Celestron PowerSeeker 1149EQ Reflector Telescope

The Celestron PowerSeeker 1149EQ gives you enough aperture to move into a much richer range of visual astronomy while remaining a completely manual telescope.

Its 114mm reflector optics collect plenty of light for rewarding views of the brighter deep-sky objects as well as the planets. Saturn's rings are clearly recognisable, Jupiter's four major moons are easy to follow and its main atmospheric belts can become visible when conditions are good. Star clusters, double stars and bright nebulae provide an enormous variety of additional targets throughout the year.

From New Zealand, southern favourites such as Omega Centauri, 47 Tucanae and the Carina Nebula give you some particularly worthwhile objects to explore. Under darker skies, the 114mm aperture brings more faint stars and subtle deep-sky detail into view.

The supplied 20mm eyepiece adds another useful dimension. It provides 45x magnification and includes a built-in erect image corrector, producing a correctly oriented view for terrestrial observing. That means the same telescope can also be turned towards distant landscapes, boats, buildings and other daytime subjects rather than being restricted to astronomy alone.

The equatorial mount may look more technical than a simple up-and-down telescope mount, but you do not need to understand celestial coordinates before you can use it. Loosen the axis locks, move the telescope towards your target by hand, lock it in position and use the slow-motion controls for finer adjustment.

Once you become familiar with the mount, its real advantage becomes apparent. With a basic polar alignment, you can follow the movement of an astronomical object across the sky largely using one slow-motion control rather than repeatedly repositioning the telescope in two separate directions.

That gives the PowerSeeker 1149EQ room to grow with you: easy enough to start observing manually, capable enough to reveal a broad range of night-sky objects, and versatile enough to provide useful daytime viewing as well.

Why Choose the Celestron PowerSeeker 1149EQ?

• Substantial 114mm aperture — rewarding on planets, star clusters, bright nebulae, double stars and other brighter deep-sky targets.
• Excellent planetary viewing — observe Saturn's rings, Jupiter and its moons, and detailed lunar landscapes.
• Daytime viewing included — the supplied 20mm eyepiece has a built-in erect image corrector for correctly oriented terrestrial views at 45x.
• Equatorial mount without compulsory complexity — simply point the telescope manually when starting out; coordinates and setting circles are not required.
• Slow-motion controls on both axes — make precise centring and manual following easier.
• Tracking becomes easier as you learn — a basic polar alignment allows astronomical objects to be followed mainly with the Right Ascension slow-motion control.
• Quick no-tool setup — designed so you can get outside and start observing without a lengthy assembly process.
• Full-height steel tripod — provides a conventional floor-standing observing setup.
• No external power required — the telescope and mount are completely manual.

What Can You See?

The 114mm aperture gives the PowerSeeker 1149EQ a varied and genuinely rewarding range of astronomical targets.

Saturn's rings are clearly recognisable, while Jupiter shows its four bright Galilean moons and major cloud belts when atmospheric conditions cooperate. Mars becomes a distinct reddish disc when favourably positioned, and the Moon reveals extensive detail across craters, mountains, ridges and shadows.

Star clusters are especially rewarding. Southern favourites such as Omega Centauri and 47 Tucanae appear as dense concentrations of starlight, while open clusters reveal attractive groups of individual stars.

Bright nebulae add another class of target. The Carina Nebula is an excellent southern object, while the Orion Nebula provides another rewarding view when it is well placed in the sky.

Under darker conditions, more faint stars and deep-sky objects become accessible. As with visual astronomy generally, nebulae and other faint targets are subtler through an eyepiece than in long-exposure photographs, but finding and seeing their light directly is part of the appeal of a telescope with this aperture.

Daytime Viewing with a Correctly Oriented Image

Most Newtonian reflector telescopes naturally produce an image that is not conveniently oriented for terrestrial use.

The PowerSeeker 1149EQ gets around that with its supplied 20mm eyepiece, which incorporates an erect image corrector.

At 45x, it provides a correctly oriented daytime view, allowing you to use the telescope for distant scenery, boats, buildings, wildlife and other terrestrial subjects.

The equatorial mount is primarily an astronomy mount rather than a dedicated spotting-scope mount, so it is not as naturally suited to rapid sweeping around a landscape as an Alt-Azimuth system. But for observing distant stationary or slowly moving subjects, the erect-image eyepiece adds genuine day-and-night versatility.

The Equatorial Mount Made Simple

You do not need to learn celestial coordinates before using the PowerSeeker 1149EQ.

To begin observing, loosen the mount's axis locks and move the telescope manually towards your target. Once it is approximately positioned, lock the axes and use the two slow-motion control knobs to centre the object precisely.

That is enough to start enjoying the telescope.

When you are ready, learning a simple polar alignment gives the mount an additional advantage for astronomy. Because the mount is then aligned with the way the sky appears to rotate, you can follow an object mainly by turning the Right Ascension slow-motion control.

The equatorial system therefore does not have to make your first observing session complicated; it simply gives you additional control to make use of as you become more familiar with the telescope.

Supplied Eyepieces & Magnification

The supplied 20mm eyepiece provides 45x magnification and includes a built-in erect image corrector. It is a useful starting power for astronomy and is also the eyepiece to use when you want a correctly oriented terrestrial view during the day.

The supplied 4mm eyepiece provides considerably higher magnification, while the included 3x Barlow can increase the magnification of compatible eyepieces further.

Higher magnification is not always better. Atmospheric conditions, the target and image quality all determine how much magnification is useful on a particular night, so the clearest view will often come from using moderate rather than maximum power.

FAQ's

Is an equatorial mount difficult for a beginner to use?

• It does not need to be. You can initially use the telescope by moving it manually towards a target and then using the slow-motion controls for finer adjustment. You do not need to understand coordinates or use the setting circles to start observing.

Can the PowerSeeker 1149EQ be used during the day?

• Yes. The supplied 20mm eyepiece has a built-in erect image corrector and provides a correctly oriented terrestrial view at 45x. This makes the telescope useful for distant landscapes, boats, buildings and other daytime subjects as well as astronomy.

What does the 114mm aperture let me see?

• It provides enough light-gathering ability for rewarding views of Saturn, Jupiter, the Moon, star clusters, double stars and bright nebulae, with darker skies revealing a broader range of fainter objects.

Does the PowerSeeker 1149EQ automatically track objects?

• No. The supplied mount is manual. Once it is approximately polar aligned, however, the equatorial design makes following astronomical objects easier because their movement can largely be followed using the Right Ascension slow-motion control.

Does the telescope need power or batteries?

• No. The standard PowerSeeker 1149EQ telescope and mount are completely manual and require no external power supply.

The Celestron PowerSeeker 1149EQ Reflector Telescope features the following:

• 114mm aperture
• 900mm focal length
• 2x 1.25" eyepieces (4mm, and 20mm which has a built-in erect image corrector) giving a broad range of magnification 
• 5x24 finderscope
• 3x Barlow

Is this telescope suitable for beginners?  - Yes

• *2 Year limited warranty covered by Celestron*

Download PowerSeeker 114 EQ Manual