Aurel Lodestar 114 Newtonian reflector, tube only

Specifications

Description

The Lodestar 114 is a Newtonian reflector with a 114 mm parabolic primary mirror and a focal length of 570 mm, which gives a focal ratio of f/5. At that ratio the telescope gives a moderate field of view, wide enough to frame the Andromeda Galaxy and the larger nebulae in Sagittarius at low power. Eyepieces with shorter focal lengths take it to high magnification on the Moon and the brighter planets.

Light from the primary mirror reaches a flat secondary mirror near the front of the tube, which turns it toward the focuser on the side of the tube. Because the optics contain no lenses, the telescope shows no chromatic aberration, so bright planets such as Jupiter and Saturn appear without the color fringe that an achromatic refractor of the same aperture would show. The open tube lets the mirror reach outdoor temperature in about 30 to 45 minutes, and mirror seeing can still affect sharp detail on warm nights. Allow the tube to cool before you judge fine planetary detail.

The 1.25 in dual-speed rack-and-pinion focuser accepts standard eyepieces and filters, and the 6x30 finder helps you locate targets before you switch to higher power. The optical tube weighs 5.8 kg, so you can carry it outdoors without a heavy base. A light alt-az mount carries the tube at a comfortable height for seated observing, and the tube length keeps the assembly compact enough for transport in a car.

Typical targets include the Moon, the planets, the Orion Nebula, the Double Cluster in Perseus, and the brighter globular clusters such as M13. Under suburban skies the 114 mm aperture shows the cloud bands of Jupiter and the spiral arms of M51 as faint detail. Fainter nebulae and galaxies show more contrast from darker sites, and a nebula filter can improve emission nebulae under light-polluted skies.

About this configuration

This listing covers one specific configuration of the Aurel Lodestar 114 Newtonian reflector, defined by its bundle, finish, accessory kit, and edition year. Buying the tube alone makes sense if you already own a suitable mount or plan to choose one separately. Without a mount in the package, check the tube weight against the payload rating of your mount, with some margin to spare. The matte black finish hides scuffs and keeps reflections from porch lights and streetlights to a minimum.

A UHC filter from the deep-sky kit darkens the background sky around emission nebulae, especially under suburban light. The optics in the 2024 edition match the other years; the changes concern hardware details only. The optical figures in the specifications table apply to this configuration and to every other version of the Aurel Lodestar 114 Newtonian reflector.

What's in the box

• Optical tube assembly with primary mirror
• Flat secondary mirror installed
• 1.25 in 25 mm eyepiece
• 6x30 finder scope with bracket
• Dust cover
• 24 mm wide-field eyepiece (1.25 in)
• UHC nebula filter (1.25 in)

Compatibility notes

• Accepts 1.25 in eyepieces, diagonals, and filters directly.
• The optical tube mounts on alt-az mounts that accept a standard tube clamp.