Sky-Watcher P130 CQ40 130/650 (SW-1215)

The Sky-Watcher CQ40 series introduces a new line of telescopes on equatorial mounts, designed for use with smaller, compact astronomical telescopes. The CQ40 mount focuses on reducing the weight and size of the head while increasing its payload capacity. The result is a lightweight, compact mount featuring an innovative semi-circular cradle design, which allows latitude adjustments from 0 to 72 degrees. The aluminum tripod, based on the AZ3 design, includes a plastic accessory tray for eyepieces.

Optical System
This telescope uses a Newtonian reflector design, making it particularly suitable for observing nebular objects due to its high light-gathering power. It also performs well for planetary and lunar observations. The key feature of this model is its 130 mm parabolic mirror, which collects approximately 345 times more light than the human eye at night. This capability allows observations of objects up to magnitude 13 (compared to the naked eye's limit of magnitude 6). The mirror's size also provides excellent optical resolution, enabling the separation of stars with an angular distance greater than 1.1 arcseconds. The telescope includes a Red Dot Finder for easy targeting. For enhanced performance when observing bright Solar System objects, an eyepiece with a focal length of approximately 5–6 mm is recommended.

Astronomical Observations

1. Solar System:

   • Surface features on the Moon larger than 2.2 km

   • Sunspots and their structure

   • All planets in the Solar System

   • Phases of Mercury and Venus

   • Mars' disk with visible polar caps and continental outlines during opposition

   • Jupiter's equatorial bands, Galilean moons, Great Red Spot under favorable conditions, and moon shadows

   • Saturn's rings, Titan, and weaker moons; Cassini Division visible under good conditions

   • Uranus and Neptune as small disks

   • Movement of asteroids against the star field

   • Bright comets

2. Stars:

   • Approximately 1.9 million stars across the sky up to magnitude 13

   • Double and multiple stars separated by more than 1.1 arcseconds

   • Colors of brighter stars

3. Nebular Objects:

   • All Messier catalog objects

   • Dozens or even hundreds of globular clusters, some showing individual stars

   • Hundreds of open clusters with visible structural differences

   • Dozens of nebulae with some details visible (e.g., M42)

   • Dozens of galaxies with discernible shapes and angular positions of their disks

   • Structure and details of bright planetary nebulae

4. Terrestrial Observation:
   This telescope is also suitable for terrestrial observations when paired with a prismatic angular attachment. It can function as a high-quality observation scope or telephoto lens.

Included Accessories:

• Eyepieces: Super 10 mm and Super 20 mm (1.25")

• Red Dot Finder

Specifications:

• Optical Design: Newtonian Reflector

• Mount Type: Equatorial (parallactic) CQ40 mount

• Aperture: 130 mm

• Focal Length: 650 mm

• Focal Ratio: f/5.0

• Stellar Magnitude Limit: Magnitude 13.0

• Maximum Useful Magnification: 195x

• Resolution (Rayleigh Criterion): 1.08 arcseconds

• Light-Gathering Power: 345x compared to the human eye

• Tube Weight: 3.6 kg

• Mount Weight: 9 kg

• Tube Length: 620 mm; Diameter: 160 mm

Additional Features:

• Aluminum tripod with fine adjustment knobs for mount control (rack-and-pinion system)

• Eyepiece holder diameter: 1.25 inches; secondary mirror diameter: 34.5 mm

Warranty Period: 60 months

This telescope is ideal for both beginners and advanced users who want a versatile instrument capable of detailed celestial observations as well as terrestrial applications. Its compact design and high-quality optics make it a reliable choice for exploring the night sky or capturing stunning views of astronomical objects.