areas, and there are a couple. First, the tripod is described as wobbly, and it is. I've found much less vibrations in the grass/dirt than a hard surface. Second, I've put an 8lb. weight on the accessory table which certainly helped to dampen the vibrations. I've read other solutions to super glue joints, epoxy stuff etc. After tightening the bolts on here, I would say the vibrations are only a slight annoyance, and as long you don't manhandle the focuser or smack the eyepiece when you're viewing, they calm down quickly. 2nd is the alignment process. I read people having tons of issues with this. If I try to align using my starting point as a city, it fails. Almost every time. Whenever I punch in my GPS coordinates (compass app on iPhone by default) it aligns immediately on SkyAlign. To me, this seems a nonissue. Overall, very happy with my purchase. You'll need to add a few things to this telescope to really make it complete, but you aren't hamstrung up front by any means. 1. AC Adapter or Celestron Power Tank. This thing will eat your 8 AA batteries in no time, buy the AC adapter, or better yet the Power Tank, which is a pretty impressive piece of kit. 2. Dew shield - you will want to buy one, or craft one. Foam rubber sheets from your local hobby store work well. 3. Additional eye pieces. 4. If you're transporting it, some sort of case. HomeDepot sells an 18" Husky tool bag with a strap that works PERFECTLY. Using the two pieces of foam from the box, it fits snugly in there and doesn't slide around.

This telescope is great for moon, planets (mars,Saturn,Jupiter and deep sky objects but my go to is the Orion Nebula of course with high quality eyepiece that I bought separately