Sky-Watcher 130/650 AZ-Go2 Explorer

The Sky-Watcher 130/650 AZ-Go2 Explorer is built for someone who wants to explore widely.

Its 130mm parabolic primary mirror gathers enough light to make the night sky far more than just the Moon and planets. Star clusters fill the eyepiece, bright nebulae emerge from the surrounding sky, globular clusters become dense balls of starlight and brighter galaxies come within reach under darker conditions.

The short 650mm focal length gives the telescope a broad field of view that is particularly enjoyable for sweeping through the southern Milky Way and exploring larger deep-sky objects.

From New Zealand, there is an extraordinary sky to work with. The Carina Nebula stretches across a rich stellar landscape, the Jewel Box forms a beautiful compact cluster beside the Southern Cross, and the Southern Pleiades gives you a broad scattering of bright stars. Omega Centauri and 47 Tucanae provide two of the finest globular clusters in the entire sky.

Then turn towards the planets. Saturn's rings are clearly recognisable, Jupiter displays its four Galilean moons and principal cloud belts, and the Moon reveals craters, mountain ranges and changing shadows in impressive detail.

The supplied 25mm and 10mm eyepieces give 26x and 65x magnification, an excellent starting range for broad star fields, clusters and nebulae. Additional shorter-focal-length eyepieces can take advantage of the telescope's planetary capability when you want to move closer.

And you don't have to know where all those objects are before you begin.

Once the AZ-Go2 mount is aligned, choose a target through the SynScan app and the telescope moves towards it automatically. Tracking then keeps it in view while you observe.

For someone who wants to discover just how varied the night sky really is, the 130/650 AZ-Go2 brings together wide-field 130mm optics, genuine deep-sky capability and the convenience of a telescope that can do the finding and following for you.

Why Choose the Sky-Watcher 130/650 AZ-Go2 Explorer?

• 130mm parabolic primary mirror — capable all-round optics for star clusters, nebulae, brighter galaxies, planets and the Moon.
• Wide-field 650mm focal length — particularly enjoyable for Milky Way star fields and larger deep-sky targets.
• Explore New Zealand's southern sky — Carina, the Jewel Box, Southern Pleiades, Omega Centauri and 47 Tucanae provide outstanding targets.
• Real deep-sky capability — move beyond the planets into nebulae, globular clusters and brighter galaxies.
• Saturn and Jupiter too — see Saturn's rings, Jupiter's moons and cloud belts, and extensive lunar detail.
• Wi-Fi GoTo finding — choose what you want to see and let the motorised mount point the telescope towards it.
• Automatic tracking — keeps the selected object in view once located.
• 26x and 65x supplied — useful low and medium powers for exploring the wider night sky.
• Smartphone adapter and photo eyepieces included — experiment with simple images of suitable bright targets.
• Stainless-steel tripod — provides a solid platform for observing.
• 5-year Sky-Watcher warranty.

What Can You See?

The strength of the 130/650 is the sheer variety of objects available to you.

Open star clusters are particularly impressive. Some sit loosely across a large area of sky while others form dense, jewel-like patterns of coloured and white stars.

The Carina Nebula gives you one of the southern sky's great extended deep-sky targets, surrounded by a spectacular concentration of stars. Orion provides another bright nebula when it returns to the evening sky.

Globular clusters offer a completely different experience. Omega Centauri appears as an enormous concentration of ancient stars, while 47 Tucanae forms a bright, tightly packed cluster beside the Small Magellanic Cloud.

Under darker skies, brighter galaxies become realistic targets too. They appear as subtle shapes rather than photographic spirals, but finding another galaxy with your own eyes is an entirely different experience from looking at an image of one.

Saturn's rings provide the planetary wow, while Jupiter's four largest moons are easy to see and its main cloud belts become visible across the planet. The Moon offers an enormous amount of crater and mountain detail.

This is a telescope that encourages you to keep moving around the sky because there is always a different kind of object to find next.

Let GoTo Open Up More of the Sky

A telescope capable of showing hundreds of worthwhile objects is much more useful when you can actually find them.

Once aligned, the AZ-Go2 mount lets you choose a target through the SynScan app. The motors move the telescope towards it and then continue tracking it as the Earth turns.

That means you can spend an evening moving from a globular cluster to a nebula, then across to Saturn or Jupiter without needing to learn the position of every object first.

It is also an important distinction from smartphone-guided manual telescopes: you are not being shown where to push the telescope. The AZ-Go2 mount performs the movement itself and continues tracking afterwards.

FAQ's

Is the Sky-Watcher 130/650 AZ-Go2 good for deep-sky observing?

Yes. Its 130mm aperture and relatively short 650mm focal length make star clusters, bright nebulae and wider Milky Way fields particular strengths, while brighter galaxies are also within reach under darker skies.

Can I still see planets well?

Yes. Saturn's rings, Jupiter and its four major moons and extensive lunar detail are all rewarding targets. Additional higher-power eyepieces can extend the supplied magnification range for closer planetary observing.

Is this a good first telescope?

Yes. It offers enough aperture to show a genuinely broad range of night-sky objects, while GoTo finding and automatic tracking make it much easier to start exploring objects you may not yet know how to locate yourself.

Does GoTo actually move the telescope?

Yes. Once the mount is aligned, choose an object through the SynScan app and the motors move the telescope towards it. The system then tracks the object while you observe.

Can I take photographs through it?

The current NZ package includes a smartphone adapter and photo eyepieces, allowing you to experiment with simple smartphone images of suitable bright targets such as the Moon. The telescope is primarily designed for visual observing rather than dedicated long-exposure astrophotography.

Does the telescope require power?

Yes. The AZ-Go2 mount can be powered by a compatible 12V DC power supply or AA batteries. Neither is supplied.

Sky-Watcher technologies included: - Click here for more details

Warranty - 5 Year Limited Warranty

AZ-Go2 Mount Features

• Wi-Fi GOTO (Optional SynScan Hand Controller sold separately)
• DC12V Voltage
• 1.3kg Mount Weight
• DC Motor

• 130/650mm Newtonian
• AZ-Go2 Mount
• Smartphone Adapter for use with Photo eyepieces
• 10 and 25mm Photo Eyepieces – 1.25″ Barrel
• Red Dot Finderscope
• Power Requirement: 12v DC Power Supply (Tip Positive, not supplied) or AA Batteries (not supplied)
• Stainless Steel Tripod with Accessory Tray