The Celestron AstroFi 130/650 Newtonian is a good choice if you're looking for a telescope that will let you see more celestial objects in the first time than Galileo ever did in his lifetime, at a great price. The 13 cm optics are large enough and of high quality to show you the brightest galaxies, star clusters and surface details of planets and the Moon.
With the AstroFi series, Celestron has created something special: just point your smartphone at the object you want to observe, and if you want to view it, you just touch the screen and the telescope will instantly find and lock onto the object. The models in the AstroFi series come with a wifi adapter, so there's now no need for a wired handheld controller. Celestron's own free planetarium app can be downloaded to your tablet or phone and you can set up your GoTo in minutes using SkyAlign technology. This is a particularly useful feature for beginners, as you don't need to know the names and locations of the stars, just set three bright stars to learn the mechanics. In addition, the AstroFi 130/650 creates its own wireless connection, so it can communicate with your mobile device even in places where wifi or cellular networks are not available. And the Celestron SkyPortal app, which can be downloaded for free on your device, makes it easy to control the telescope. Celestron's AstroFi database stores data on nearly 120,000 objects, and you can point the telescope at any one of them.
The Celestron AstroFi 130/650 adds an additional app to make using the telescope even more fun. You can find out more information about the object you're observing - and find photos - by reading it on your tablet or smartphone.
The basic package includes a starpointer and a 25 mm and 10 mm eyepiece with magnification up to 26x and 65x, respectively. The eyepiece tray provides secure storage for the eyepieces and includes a rubberised tablet or smartphone holder. And the extendable aluminium foot can be adjusted to your body height.
The binoculars have an external power connection for operation from a car cigarette lighter or Skywatcher PowerTank battery. An optional AC adapter is required for operation from a 220V mains supply.
