Priced around $349.

A very attractive Orion telescope. It is well constructed and solid scope with no plastic in sight. It is lightweight and perfect for field work or backyard viewing. Cool down time is about 45 minutes. This scope pack up neatly into a carry bag, making it perfect for traveling.

This Orion telescope are excellent planetary scope’s. I have viewed Saturn and her rings which were crisp and clear with good detail in the ring system. I also viewed Jupiter and could clearly see 2 cloud bands and Jupiter’s moons which show up as bright stars. The moon show a lot of detail in the mountains, valleys, and craters. Mars was a small orange ball due to the planet wide dust storm. You will also see the brighter objects in our Milky way.

This Orion telescope is not recommended for anyone serious about deep sky viewing. You can see very faint nebulae and star clusters but if deep sky is your interest you will need to go for a telescope with larger aperture.

Go to my page on Telescopes – Myths and Misconceptions. There you will find pictures of the planets viewed from different size telescopes so you will know exactly what to expect from a telescope.

This Orion telescope comes with a viewfinder that has quick release bracket for disassembly so that the telescope fits snugly into a padded carry case. You may wish to buy a barlow lens to give the 25mm eyepiece more power, this will save you from spending money on expensive eyepieces. A T-threads on the eyepiece adapter allows attachment of a 35mm camera body (with optional T-ring) to the scope for photography.

Product Description

•  Orion telescope aperture – 127mm (5″)
• f/12.1 Maksutov-Cassegrain
• 6×26 Correct-image Viewfinder
• Eyepiece – 25mm Plossl
• Carry Case.

Recommendation

If you’re on a budget and are looking for a planetary telescope this Orion telescope may be what you’re looking for. It is very compact and portable. The Apex Orion telescope can be found at Catalog City