There’s nothing quite as amazing as the beautiful night sky or the vast expanse of our solar system. If you’re taken by the beauty of the stars, then you’ll definitely want to invest in a good telescope to let you stargaze and explore the galaxy.
If you’ve already started looking at telescopes, there’s a good chance you’ve come across the Celestron brand and their PowerSeeker 127EQ. Celestron is just about the biggest name out there when it comes to telescopes, so that’s definitely as good a place as any to start.
You might be wondering if the Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ is up to your standard, and we’re here to figure that out for you. By the time you finished this article, you’ll know with absolute certainty whether or not the Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ is the right telescope for you.
- What’s So Good about the Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ?
- The Pros and Cons
- How Do You Use the PowerSeeker?
- What Do the Reviews Say?
- How Does the PowerSeeker Compare?
- What Can You See with the Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ?
- Can I Use the Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ for Astrophotography?
- Verdict: Is the Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ Worth It?
What’s So Good about the Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ?
As we already mentioned, Celestron is one of the biggest names in the business, so right off the bat, you can feel pretty confident that you’re not flushing your money down the toilet with the PowerSeeker 127EQ. Celestron touts their PowerSeeker 127EQ as a great entry-level option for beginners buying their first telescope. As such, it’s both affordable and easy to use, and it has all the specs that are sure to deliver a high-quality performance.
Of course, we don’t expect you to take just our word for it. As they say, “Show, don’t tell.” We’re going to show you the best features that make the Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ so great, so that you can feel informed and see what all the fuss is about.
Important Feature #1: The 5-inch Aperture
The aperture is arguably the most important part of a telescope. Put simply, the aperture is the hole in the telescope through which light travels. The wider the aperture, the more light goes through, and the clearer the picture on your telescope. For the most part, bigger is better when it comes to apertures. And that’s why the Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ’s 5-inch aperture is so impressive.
At this price point, it’s more common to see telescopes with an aperture diameter of 4 or even 3 inches, so Celestron is sending a clear message with this telescope. When you buy the PowerSeeker 127EQ, you can save your money and still get the top-tier image quality you deserve.
Important Feature #2: 1-Meter Focal Length
If the aperture is the most important feature of a telescope, then the focal length is right behind in second place. Of course, evaluating focal lengths becomes a little trickier, as it’s not as simple as “bigger is better.” The longer the focal length, the wider your frame of view will be. Conversely, the shorter your focal length, the better quality you’ll have for zoomed-in, narrow-field-of-view images.
This means that, to some extent, whether or not you want a short or long focal length is entirely up to your preference. Of course, the Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ provides you the luxury of not worrying about it. The 1-meter focal length is an excellent medium-length that will give you the best of both worlds. You’ll be able to zoom in clearly while still enjoying sprawling landscapes. That makes it perfect for beginners who aren’t sure what their preference is yet, or more experienced users who just want that middle ground.
Important Feature #3: Strong High Zoom
Obviously, you want your telescope to help you see farther. That’s kind of the point. And the Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ does that better than just about any telescope at this price range. With its highest useful zoom of 250x, you’ll be able to explore the entire solar system with ease with this telescope.
Compared to the highest useful zoom of most other affordable telescopes, which are usually below 200x, and sometimes even under 150x, and the Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ is really starting to separate itself from the pack. Plus, this telescope also includes a 3x Barlow lens that will even further improve upon that strong zoom. Finally, you’re also getting a low zoom setting of 50x, which means that you can stay “local” or zoom all the way out with the Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ.
The Pros and Cons
We’re not here to make anything sound perfect, and though you may not think so after finishing our last section, the Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ has its flaws. We want you to be aware of those flaws that your decision is as informed as possible. In pursuit of that goal, this upcoming section will be a quick and easy-to-understand breakdown of all of the benefits and flaws of the Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ so that you can have all the vital information in one place.
Pros
- One of the most affordable telescopes out there
- Stronger zoom than most telescopes in this price range
- A wide 5-inch aperture provides high-quality image clarity
- A decent multi-purpose focal
Cons
- Weight of 20 pounds is a little on the heavy side
- Circular mirror causes some image distortion
How Do You Use the PowerSeeker?
Obviously, using the Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ is relatively intuitive, but setting it up can be a bit more challenging. It’s still not too much of an undertaking, as there are no extra tools required, and all of the necessary parts are included. Everything goes into place rather intuitively, and as long as you start from the tripod and build your way up, you should be fine. If you’re still nervous, there are plenty of YouTube videos out there that quite frankly explain the setup better than I ever could in writing.
As far as using the telescope, well, as we’ve said, one of the big selling points of the Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ is that it’s great for beginners, and a huge part of that is being simple and easy to use. Our Celestron telescope features a German equatorial mount with a slow-motion altitude rod for smooth and accurate pointing. Once everything’s in place, you can adjust the rod to the desired position and easily secure it by tightening the cross knob. That’s really all there is to it! You’ll be able to bask in the glory of the stars seconds after you pull your PowerSeeker telescope out of the box.
