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I bought this telescope as a birthday gift for my husband and he absolutely loves it. Orion shipped this out really fast even though I only opted for standard shipping. I wanted something that was ok for the beginner, but had enough "growing room" that once he really got going he would still enjoy it. This telescope is the perfect combination. It took less than a half an hour to put together and is easy to move around (from the deck to inside, etc). The picture of the sky is crisp and bright and as far as I can tell, well worth the money.
my husband spent about a week deciding on the perfect scope and looking at ALL types, he decided on the orion. it is FANTASTIC. he is really enjoying seeing everything there is to see. yes, if you buy this, you too will be outside.
I purchased the 130St about two years ago ever since I've had nothingbut enjoyment from this telescope. On my first observation I picked upthe double cluster in Perseus(NGC869 and NGC884) which was so clear thestars looked like bright pinpoints of perpendicularly crossed lights.Venus was also quite amazing to see, its cresent disk could be easelyand clearly seen. I later on saw Saturn you can easily see its ringsand moons,and Jupiter was a sight to see with propper focusing you couldeasily see its cloud belts. Galaxy's where clearly seen on dark nights,but don't expect to much on galaxy's because they are so far away evena twelve inch scope won't pick up much more than a five inch scope.I can't say enough good about this telescope it comes with great accessories and every thing you need to get you going.
I already own an 8 inch GOTO telescope, and although I love it, it is quite an affair to setup, and is quite heavy. The adjusments are smooth, and with the optional drive, I can track stars, if I will be viewing for a longer time. I leave my 130 ST scope in the garage, and can be observing in a few minutes. The scope is light but stable, and sturdy. The planets came sharply into view, so I think it is a great intermediate scope, and one you can take with you on a trip. (The manual was also very clear)
The 130mm aperature captures a lot of light. Even with the moon setting in the western sky, I could easily see Saturn, and the Cassini Division. They have articulate, concise, and well written articles/tutorials/star charts, that gently introduce beginners to the hobby FOR FREE. I have had the best luck setting the tripod in grass, because hard surfaces tend to cause a little vibration.
I live in suburbia next to a street lamp, and down the road from an obnoxiously bright Walmart. First of all, everything I know about using a telescope comes from the Orion website. Deep sky images are wonderful with high contrast and wide field of view. I highly recommend this telescope for its quality and value (even when purchased new). In the week that I've owned the scope, I have also seen Sirrius, Mars, and spectacular views of the moon w/ terminator.
Planetary images are very well defined with higher magnification eyepieces. I also recommend the company for its dedication to my enjoyment of the hobby, even though they made no profit from my purchase (yet. Second, and most importantly, this little scope is amazing. Additionally, the physics of the EQ2 mount may necessitate an above average degree of mechanical aptitude (The original owner I bought it from assembled it completely wrong, and even discounted the price because she thought it was missing parts, which it wasn't). My house blocks the northern sky from the backyard, so I haven't been able to Polar align the scope yet.
But with a star chart, objects are relatively easy to find using the finder scope. I can't wait to take it away from the city lights. They've won me over for the next one though).
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