Varrow Lantern 130 Newtonian reflector, tube with alt-az mount

Specifications

Description

The Lantern 130 is a Newtonian reflector built around a 130 mm parabolic primary mirror with a focal length of 650 mm. Working at f/5, it gives a moderate field with low-power eyepieces and reaches higher magnifications on the Moon, Jupiter, and Saturn when paired with shorter focal length eyepieces. The primary carries an aluminized reflective coating with a protective overcoat, and a flat secondary mirror on a four-vane spider directs the light to the focuser on the side of the tube.

Because the optical tube is open at the front, it reaches outdoor temperature more slowly than a small refractor, so allow twenty to thirty minutes before you attempt high-power planetary work. Collimation matters more on a Newtonian than on a refractor. The mirrors leave the factory aligned, but shipping and handling can shift them, and you can adjust the three collimation screws on the secondary cell with the supplied Allen key. A simple laser collimator makes this job quicker and more repeatable.

The 1.25 in dual-speed rack-and-pinion focuser holds standard eyepieces and a basic star diagonal. At 6.8 kg for the tube, the Lantern 130 needs a sturdy equatorial head or a stable alt-az mount with a broad base. The 6x30 finderscope helps you locate targets before you move to the eyepiece.

Typical targets include the craters along the lunar terminator, the cloud bands of Jupiter, and the rings of Saturn at high power. Under dark skies, you can also find brighter Messier objects such as the Orion Nebula, the Hercules Cluster, and the Andromeda Galaxy, which show more structure at this aperture than at smaller sizes.

About this configuration

The Varrow Lantern 130 Newtonian reflector is offered in several configurations, and the notes below describe what this particular combination adds or changes. The included alt-az mount moves up and down and side to side, so you point the telescope by hand without polar alignment. Manual alt-az motion suits visual observing, though you need to nudge the tube now and then to follow objects as the sky turns. The carbon fiber tube expands less as the temperature drops, so the focus point drifts less as the night cools.

No accessory kit is included, which suits observers who already own eyepieces and want to reuse them. This is the 2023 edition of the Lantern line, the earliest version that is still listed in the catalog. The optical figures in the specifications table apply to this configuration and to every other version of the Varrow Lantern 130 Newtonian reflector.

What's in the box

• Optical tube assembly with primary mirror cell
• Secondary mirror on four-vane spider
• Tube rings with dovetail bar
• 1.25 in star diagonal
• 1.25 in 25 mm eyepiece
• 6x30 finderscope with bracket
• Collimation Allen key
• Front and rear dust caps
• Alt-az mount with aluminum tripod

Compatibility notes

• Accepts 1.25 in eyepieces and star diagonals directly in the dual-speed focuser.
• The dovetail bar fits most equatorial heads with a standard 1-inch-wide saddle.
• The focuser does not include a 2 in adapter.