If you are looking for the #1 reflector telescope for beginner to intermediate astronomers, you can’t get any better than the Celestron PowerSeeker 127 EQ telescope. This PowerSeeker model from Celestron is also a good telescope for children (and makes an excellent gift).
Also labeled as Cele-21049 or Ces1071, the Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ telescope is a beautiful optical instrument, designed by one of the most appreciated manufacturers on the market. In our Celestron PowerSeeker 127 EQ telescope review here, you will learn everything that there is to know about its top features, what makes it stand out, what may need improvement, and how to use it.
What’s So Special about the Celestron PowerSeeker 127 EQ Telescope?
The Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ reflector telescope is part of Celestron’s popular PowerSeeker series, which was specially designed for aspiring astronomers, and is the most high-quality model out of all of them. What’s more, the premium quality you’ll get to enjoy with the Celestron PowerSeeker 127 telescope comes at a very affordable price! This scope represents the perfect combination of quality, price, and magnifying power.
A rather portable telescope, the Celestron PowerSeeker 127 EQ fits any type of car trunk, not to mention that you will have enough space to add even some extra luggage for camping or a picnic. Designed to give all beginners an affordable and powerful equipment, this telescope will exceed all your expectations (it did exceed ours).
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This Newtonian reflector has a 127mm (5 inches) aperture and a 1000mm focal length. You may call it a crossing telescope, as it makes a perfect passage from the first level of astronomy to the mid-intermediate level. Also, this model is the perfect gift for someone passionate about astronomy who has never had the chance to buy something more powerful than a pair of binoculars.
From a technical point of view, this PowerSeeker has all coated optical glass components to bring clarity and brightness to your images. The Celestron PowerSeeker 127 EQ includes 2 eyepieces of 20mm (0.79 in – 50x magnification), and a 4mm one (0.16 in – 250x magnification), plus a 3x Barlow lens. This gives it a viewing power hundreds of times greater than that of any pair of binoculars!
Ample optical performance and portability, these are the keywords for this telescope. Changing from binoculars or simple industrial-made telescopes to a tool that is both powerful and portable is definitely a step to the next level.
Product Information
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| Dimensions | Weight | Batteries | Aperture | Focal Length | Software |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33 x 17 x 11 inches | 17 lb | – | 127mm | 1000mm | TheSkyX – First Light Edition |
Pros & Cons to Using the Celestron PowerSeeker 127 EQ
Pros.
- Optic quality – By getting the Celestron 127EQ PowerSeeker Telescope, you are investing in a top quality optical instrument that offers an exceptional viewing experience.
- Aperture size – The Celestron 127EQ PowerSeeker Telescope has the largest aperture of all the PowerSeeker scopes.
- Magnification – The fact that this scope comes with a 3x Barlow lens is yet another awesome advantage. The magnification of both eyepieces included will be tripled for beautiful images.
- Accessories – You get plenty of accessories when you purchase the Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ telescope. From the 3x Barlow lens to the two eyepieces, tripod, and accessory tray, you will have everything you need to start using the scope once you receive it. The astronomy software you get is especially helpful for beginners who want to get familiar with the celestial objects they can view with this scope.
- Easy assembly – You don’t need any tools to mount the Celestron 127EQ PowerSeeker telescope, as opposed to many other scopes. The assembly is extremely easy and can be performed in a few minutes. Celestron has a great video on how to set up your scope, which will come in handy.
- Portable – The Celestron 127EQ PowerSeeker telescope can easily be carried around when traveling for observation. It’s not large nor heavy, so it won’t weigh you down.
- Affordable price – This scope comes with one of the most remarkable price-quality ratios on the market. It is one of the best affordable telescopes.
- HQ Optics – Its multi-coated optics lead to wonderfully vivid images of your targets.
- Warranty – You get a 2-year warranty when buying the Celestron 127EQ PowerSeeker telescope from Amazon.
- Beginner-friendly – It is widely regarded as a delightful entry-level telescope, perfect for beginners.
- Best-seller – The Celestron 127EQ PowerSeeker telescope is one of the best-selling reflecting telescope on Amazon. Enough said!
Cons.
- The telescope will require more care – Again, we are dealing with a Newtonian Reflector telescope, so the primary mirror will be exposed to air and dust. This scope is quite fragile, so you should take great care of it.
- You will need to upgrade the eyepieces – We’re not talking about an immediate update, but, in time, you will need to add some eyepieces to your telescope.
- The 3x Barlow and the 4mm (250x) eyepiece – You will probably never use them. After all, the highest useful magnification is 300x, but at least you have them.
- Slow motion controls – Some customers report the slow motion controls being finicky, in that you can feel the scope vibrating with each turn, which can cause the image to distort.
- Unstable locking screws – According to some people, the locking screws for the Dec and RA controls are quite unstable, which means you have to be extra careful for the scope not to slip.
- Comes with a learning curve – As expected, due to the fact that this scope is suitable for experienced users as well, there is a learning curve to it. If you are a beginner user, you will have to take your time learning how to use this telescope, although it is not impossible.
- Wobbly tripod – Some reviewers mentioned the tripod seems to be made of cheap plastic, which causes it to wobble. This can be frustrating when you have to keep the telescope completely still.
- Heavy counterweight – A customer noticed this telescope has a heavy counterweight, which messed with the knob you use to adjust the different angles. The counterweight might move the knob back to the initial position without you realizing.
