Celestron 21045 114mm Equatorial PowerSeeker Telescope

by Celestron

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 37 x 16 x 10 inches ; 19 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 30 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0000Y8C2Y
• Item model number: 21045
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #661 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
  • #4 in Camera & Photo > Binoculars, Telescopes & Optics > Telescopes > Reflectors
• Date first available at Amazon.com: May 28, 2004

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

I love bargains, so I was eager to try out Celestron's new Powerseeker 114 Newtonian reflector telescope. With its 4.5-inch mirror, Celestron's Powerseeker 114 gathers three times more starlight than popular 60mm refractors. The Powerseeker package includes two eyepieces (K20 and SR4), a plastic 3x barlow, and a lightweight equatorial mount.

Optically, the Powerseeker 114 holds its own when compared with my Celestron Firstscope 114EQ. Using the K20 eyepiece included as standard equipment, about 45x magnification, it's easy to see the Andromeda Galaxy and its smaller satellite galaxy M32. When compared to 60mm refractors, the Powerseeker 114 brings out much more detail in the Orion Nebula, reveals many more stars in Perseus' Double Cluster and even brings out a few individual stars in globular clusters like M13. Saturn looks quite small at 45x with the K20 eyepiece, but using my own 7.5mm eyepiece (120x) I can easily detect the shadow cast by the planet on the rings, and even glimpse the ring's Cassini Division. When the mirrors are properly lined up or "collimated," the images are reasonably sharp up to magnifications of 225x. I find a collimation tool helps get this fine tuning just right.

As good as the optics are, however, the effect of cost-cutting shows up in the mechanical components. The focuser is plastic, the finder scope is plastic, the rings that attach the telescope to the tripod are plastic. Even when the tripod legs are clamped at their shortest setting, the telescope wobbles when I try to focus at higher magnifications. Celestron's instruction manual correctly recommends that most viewing be done in the range of 40x to 130x. So what about that 675x magnification proclaimed on the box? I'd say it's not worth the trouble.

Overall, the Celestron Powerseeker 114 is a budget priced telescope with good optical performance, especially when using the low power K20 eyepiece. If you're willing to spend a little more money, either Orion's SkyQuest XT4.5 or Celestron's Firstscope 114EQ will give you a sturdier mount, an improved finder scope, and better eyepieces. Also, for about the price of the Powerseeker 114, I like the dependable refractor design of Celestron's Firstscope 70EQ. --Jeff Phillips

Pros:

• Low cost
• Good optics
• Serviceable K20 eyepiece

Cons:

• Wobbly mount
• Difficult to collimate
• Plastic finder and focuser

Product Description

Celestron PowerSeeker 114EQ 45 - 225X Reflector Telescope opens up the wonders of the universe to the aspiring astronomer. Amateur astronomy is a great hobby you can enjoy year-round, and Celestron's PowerSeeker Telescopes are the ideal choice for affordable stargazing enjoyment! PowerSeeker Scopes are quick and easy to set up, even for the novice... no tools required! Their sturdy Equatorial mounts are perfect for tracking objects across the night sky, meaning these Telescopes shine for moon- and planet-watching. All Celestron PowerSeekers include a tripod, full range of eyepieces, plus a 3X barlow lens. Specs: 114 mm aperture size; Includes 20 mm eyepiece for 45X magnification, 4 mm eyepiece for 225X, and a 3X barlow lens that triples the magnification power of each eyepiece; Newtonian reflector optical design; Fully-coated glass optics with high-transmission coatings for enhanced brightness and clarity; Sturdy German Equatorial mount, perfect for tracking objects across the night sky; Erect image diagonal, ideal for terrestrial and astronomical viewing; Comes with The Sky X Planetarium software; Focal length: 900 mm; Limiting stellar magnitude: 12.8; Resolution (Rayleigh): 1.22 arcsec; Resolution (Dawes): 1.02 arcsec; Light-gathering power: 265X; Angular F.O.V. is 0.9 degrees. Linear F.O.V. is 48' 5x24 mm finderscope; Includes aluminum tripod. Order yours today! Celestron PowerSeeker 114EQ 45X-225X Reflector Telescope

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

91 of 91 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Nice Astronomical Telescope!, November 2, 2005

By 

astrowatcher - See all my reviews

This review is from: Celestron 21045 114mm Equatorial PowerSeeker Telescope (Electronics)

I am an astronomer on a budget and as I was doing my search, I was advised to buy as much aperture as I can. I decided to get this Powerseeker 114 as it looked like a great value. Because of it's attractive price, I was a bit skeptical. However, when I received the scope, I really liked how much telescope I got, for what I paid. It had everything I needed in a telescope, decent sized aperture, equatorial mount to track celestial movements, 2 eyepieces for low and high magnification and a decent tripod. I certainly got more than I expected. With the 4.5" aperture, I was able to see nice details on the lunar surface, Jupiter and it's moons, Saturn and Mars as well as the Orion nebula. If you are a budding astronomer and you want to get started, you will be happy with this model.

75 of 78 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A lot of scope for the price, October 6, 2005

By 

CBSA - See all my reviews

This review is from: Celestron 21045 114mm Equatorial PowerSeeker Telescope (Electronics)

I had a chance to use this telescope at a friends house and I was impressed at everything that came with the telescope especially after he told me what he paid for it. First of all, it came with a 4.5" reflector and as a rule, aperture rules. A 4.5" telescope can deliver good planetary images and faint deep sky objects. When I first looked it over, it was a little shaky but I discovered that he did not tighten properly. After going through and tightening the screws and bolts, it was ready for use. The included eyepiece 20mm was great at 45x and with the use of the 3x barlow produced 225x. 225x I feel is too much. 225x is too much for most scopes and sky conditions.

With the 20mm 45x eyepiece, I can clearly see Jupiter with its moons and Mars with its ice cap. I highly recommend getting the accessory kits so that you can get various magnifications and get more visual detail.

The equatorial mount was a bonus as it made tracking the celestial and planetary objects easier. Once you have used a telescope, you will clearly see that having an equatorial mount is so useful.

This is a good starter scope for someone who wants more of an astronomical telescope. You get a lot of scope, brighter images than smaller 60mm scopes for not a lot of money.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very good telescope for the money., September 24, 2007

By 

Radu Privantu (PA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Celestron 21045 114mm Equatorial PowerSeeker Telescope (Electronics)

I must admit that this is my first telescope, but I did play with other telescopes and spotting scopes before.

What other people say about it is true: the mount is shaky, and this is an issue for high magnification modes (more than x45). In fact, even a light wind will cause it to move.
The manual is also very basic, doesn't describe much at all.
However, putting it together is very easy, and shouldn't take more than 30 minutes. The instructions are easy to follow, but you might need some help from another person when you mount it for the first time.

The only thing I really don't like is how heavy and big it is, especially with the tripod extended. If you plan to bring it in every night after you are done with it, then consider the fact that you will need to 'unextend' the tripod, which is hard to do because it is heavy and big. I wish there was an easier way to extend the tripod, without screws.
On the other hand, I got it for less than $150, including shipping, so I can't complain.

The image quality is excellent, and it can be very well used for ground observations, although the image is upside down, and the mount is not really meant for ground observation (EQ mount).
For example, there is a radio relay about 1 mile away, and with the naked eye you can't see much of it. However, with full magnification (675 times) you can see the lighbulb on top of it as if you were just a few meters away. Such high magnification comes with the downside that the image is very dim.

Overall, this is a very nice telescope to have as a hobby, but if you want something better (computerized mount, higher magnification, etc.) then you will have to spend over $500