Celestron AstroMaster 130 EQ-MD (Motor Drive) Telescope

The Celestron AstroMaster 130 EQ-MD combines a compact 130mm reflector with the convenience of automatic tracking once you have found the object you want to observe.

Its 130mm aperture gives you a broad range of worthwhile targets, while the relatively short 650mm focal length provides a wide field of view that is particularly enjoyable for star clusters, bright nebulae and rich areas of the Milky Way.

From New Zealand, the Carina Nebula, Southern Pleiades, Jewel Box Cluster, Omega Centauri and 47 Tucanae provide some excellent targets, while Saturn, Jupiter, Mars and the Moon give you plenty of planetary and lunar observing as well.

The telescope also has a useful daytime side. Its supplied 20mm eyepiece includes a built-in erect image corrector, giving you a correctly oriented 33x view for distant landscapes, boats, buildings and other terrestrial subjects.

At night, the included Right Ascension motor drive adds the key advantage. Once the mount is approximately polar aligned and you have found your target, the motor compensates for the Earth's rotation and keeps the telescope following the sky.

That means less time repeatedly repositioning the telescope and more time concentrating on the view. The benefit becomes especially noticeable at higher magnification, where an object otherwise moves across the eyepiece more quickly, and it is also convenient when several people are taking turns observing.

The motor drive is not GoTo and does not find objects for you. You still choose the target and point the telescope towards it; the motor's job is to keep following it once it is centred.

The telescope remains mounted on Celestron's full-height steel-tripod equatorial system, giving you precise manual controls as well as motorised Right Ascension tracking.

For someone wanting the broad-field observing capability of a compact 130mm reflector, the convenience of automatic astronomical tracking and the added versatility of daytime viewing, the AstroMaster 130 EQ-MD offers a particularly capable all-round setup.

Why Choose the Celestron AstroMaster 130 EQ-MD?

• 130mm aperture — rewarding on star clusters, bright nebulae, planets and other brighter night-sky objects.
• Motorised Right Ascension tracking — helps keep your target in the eyepiece once you have located it.
• Broad-field 650mm focal length — particularly well suited to open clusters, bright nebulae and sweeping rich Milky Way fields.
• Daytime viewing capability — supplied 20mm eyepiece gives 33x and includes an erect image corrector for correctly oriented terrestrial views.
• Useful when sharing the telescope — reduces the need to relocate astronomical targets between observers.
• Compact optical tube — substantial 130mm aperture in a relatively short telescope.
• CG-3 equatorial mount with steel tripod — provides a substantial observing platform with precise manual adjustment.
• Built-in StarPointer red-dot finder — helps you aim towards brighter objects.
• 33x and 65x magnifications included — useful powers for broad-field visual observing.
• Motor works in the Southern Hemisphere — designed to track correctly from New Zealand.
• Quick no-tool telescope setup.

What Can You See?

The AstroMaster 130 EQ-MD gives you the same broad and varied visual capability as the manual AstroMaster 130EQ.

Star clusters are particularly rewarding. The Southern Pleiades and Jewel Box Cluster reveal attractive fields of individual stars, while Omega Centauri and 47 Tucanae become impressive concentrations of starlight.

Bright nebulae add another dimension. The Carina Nebula is one of the southern sky's standout targets, while the Orion Nebula provides another rewarding object when well positioned.

Saturn's rings are clearly recognisable, while Jupiter shows its four major moons and, under good conditions, its main cloud belts. Mars appears as a reddish disc when favourably positioned, and the Moon reveals extensive crater, mountain and shadow detail.

Darker skies bring more faint stars and brighter galaxies within reach, while planets, the Moon, double stars and many clusters remain worthwhile from towns and cities.

The motor drive does not change what the 130mm optics can reveal. Its advantage is that once you have found something interesting, it can remain in view for longer while you concentrate on observing it.

Daytime Viewing with the 33x Erect-Image Eyepiece

The supplied 20mm eyepiece contains a built-in erect image corrector, giving the AstroMaster an additional role during daylight hours.

At 33x, it provides a correctly oriented terrestrial view rather than the naturally inverted or rotated view associated with an astronomical Newtonian reflector.

You can therefore use the telescope to examine distant landscapes, boats, buildings, wildlife and other faraway subjects during the day.

The motor drive is an astronomical tracking system and is not required for daytime observing. Simply use the telescope manually.

As with the standard AstroMaster 130EQ, the equatorial mount is primarily designed for astronomy rather than rapid terrestrial panning, but the erect-image eyepiece adds a genuinely useful daytime capability.

How the Motor Drive Works

You still locate objects manually with the AstroMaster 130 EQ-MD.

Once the equatorial mount has been approximately polar aligned and your target is centred, the included motor turns the Right Ascension axis at the rate needed to compensate for the apparent movement of the night sky.

The drive operates from a 9V battery, so there is no external power cable, and it can be switched for Southern Hemisphere operation.

It is not a computerised GoTo system. The motor does not know where an object is and cannot automatically move the telescope towards it.

You find the object; the motor keeps following it.

FAQ's

Does the motor drive automatically find Saturn, Jupiter or other objects?

• No. The AstroMaster 130 EQ-MD is not a GoTo telescope. You locate targets manually using the telescope and finder. Once centred and approximately polar aligned, the motor drive tracks the movement of the sky to help keep the object in view.

Can the AstroMaster 130 EQ-MD be used during the day?

• Yes. The supplied 20mm eyepiece has a built-in erect image corrector and gives a correctly oriented terrestrial view at 33x. The telescope can be used manually during the day; the astronomical motor drive is not needed.

Do I have to use the motor drive every time?

• No. The telescope can still be used manually. The motor drive is an additional convenience when you want automatic Right Ascension tracking at night.

Why is motorised tracking useful?

• Astronomical objects appear to move across the eyepiece because the Earth is rotating. This becomes more noticeable at higher magnification. Motorised tracking reduces the need for repeated manual adjustment and is particularly convenient during longer observations or when several people are sharing the telescope.

Can the AstroMaster 130 EQ-MD be used for astrophotography?

• The motor drive can be useful for simple lunar and planetary imaging because it helps keep bright targets centred. The telescope and mount are primarily designed for visual astronomy rather than demanding long-exposure deep-sky astrophotography.

• AstroMaster EQ Manual
• AstroMaster 76EQ, 114EQ and 130EQ Quick Setup Guide
• Motor Drive Manual