The Celestron NexStar 130SLT is an excellent computerized telescope that offers a great balance of affordability, ease of use and high-quality optics. It provides an excellent platform for stargazing, whether you're a beginner or an intermediate astronomer, and it's currently the cheapest it's been since the start of the year at Amazon, now $494.99.
Get the Celestron NexStar 130SLT for $494.99 at Amazon.
Featuring a 130mm aperture, it gathers a significant amount of light, allowing for bright and detailed views of celestial objects like the moon, planets, star clusters and even some deep-sky objects like Andromeda or the Orion Nebula. And with its computerized GoTo mount and Celestron's SkyAlign technology, it couldn't be easier to find targets in the night sky. It has over 4,000 objects in its extensive database, making it a fantastic choice for beginners. The best telescopes with GoTo technology are typically much more expensive.
The package includes the telescope tube, mount, tripod and accessory tray, plus 20mm and 9mm eyepieces and a NexStar+ hand control. We think this is the perfect middle ground for users who might be too impatient for a traditional observation telescope without a computerized GoTo mount, but would get bored too easily with a smart telescope. Plus, its affordable price makes it much more accessible than many of the other telescopes in the NexStar range.
When fully assembled, it weighs 18 lbs (8.2 kg), making it easy to transport to dark-sky locations for better viewing conditions. Although it's not a dedicated astrophotography telescope, you can still get impressive images of the moon and planets when you pair it with the best astrophotography cameras or your smartphone with an adapter.
Key features: 650mm focal length, 130mm aperture, 20mm and 9mm eyepieces included, 11.4 lbs, 6.3-inch field of view, 5mm exit pupil.
Product launched: 2005.
Price history: It was $10 cheaper during Black Friday last year, but this price of $494.99 is the cheapest we've seen in 2025.
Reviews consensus: With an overall rating of 4.3 out of 5 stars on Amazon, users praise its optics and intuitive instructions, making setup a breeze. Saturn, Jupiter and Orion can be seen with the telescope, although some users commented on its shakiness.
✅ Buy it if: You're a beginner who wants the telescope to locate objects in the night sky at the press of a button.
❌ Don't buy it if: You're a seasoned astronomer looking to upgrade from your current model to something better. The Celestron NexStar 8SE is known as the 'world's most beloved telescope' and is one of the best telescopes out there.
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