What Do the Reviews Say?
I’m not so arrogant to think that my opinion is the beginning and end of the matter, and I’m sure you’ll be interested in a second and/or third opinion. That’s why we want to include the whole story and tell you a little about what the other reviewers said about the Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ. You’ll have every important opinion and review at your disposal, and you’ll be that much more ready to make the most informed decision possible.
To start with, a review from the online magazine Odyssey Magazine gave our telescope a stellar review and pointed out, just like we did, that the PowerSeeker 127EQ is great for beginners, and that it’s one of the best telescopes in this price range. They can be quoted as saying “Is Celestron’s Power Seeker 127 EQ the best telescope on the market? Arguably, it might be one of the finest models in the budget price category.”
More specifically, Odyssey pointed out that, “as with any reflector, it manages to gather a good amount of light by using a parabolic mirror as its primary mirror. This primary mirror then reflects the light onto a smaller secondary mirror, which then shows us an image.” Odyssey went on to praise the large aperture of the PowerSeeker, as well as the incredible price.
Some traits they were less satisfied with included the optical aberration of the spherical mirror and the fact that it costs some extra money to really maximize the potential of this telescope. Of course, since it starts out so cheap, that’s not really so much of a problem.
The paying customers on Amazon felt very similarly about the Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ. Just like the folks over at Odyssey, they really appreciated the competitive price and amazing value of this Celestron product. With over 5,000 reviews on Amazon, this product averaged 4 stars, so the approval from the crowd is pretty clear. One reviewer, just like Odyssey, pointed out that a little extra investment could go a long way in making this telescope go from a beginner bargain to a legit expert telescope. As they wrote, “buy an 11/16 ratchet and better eyepiece, and you’re done.”
This kind of consensus speaks volumes. When everyone has a pretty similar review of a product, you can rest easy knowing that your expectations will almost definitely be met. You won’t be disappointed with the Celestone PowerSeeker 127EQ. telescope.
How Does the PowerSeeker Compare?
Nothing exists in a vacuum, and even if you’ve pretty much formed your opinion on the Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ, it’s important to look at the other top products on the market. In this upcoming section, we’re going to quickly compare Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ to some of the other popular telescopes on the market so that you can see what else is out there before making your purchase.
Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ vs Celestron PowerSeeker 114EQ
Once you’re already looking at Celestron, and specifically the PowerSeeker line, it pays to look at the rest of the field. In this case, that’s the Celestron PowerSeeker 114EQ. This counterpart to the 127EQ has a slightly shorter focal length which provides a wider field of view, but you also have a slightly narrower aperture which means worse overall image quality.
Both of our Celestron Newtonian reflector telescopes use the same German equatorial mount, and they come with the same two lenses of 20 millimeters and 4 millimeters. With both telescopes, users reported some performance issues with the 4-millimeter lens. Both telescopes also include a 3x Barlow lens.
I can go on and on about the details, but honestly, the end conclusion is simple enough that I won’t waste your time. The Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ, mostly due to its wider aperture, is slightly better than its sibling of the same line. Of course, the tradeoff is that the PowerSeeker 114EQ is a bit cheaper. That means that if you’re really trying to pinch every penny possible, the Celestron PowerSeeker 114EQ is the obvious choice for you. However, unless saving money is your top priority, I’d go with the Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ telescope. The price difference is small enough that it’s worth spending the extra couple of bucks to walk away with a better overall product.
Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ vs Orion Observer II 70mm Equatorial Refractor Telescope
Now that we’ve seen how the Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ telescope holds up against its peers, it’s time to pit it against the competition. Orion specializes in budget telescopes, which makes the Orion Observer II 70mm Equatorial Refractor Telescope a perfect foil for our Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ.
This Orion refractor telescope comes equipped with a 2.76-inch aperture and a focal length of 27.56 inches, which means that the Observer II 70mm Equatorial Refractor Telescope will definitely have a noticeable dip in clarity compared to the PowerSeeker 127EQ, but it does have the advantages that come with a shorter focal length. Our Orion telescope has a lowest useful magnification of 10x and a highest useful magnification of 140x, which is obviously much less than the 250x of the PowerSeeker 127.
The Orion Observer II 70mm Equatorial Refractor Telescope is just about the cheapest telescope out there, and that’s definitely its main advantage over the Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ. Of course, another big selling point is its incredibly light weight of just 10 pounds, so if you’re pressed for space and need something you won’t mind hiding away in the closet in between stargazing sessions, this Orion telescope is a great choice.
