The Celestron 114LCM is a good-sized battery-operated fully computerized go-to scope at a good low price that is a super introduction to serious deep space star-gazing for the beginning backyard observer.
This Celestron 114LCM telescope has:
• 114mm f/9 Newtonian reflector optics
• computerized go-to altazimuth mount
• pre-assembled aluminum tripod
• StarPointer red dot finder
• 28mm (40x) and 9mm (111x) 1.25" eyepieces
• 2-year warranty
The Celestron 114LCM 114mm equatorial reflector is a good-sized go-to telescope at a very reasonable price. With a light-gathering capacity 265 times greater than your eye, it's a good choice for a beginning astronomer who wants to start doing some serious looking at the faint nebulas and galaxies beyond the solar system. It uses Newtonian reflector optics to provide you with detailed and sharp views of the Moon, planets, binary stars, and star clusters, as well - without the faint purple haze of chromatic aberration (spurious color) that surrounds the Moon, planets, and bright stars in every refractor scope in this price range.
This Celestron 114LCM has over three and a half times the light gathering capacity of a typical 60mm starter scope. That means visibly brighter deep space images and the ability to see many more faint objects than a 60mm scope could ever hope to show. It has 90% more resolution than a 60mm scope as well, to let you see more sharper and detailed views of the Moon, planets, binary stars, and star clusters.
And you don't have to know anything about right ascension and declination, or how to find the north celestial pole, or how to read a star chart to find your way around the sky with the Celestron 114LCM 114mm go-to reflector. Its easy SkyAlign alignment technology and StarPointer red dot LED finder make lining up on the sky a breeze. Once aligned, the scope's NexStar-technology computer hand control will find more than 4,000 celestial objects for you and will track them unerringly while you observe at your leisure. With its pre-assembled adjustable height aluminum tripod and easy no-tool assembly, the Celestron 114LCM can be up and ready to take you on a tour of the Universe in a matter of minutes.
This Telescope's Optical System . . .
Newtonian reflector optical system: 114mm aperture (1000mm focal length f/8.77) with all-glass mirrors and protective tube end rings. Each mirror is coated with highly reflective aluminum and overcoated with quartz for long life. The reflector design of the scope is totally free of the purple haze of spurious color visible around the Moon and planets in similarly-priced achromatic refractors. Images are sharp and clear. You can even collimate (align) the mirrors for the sharpest images. This will have to be done only rarely, thanks to the special design of the cell holding the lightweight mirror. The aluminum optical tube is connected to the mount by a no-tool quick release dovetail for fast assembly.
Finder: StarPointer non-magnifying variable brightness illuminated red dot finder on a quick-release dovetail mounting bracket. The StarPointer is a quick and easy way to point your telescope exactly to the desired object in the sky. There's no need to worry about the inverted images you see through traditional finders. Just align the red dot seen in the StarPointer with the desired star in the sky and you're done.
Focuser: 1.25" rack and pinion.
Two 1.25" eyepieces: The first is a 25mm providing a magnification of 40x. The eyepiece field of view is a full 1° across, twice as wide as the diameter of the full Moon for expansive views of the Moon, galaxies, and the smaller nebulas. The second is a 9mm (111x) with a 0.4° field for more close-up views of the Moon, planets, and globular star clusters.
This Telescope's Mount . . .
Fork mount/drive system: Single fork arm altazimuth design with pre-installed enclosed dual DC servo motor drives. A compartment in the drive base accepts eight user-supplied AA batteries for powering the telescope. An optional AC adapter and rechargeable battery pack are available to conserve battery life. For more details, click on the "mount" icon above.
LCM computer control: The supplied NexStar-technology computer hand control has an illuminated numeric keypad and a two-line 16-character LCD display. It has a database of 4,033 stars and objects it can find and track for you, including the complete Messier and Caldwell catalogs of famous deep space objects; a selection of the brightest and best deep space objects from the Revised New General Catalog (NGC); selected SAO stars, including the best variable stars and multiple star systems; the planets; the Moon; the Sun; and more.
When you are ready to observe, simply input the date, time, and your location into the LCM computer hand control and use the StarPointer red dot finder to point the telescope at any three bright stars, or to two stars and a bright planet or the Moon. The LCM computer system will automatically align itself on the sky. Then, a few keystrokes on the LCM hand control and the computer will slew your scope automatically to any of the 4,033 objects in its memory you choose and track it so you can observe at your leisure. You can find hundreds of fascinating deep space objects your first night out, even if you have never used a telescope before. No matter what level of experience you start from, your LCM scope will unfold all the wonders of the Universe for you, your family, and your friends. For more details, click on the "computer" icon above.
Supplied software: The scope comes with a CD-ROM of TheSky X - First Light Edition planetarium and star charting software. This program is a computerized sky map that features a 10,000 object database, 75 color images, horizontal projection, custom sky chart printing, and zoom capability. It will let explore the Universe on your PC or Mac and print out custom star charts of the sky to help you find faint objects that are not in the LCM computer's database.
You can also add optional NexRemote telescope control software to allow you to more completely control the scope from your personal computer or laptop so you can keep your eyes on the stars instead of the hand control.
Adjustable height tripod: The preassembled tripod has aluminum legs to damp vibrations quickly. The center leg brace holds a convenient no-tool quick-release accessory tray to keep your eyepieces and accessories up and out of the dew-soaked grass. The tripod has maximum height of only 44", however, so be aware that most of your observing will have to be done from a seated position.
Two-year warranty: All Celestron telescopes have a two-year warranty.
