ActiveOutdoorsOutdoor TechSky-Watcher Explorer 130 EQ2: a clever equatorial mount makes this a standout telescope for amateur astronomers looking for something more advancedArmed with plenty of aperture and an equatorial mount, the Sky-Watcher Explorer 130 EQ2 is a good step-up telescope for general observingWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.(Image credit: Jamie Carter)T3 VerdictA virtually unique proposition at its price-point, the Sky-Watcher Explorer 130 EQ2’s clever polar-aligned equatorial mount makes it easier to follow planets and deep-sky objects as they move through the night sky.Reasons to buy+Good value equatorial mount+Freedom of movement+Good optical quality+High magnificationsReasons to avoid-Tricky to move-Lacks precision-Steep learning curve-Not motorisedWhy you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
ActiveOutdoorsOutdoor TechSky-Watcher Explorer 130 EQ2: a clever equatorial mount makes this a standout telescope for amateur astronomers looking for something more advancedArmed with plenty of aperture and an equatorial mount, the Sky-Watcher Explorer 130 EQ2 is a good step-up telescope for general observingWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.(Image credit: Jamie Carter)T3 VerdictA virtually unique proposition at its price-point, the Sky-Watcher Explorer 130 EQ2’s clever polar-aligned equatorial mount makes it easier to follow planets and deep-sky objects as they move through the night sky.Reasons to buy+Good value equatorial mount+Freedom of movement+Good optical quality+High magnificationsReasons to avoid-Tricky to move-Lacks precision-Steep learning curve-Not motorisedWhy you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
Armed with plenty of aperture and an equatorial mount, the Sky-Watcher Explorer 130 EQ2 is a good step-up telescope for general observing
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Jamie Carter)T3 VerdictA virtually unique proposition at its price-point, the Sky-Watcher Explorer 130 EQ2’s clever polar-aligned equatorial mount makes it easier to follow planets and deep-sky objects as they move through the night sky.Reasons to buy+Good value equatorial mount+Freedom of movement+Good optical quality+High magnificationsReasons to avoid-Tricky to move-Lacks precision-Steep learning curve-Not motorised
(Image credit: Jamie Carter)
(Image credit: Jamie Carter)
T3 VerdictA virtually unique proposition at its price-point, the Sky-Watcher Explorer 130 EQ2’s clever polar-aligned equatorial mount makes it easier to follow planets and deep-sky objects as they move through the night sky.Reasons to buy+Good value equatorial mount+Freedom of movement+Good optical quality+High magnificationsReasons to avoid-Tricky to move-Lacks precision-Steep learning curve-Not motorised
T3 VerdictA virtually unique proposition at its price-point, the Sky-Watcher Explorer 130 EQ2’s clever polar-aligned equatorial mount makes it easier to follow planets and deep-sky objects as they move through the night sky.
T3 Verdict
A virtually unique proposition at its price-point, the Sky-Watcher Explorer 130 EQ2’s clever polar-aligned equatorial mount makes it easier to follow planets and deep-sky objects as they move through the night sky.
Reasons to buy+Good value equatorial mount+Freedom of movement+Good optical quality+High magnificationsReasons to avoid-Tricky to move-Lacks precision-Steep learning curve-Not motorised
Reasons to buy+Good value equatorial mount+Freedom of movement+Good optical quality+High magnifications
Good value equatorial mount
Freedom of movement
Good optical quality
High magnifications
Reasons to avoid-Tricky to move-Lacks precision-Steep learning curve-Not motorised
Tricky to move
Lacks precision
Steep learning curve
Not motorised
Why you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
Why you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
The Sky-Watcher Explorer 130 EQ2 telescope is one of thebest beginner telescopessimply because it’s one of the most unusual. At its core it’s a Newtonian reflector telescope like many others available on the market, but the Sky-Watcher Explorer 130 EQ2 has something different in the shape of its equatorial mount (EQ). While most telescopes at this price come on a basic alt-azimuth mount that moves up and down, left and right, the Sky-Watcher Explorer 130 EQ2 moves much more fluidly thanks to having one axis aligned to Polaris, the North Star. Here’s everything you need to know about the unique and impressive Sky-Watcher Explorer 130 EQ2 – and just why its EQ mount could be worth investing in.
Today’s best Sky-Watcher Explorer-130 EQ2 Telescope deals120 Amazon customer reviews☆☆☆☆☆No price informationCheck AmazonWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Sky-Watcher Explorer-130 EQ2 Telescope deals120 Amazon customer reviews☆☆☆☆☆No price informationCheck AmazonWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Sky-Watcher Explorer-130 EQ2 Telescope deals
120 Amazon customer reviews☆☆☆☆☆
120 Amazon customer reviews☆☆☆☆☆
☆☆☆☆☆
No price informationCheck Amazon
No price informationCheck Amazon
No price informationCheck Amazon
No price informationCheck Amazon
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No price information
We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
(Image credit: Jamie Carter)
(Image credit: Jamie Carter)
Sky-Watcher Explorer 130 EQ2 review: Specifications
Sky-Watcher Explorer 130 EQ2 telescope review: price and release date
The Sky-Watcher Explorer 130 EQ2 originally went on sale in 2012 and costs $236 / £195 / AU$600. It’s of mid-range size in Sky-Watcher’s line-up of Newtonian reflector telescopes, though its EQ2 is an entry-level model in its vast range of equatorial mounts.
