Celestron 114LCM Computerized Telescope

114mm Newtonian Optics: 265x More Light for Bright Views

The heart of the 114LCM is its 114mm (4.49") primary mirror, which provides enough light-gathering power to reveal impressive detail on celestial objects. The 1000mm focal length and f/8.77 focal ratio create a versatile system capable of both wide-field views and high-magnification planetary observation. This design allows you to resolve the cloud bands of Jupiter, the rings of Saturn, and countless craters on the Moon with the included 111x eyepiece.

For deep-sky objects, the 265x light-gathering power brings faint targets like the Orion Nebula (M42) and the Pleiades star cluster (M45) into view from suburban skies. The optics are fully coated to increase light transmission and contrast, ensuring the brightest possible images reach your eye.

NexStar+ GoTo System: Your Automated Guide to 40,000 Objects

The 114LCM's motorized altazimuth mount eliminates the two biggest challenges for beginners: finding objects and tracking them. After a simple SkyAlign procedure where you center any three bright stars, the telescope knows its exact orientation. From there, the NexStar+ hand control gives you direct access to a 40,000-object database.

• Automated Slewing and Tracking: Select a planet, galaxy, or nebula from the hand control, and the 114LCM will slew to it in seconds and keep it centered in the eyepiece. The mount features sidereal, solar, and lunar tracking rates.
• Sky Tour Feature: If you're not sure what to look at, the "Sky Tour" function generates a list of the best objects currently visible from your location, creating a customized observing session for you.
• Nine Slew Speeds: The mount offers nine different speeds to accurately center objects, from rapid slewing across the sky to fine adjustments for perfect framing.

Celestron 114LCM vs. Manual Telescopes: The GoTo Advantage

For a beginner, the primary advantage of the 114LCM over a non-computerized telescope is the time saved. While a manual telescope requires you to learn star-hopping techniques to locate faint, invisible-to-the-naked-eye targets, the 114LCM's GoTo system does the work for you. This means you spend your night observing, not hunting.

The computerized tracking is another critical benefit. Without it, celestial objects drift out of the eyepiece in under a minute at high power due to the Earth's rotation. The 114LCM's mount continuously corrects for this movement, keeping your target perfectly centered for extended, relaxed viewing or for sharing the view with others.

Complete Digital Suite: Starry Night Software and SkyPortal App

Your Celestron 114LCM includes a powerful software package to expand your astronomical knowledge. You get a free download of Celestron's Starry Night Basic Edition, a professional-level planetarium program that helps you learn the night sky and plan your observing sessions from your PC or Mac.

For on-the-go control and information, Celestron's free SkyPortal app for iOS and Android turns your smartphone into a celestial guide. While you observe an object through the 114LCM, you can listen to hundreds of audio descriptions within the app, providing context and history for the planets, stars, and galaxies in your eyepiece.