Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I’m probably going to sound like an idiot for saying this, but the only reason I got a telescope was to look at the moon. My three-year-old daughter was really into finding the moon – she has this weird ability to spot it in the sky immediately whenever it’s visible. I thought: wouldn’t it be cool to get a telescope and show her what it looks like up close? I basically shopped for a telescope on Amazon the way I shop for everything: by average customer review. This telescope came up first, the price sounded reasonable, so I was sold. I’m not known for my foul mouth, but the first time I took it out and saw the detail of the moon, the profanities just spilled out. I couldn’t believe how beautiful it was. I had looked through telescopes as a kid, but I had never seen through one that offered such crisp and detailed views. But other than looking at stars (and you can really see a TON more than with the naked eye – it’s amazing), I initially didn’t know what else to do with it or how to find objects in the sky or even how to use the mount (tip: visit Orion’s website; Ken will show you). Seven months later, I was reading something an astronomy professor wrote in which he mentioned seeing the rings of Saturn through a telescope when he was a kid– I don’t know why, but I had assumed my reasonably priced device was not capable of seeing detail that far away. After reading that, I took the telescope out again, found Saturn and the profanities just flowed like a waterfall once again. Not only could I clearly see the rings of Saturn, but I could see upwards of six moons depending on how clear and haze-less the night was. Well, that got me hooked. For a while, I had trouble finding other objects, but after some trial and error, downloading a better sky map on my cell phone and figuring out how to use the equatorial mount properly, I was able to find the Andromeda galaxy. It’s just mind boggling to be looking at a galaxy some 2.5 million light years away – you’re literally looking at the past. I can’t wait until Jupiter and Mars are visible in the night sky. What I thought would offer some cool views of the moon for me and my daughter has become my new obsession. See, Orion knows what it’s doing here: I just bought an eyepiece that costs half of what this telescope does and it’s just the beginning. I plan to get at least four more eyepieces in the coming months, a Barlow lens, a polarizing moon filter, a sun filter, a hydrogen alpha filter, an accessory case and I even opened a “vacation” savings account with my bank for a larger telescope. I’m now wondering whether it’s too early to think about an astrophotography camera. Who am I going to go to for all these accessories and my next telescope? That’s right: the company that can give me this caliber of a telescope for such a reasonable price. And note: that larger telescope I have in mind will by no means make this one obsolete. The SpaceProbe 130ST is comparatively portable and lightweight (around 25 lbs. assembled). If I ever manage to save up enough for a four foot-long “light bucket”, I’ll get clearer and brighter views of dim deep space objects like faint nebulae and galaxies, but for brighter objects like planets, this will likely stay my telescope of choice due to its size and portability. I keep it in my basement and take it out almost every clear night. I can’t see that happening with an 80-115 lb. scope.