(Image credit: Jamie Carter)
(Image credit: Jamie Carter)
Sky-Watcher Explorer 130 EQ2 telescope review: features and what’s new
The Sky-Watcher Explorer 130 EQ2 is all about its clever equatorial mount, but there is more to it than that. It’s a Newtonian reflector with 5.1 inch/130 mm aperture, which enables it to collect just enough light to make the sky objects look bright and detailed. In the box are two eyepieces – 25mm for wide-angle views and 10mm for close-ups – as well as a 2x Barlow lens for doubling the magnification. Unlike most smaller budget telescopes that’s something the Sky-Watcher Explorer 130 EQ2 can cope with because of its 900mm tube length.
Although its reasonably long tube makes it heavier than most, it’s actually that equatorial and the counterweight it comes with that piles on the pounds. Although it’s equipped with two axes just like any telescope mount, instead of the simple left/right, up/down design of an alt-azimuth mount – the kind you get with almost all budget telescopes aimed at beginners – the Sky-Watcher Explorer 130 EQ2 has one axis that must be aligned to Polaris, the North Star. Why? Polaris sits directly above the Earth’s northern axis. So aligning it to a Polaris puts the mount’s bearings parallel to Earth’s axis, which means it can move in alignment to how the stars appear to move as Earth rotates. The end result is that it can track objects in the night sky. This is not a motorised telescope, so it won’t automatically follow objects, but a simple nudge is all that’s needed to keep an object in the telescope’s field of view.
(Image credit: Jamie Carter)
(Image credit: Jamie Carter)
Sky-Watcher Explorer 130 EQ2 telescope review: set-up and use
If you have not had experience with an equatorial mount before then setting up the Sky-Watcher Explorer 130 EQ2 will at first appear slightly counterintuitive. However, it’s worth persevering with because of the freedom and fluidity of movement that equatorial mount gives this telescope. After fall, it’s an almost unique proposition at this price point. That’s not to say that setting it up isn’t a bit of a pain. It’s partly down to the weight of both the telescope itself and the equatorial amount, as well as the tripod and the counterweight. Truly, this is not a good choice of telescope if you intend to go hunting for dark skies. Yes, it is possible to deconstruct it, with two rings around the telescope tube easily coming apart. However, setting up the mount requires getting the perfect balance, something that’s best done carefully and infrequently.
What this telescope does have in common with other telescopes in its price point is its manual design. This is not a ‘go to’ telescope in any way; you’ll need to find everything in the night sky yourself and position the telescope accordingly. It comes with a basic finderscope to help with that. What is a bit of a shame is that the Explorer 130 lacks a motor drive because telescopes using equatorial mounts are ideal for astrophotography. For example, attaching a camera to a telescope on a motorised EQ mount is a great way of taking multi-minute exposures of faint objects. The Explorer 130 even comes with fixings on those tube rings specifically for attaching a camera, though the motor drive to make that a live feature costs extra.
(Image credit: Getty)
(Image credit: Getty)
Sky-Watcher Explorer 130 EQ2 telescope review: performance
Once you’ve got the hang of its equatorial mount the Sky-Watcher Explorer 130 EQ2 is a lot of fun to use. Getting objects back into the field of view once they’ve drifted out of it is easy. However, it does lack a little accuracy. That equatorial mount is, not surprisingly at this price, not of the very best quality. In our tests we did encounter a little bit of droop. It won’t make too much difference to most observers, though we wouldn’t recommend the Sky-Watcher Explorer 130 EQ2 be used for deep sky astrophotography.
What it’s good at is being an all-round astronomical telescope. During our tests we were able not only to get high resolution views of Jupiter and its four giant moons, but we could even glimpse the pinkish bands of Jupiter’s atmosphere through the Barlow lens. Crucially, the Sky-Watcher Explorer 130 EQ2 has some versatility, with planets and craters of the Moon looking sharp while distant star clusters looked brighter than on many other beginner telescopes of a similar price.
(Image credit: Jamie Carter)
(Image credit: Jamie Carter)
Sky-Watcher Explorer 130 EQ2 telescope review: verdict
Although it’s a great choice for anyone desperate to get their hands on an equatorial mount without spending big, the Sky-Watcher Explorer 130 EQ2 does lack a little precision. Physically it’s not a particularly mobile telescope, but what the Sky-Watcher Explorer 130 EQ2 does have is good quality optics that prove versatile enough to be used for faint deep sky objects as well as solar system objects. It could also be a fantastic first step in astrophotography, though you’ll need to add a motor drive and even then be prepared to rely on wide-angle imaging due to the Explorer 130’s slight lack of accuracy.
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