The choice between the Orion Observer II 70mm Equatorial Refractor Telescope and the Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ comes down to the same factors as our last matchup, though because the differences are more pronounced, the decision is actually a bit harder to make. While the Celestron PowerSeeker 114EQ is only mildly worse than the PowerSeeker 127EQ, it’s also only mildly cheaper, which means the money you’re saving isn’t really worth it. However, the Orion Observer II 70mm Equatorial Refractor Telescope is solidly worse than our main telescope in the PowerSeeker 127EQ, but it’s also much cheaper. This means you have a personal decision on your hands of if you care more about getting a better product or saving some money.
The Orion Observer II 70mm Equatorial Refractor Telescope is the best budget option out there, but it just pales in comparison to the PowerSeeker 127EQ when it comes to actual quality.
Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ vs Meade Instruments 205002 ETX80 Observer Achromatic Refractor Telescope
How much are you willing to spend for the smoothest user experience possible? That’s basically the question you’re asking yourself if you’re torn between the PowerSeeker telescope and the Meade Instruments 205002 ETX80 Observer Achromatic Refractor Telescope.
This electronic Meade telescope has an aperture of just over 3 inches and a focal length of 400 millimeters, which is definitely inferior to our Celestron telescope, but it also boasts a lot of quality-of-life features that will make your stargazing experience as easy as ever.
The Meade Instruments 205002 ETX80 Observer Achromatic Refractor Telescope features a computerized dual-arm GOTO mount with Periodic Error Correction. This electronic arm will help you keep a steady hand and make sure you’re always on target. This will also help you guarantee that there’s absolutely no drift, so you don’t need to worry about losing track of your celestial objects in the night sky.
The German equatorial mount of the PowerSeeker is no match for this electronic GOTO mount. The death sentence for the Meade Instruments 205002 ETX80 Observer Achromatic Refractor Telescope is that its highest useful magnification is just 80x, so you’re really losing some zoom in return for your convenience. Of course, it’s also much more expensive than the Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ.
In my opinion, there’s just very little contest between these two telescopes. The electronic mount of the 205002 ETX80 Observer is definitely nice, but it doesn’t make up for the poor magnification, and the price is an absolute deal-breaker for most customers. I would go with the Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ unless you’re absolutely sure that you need the automatic features of the Meade Instruments 205002 ETX80 Observer Achromatic Refractor Telescope.
Of course, splitting the price with a friend or significant other could be a good way to cut back on the costs if you need this electronic telescope. It could also be a good telescope for a more experienced user who knows they don’t need the zoom, especially if you have someone in mind that you want to introduce to telescope stargazing, and you’d prefer that they have the smoothest experience possible to start them off.
What Can You See with the Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ?
We’ve given you a lot of technical terms and specs, and even some review snippets and comparisons, but we haven’t really addressed one very simple question: What can you do with the Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ?
Well, for starters, you can see every planet in the solar system. That’s right. The zoom and clarity on the Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ are strong enough that you can pretty easily see as far as Uranus and Neptune. That’s the best performance you’re getting out of any beginner-oriented telescope, and for comparison, the Orion Observer II 70mm Equatorial Refractor Telescope can only help you see as far as Saturn on most days.
If you want the entire solar system at your fingertips, then the Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ has you covered. Of course, you’ll also get an amazing view of plenty of stars lightyears away from our own solar system.
Can I Use the Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ for Astrophotography?
The short answer is “no.” If you want to take pictures of the images on your telescope, then the Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ Newtonian Reflector telescope is not for you. Luckily, there are other options out there that allow you to take dazzling pictures of the entire galaxy.
Unfortunately, you won’t be able to find any astrophotography telescopes for the same cheap price as the PowerSeeker 127EQ. But if you need those breathtaking photographs and you’re willing to pay top dollar, then the Celestron Inspire 100AZ Refracting Telescope and the Celestron StarSense Explorer 114mm Newtonian Reflector Telescope are both great options for you.
Of course, there’s a whole slew of non-Celestron astrophotography telescopes out there, and a quick Google search should help you find them.
Verdict: Is the Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ Worth It?
We’re starting to wrap up our review of the Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ, and with all of the information we’ve provided you, it really all comes down to one simple question: Is it worth the money? The answer to that is a resounding “yes!”
The Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ has some of the best specs out there considering its price. Without paying an arm and a leg, you’ll be able to get a high-quality telescope that will allow you to see the edges of the solar system. That’s all thanks to the 5-inch aperture and the 1-meter focal length of this telescope, plus the 3x Barlow lens that comes included to help you beef up the magnification a little bit if you so desire.
This is the ideal beginner’s telescope, and if you buy some replacement parts, it can quickly become a top-tier telescope for intermediate users and even experts.
Of course, if you’re trying to save as much money as possible, then the Orion Observer II 70mm Equatorial Refractor Telescope is a better choice for you. You can also opt for the more expensive Celestron telescopes like the Celestron Inspire 100AZ Refracting Telescope and the Celestron StarSense Explorer 114mm Newtonian Reflector Telescope to add some breathtaking photos to your collage. But for almost anything else, the Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ is one of the best options out there.