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The Sky-Watcher GreatStart SW 114N-EQ2 114mm Manual Reflector Telescope is regarded as the minimum size mirror instrument truly useful for beginning astronomical studies. The 114mm diameter offers enough light gathering to place this telescope squarely within the beginning threshold of resolving elementary structural detail in a number of brighter deep-space objects. For instance, M13 the spectacular globular star cluster in Hercules can be resolved into thousands of discrete pinpoint stars arrayed about the object's central core like bees circling a beehive.
Glowing, cloud-like nebulosity can be seen in far greater extension in M42 (The Great Orion Nebula), M8 (Laguna Nebula) and other emission nebulae where stars are being born out of the surrounding gasses. Viewing deep-space is best done from a dark sky location away from city sky glow. Solar system objects however can be seen easily within the city. The SW 114N-EQ2 performs very well in resolving lunar and planetary detail. Nonetheless, many observers may prefer the sharper contrast offered by a Sky-Watcher 80mm or 90mm lens telescope for solar-system observation. This telescope includes a solid equatorial mount, stable tripod and slow-motion controls for precision manual tracking of sky objects.
The primary mirror air-spaced, achromatic doublet objective lens of the SW80AR-EQ2 is fabricated of Grade-A Crown & Flint glass. Each lens element is precision pitch polished to demanding standards of optical excellence. Each air-to-glass is multicoated with metallic high-transmission optical coatings ensuring the optimum through-put of light. The focuser assembly is solid and stable with a mechanically smooth rack & pinion focuser. The 114N-EQ2 is an equatorial (polar) mount telescope. The telescope's mount is aligned to the Earth's axis which is approximated by pointing the telescope's polar axis to the North Star. The mount's mechanical orientation compensates for the observer's latitude anywhere on Earth.
The mount's cantilevered orientation is off set by counterweights to maintain dynamic balance. When set up in this way, the telescope only needs to follow objects in one axis. The telescope physically emulates the natural motion of the sky as objects move from East to West. Slow-motion controls allow very fine incremental tracking adjustments that facilitate keeping fast moving sky objects centered in the eyepiece. Just a fraction of a turn of the cable control knob is all that is required to keep an object easily captured in the telescopic field of view.