- Unclear directions – The directions you need to follow to assemble the telescope seems to be a bit unclear, but this is not a major issue, according to most users who have managed to put it together relatively easy.
How Much Does the Celestron PowerSeeker 127 EQ Telescope Cost?
You will find this telescope somewhere in between $100 and $200 on Amazon. Prices differ based on whether you want to buy a new or a second-hand one. However, we strongly encourage you that you buy a new telescope from a trustworthy place, be that a shop or a website.
Being a rather fragile piece, you may want to invest a bit more, and to have a brand new telescope, just to have that peace of mind. Also, the new product comes with a 2-year warranty, so you may want to stick to the real thing.
If you buy yours from an online retailer like Amazon, you might also get free shipping. When reading about this scope, we recommend you also look through the reviews on the e-commerce platform. More than 1,600 customers left their feedback there, so you can get some extra clarity from their reviews.
Avoid buying the Celestron 127EQ PowerSeeker telescope or any other optical instruments from obscure sellers or unofficial sources.
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Telescope Performance
The Celestron telescope PowerSeeker 127 is a Newtonian telescope that features a 127mm aperture, hence where it gets its name from. It has a sturdy German equatorial mount and a focal length of 1000mm. The Celestron PowerSeeker 127 has a focal ratio of 7.87, a 5×24 finderscope, and a field of view of 43 feet at 1000 yards.
It works great for astrophotography, provided you have a Celestron 127EQ PowerSeeker telescope camera adapter. When ordering the Celestron PowerSeeker 127 EQ 5 /127mm reflector telescope kit, you also get a tripod made from aluminum and a tray to store all your accessories. Compact and lightweight, the 127 EQ weighs just 17 pounds and is 11 inches tall, 17 inches wide and 33 inches in diameter.
Thanks to the Celestron 127EQ PowerSeeker telescope manual, this scope is easy to set up and doesn’t require any additional tools to do so. The images you see are erect, so you can use it for viewing objects both in the sky and on the ground. Its multi-coated optics, slow-mo controls, and planetarium software all recommend the Celestron 127EQ PowerSeeker Telescope as a fantastic choice for your reflector.
What really makes the Celestron 127EQ PowerSeeker telescope amazing is its Barlow lens. It literally triples the magnification of every eyepiece, so you can view celestial objects closer than ever before. With this scope, you will get clear images of Mars, Venus, Saturn, Jupiter, and of course, the Moon.
Extra Info
Maintenance Info
Being a Newtonian telescope, this piece will need to be collimated once in a while. If you are doing it for the first time, this procedure may take a bit.
This telescope requires little maintenance work. Still, there are a few maintenance rules, which are applicable to all telescopes in general, and to the Celestron PowerSeeker 127 EQ telescope in particular.
- Care and clean the optics – Clean the dust or the moisture you may have on your optics. Gently brush the dust with a soft camel hairbrush. If you’re using soft tissue, remember not to rub in circles. Clean it with low to no pressure, starting from the center of the lens (or mirror) to the exterior.
- When you’re done with the scope, remember to apply all lens covers to prevent any further contamination.
- Do not try to repair or adjust the telescope. This is entirely the Celestron’s repair department job. By trying to repair it, you may actually lose the warranty, so don’t do it.
- This is the golden rule of all telescopes: never look directly at the sun with a telescope. You will damage both your Celestron PowerSeeker 127 EQ telescope and your eyes.
- Never use your telescope to project an image. Telescopes are not projectors, and any source of internal heat will immediately damage the telescope.
- If you are buying this scope for your children, you should try, as much as possible, not to leave the telescope unsupervised. Telescopes usually come with a 12+ warning. However, even adults who are not familiarized with optical instruments may harm your scope. When it comes to your optical instruments, you can never be too careful with the people handling it.
Accessories
When buying from most online retailers, the Celestron 127EQ PowerSeeker telescope comes with the following accessories:
- One 3x Barlow lens,
- One tray for accessories,
- One aluminum tripod,
- Two eyepieces (20mm and 4mm, respectively).
The Barlow lens can be used for each of these eyepieces to increase the magnification. However, you can also invest in additional accessories.
Many Celestron 127EQ PowerSeeker customers opt for the Celestron PowerSeeker Accessory Kit, but this isn’t necessary for the scope to work. You can use the Celestron PowerSeeker 127 EQ telescope both terrestrially and astronomically with the standard accessories included.
Warranty and Guarantee Information
Celestron offers a 2-year limited warranty for the Celestron 127EQ PowerSeeker telescope. You should be careful and read all the details of the warranty, though; you can find it on the product’s page when purchasing it online.
If you have any other questions, you can contact Celestron’s customer service department by calling (310) 328 9560. If you need to send any documentation, use this address:
Celestron, Customer Service Department, 2835 Columbia Street, Torrance, CA 90503
For more details, check out Celestron’s official website.
Our Verdict
To conclude our Celestron PowerSeeker 127 EQ telescope review, this scope is an excellent value that can be considered by any beginner astronomer. It has a large aperture, great focal length, and an abundance of other features that make it worth every penny.
You can use this scope for both basic observation and astrophotography, to view objects like the Lagoon Nebula or the Orion nebula, but also Jupiter, Mars, or Venus. Click here to purchase the Celestron PowerSeeker 127 EQ and start exploring today!
