I am planning to buy my first telescope - how good is this for an amateur? Also, do I need to buy anything separately to get started with this one?

This is great for an amateur. You'll get great views of the moon and the brighter Messier objects (nebulae and so on). With a high magnification eyepiece you'll be able see the planets too. You don't need anything else up front but if you want to observe for a long time, you'll find that the go-to motor chews through batteries. You can buy a mains adapter to run it from a household electricity in your garden, or an external battery pack, or an adapter to run it from your car cigarette lighter if you're further from home.The kit comes with two eyepieces which are OK. In future you may wish to upgrade them to nicer ones, but wait until you've reached the limitation of the bundled ones before you take the next step. Then you'll know better what your needs are.Finally, these telescopes don't come with any carry case but they are delicate items. You can buy dedicated custom cases which are expensive, but I cheaped out and took the telescope to B&Q and found a sturdy toolbox that was the right size. I lined it with custom-cut foam from a fabric shop and cut out a shape for the telescope and the eyepieces to go into.

I am a little confused about eyepiece size. The description seems to indicate that it is 2", where-as 1.25" appears to be the norm. What is it?

1.25 is the norm. The 130SLT has a 2" tube for eyepieces which is fitted with an adapter to take 1.25" eyepieces - the two eyepieces that come with the kit are 1.25". If, in the future, you want to use a 2" eyepiece you just need to unscrew the adapter.

Hello all..new to this..would I a novis be getting the right one ?...... I am so looking forward to learning as have the time now..60yr old bricky..worn out ha ha...any advice would be greatfully received, many thanks David..would love to see Jupiter's moons etc

It's never too late to start! The 130 SLT is a lovely telescope and you can see Jupiter's moons with it and just about make out the stripes on the planet. It tracks well with the computer aligned correctly but it absolutely scoffs batteries so I would recommend a battery pack or dc transformer (this would require an extension lead so the battery pack may be better but is more expensive).So far I have been really pleased with it as a beginner astronomer!Good luck with your choice!!

Is it possible to control the movement of the mount via a laptop?

Yes, using a serial connector to the lap top (or usb to serial adapter if the lap top does not have a serial port) and a cable that plugs into the bottom of the handset. The Celestron web site has further details.

Package Dimensions L x W x H	100.3 x 51.1 x 28 centimetres
Package Weight	14.16 Kilograms
Product Dimensions L x W x H	96.5 x 142.2 x 96.5 centimetres
Item Weight	11.4 Pounds
Brand	Celestron
Colour	Black
Country of Origin	China
Included components	20mm and 9mm eyepiece, Accessory Tray, NexStar+ Hand Control, Optical Tube, Single Fork Arm Mount and Tripod, Star Diagonal, StarPointer™ red dot finderscope
Max Focal Length	650 Millimetres
Min Focal Length	650 Millimetres
Model year	2011
Objective Lens Diameter	130 Millimetres
Part number	31145-CGL
Telescope Mount Description	Altazimuth Mount
Zoom Type	Digital
Focus type	Manual Focus
Aperture Modes	100-150mm
Style	Nexstar 130SLT
Guaranteed software updates until	unknown

Celestron31145 NexStar 130SLT Portable Computerised Newtonian Reflector Telescope with Quick-release Fork-arm Mount, Accessory Tray and 'Starry Night' Special Edition Software, Grey

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