Telescope Comparison
Celestron NexStar 130SLT vs Orion StarBlast 6 Astro Reflector
One finds objects for you. The other makes you learn the sky — and gives you more aperture in return.
First light
Celestron · 130mm · £499
The guided beginner's telescope
- 130mm newtonian reflector on a computerised mount with motorised tracking
- Good for: Moon, planets, bright nebulae, star clusters, and deep-sky objects
- GoTo system finds any object in its database after initial star alignment — no star atlas needed
- Tracking motors keep objects centred as Earth rotates — useful above 100×, essential for photography
- 8.5kg total — requires a fixed garden spot or car transport
Orion · 150mm
The simple alt-az visual scope
- 150mm newtonian reflector on a simple alt-az mount
- Good for: Moon, planets, bright open clusters
- No alignment required — quick to set up, intuitive to move
- Finding objects requires learning to star-hop: navigate with a finder scope and sky chart
- 5.4kg total — manageable to carry to dark-sky sites
The full picture
The numbers that separate these two scopes — and what they mean at the eyepiece.
Aperture
Orion StarBlast 6 Astro Reflector gathers 1.3× more light. On bright targets — Moon, Saturn, Jupiter — you won't notice. On fainter targets — dim galaxies, faint globular clusters — the gap is real.
Focal length
Orion StarBlast 6 Astro Reflector's longer focal length reaches higher magnification with the same eyepiece — better reach for planetary detail. Celestron NexStar 130SLT's shorter focal length gives a wider true field — better for large open clusters and extended nebulae.
Focal ratio
Same focal ratio — the same eyepiece gives equivalent magnification and true field in both scopes.
Mount type
Celestron NexStar 130SLT adds GoTo — it finds any target in its database after alignment. Orion StarBlast 6 Astro Reflector requires manual navigation.
Weight (OTA)
Celestron NexStar 130SLT's optical tube is 2.5kg lighter. Relevant if you plan to use it on multiple mounts or carry the tube to dark-sky sites separately.
Optical design
Both are Newtonian reflectors — the same optical formula. Any performance difference comes from collimation quality, focal ratio, and eyepiece choice, not the design itself.
At the eyepiece
Celestron
Celestron NexStar 130SLT
The Moon fills the field at low power with more detail than you'll have time to explore on any given night. Saturn's rings are unmistakable from the first session; in good seeing, the Cassini Division — the dark gap between the A and B rings — is a genuine target at higher magnification. Jupiter shows two equatorial cloud bands clearly, the four Galilean moons changing position night to night. The Orion Nebula (M42) shows clear structure — nebulosity spreading around the Trapezium, which splits at moderate power. The Andromeda Galaxy (M31) shows a concentrated core clearly. The Hercules Cluster (M13) shows some resolution at the edges at higher magnification.
Orion
Orion StarBlast 6 Astro Reflector
The Moon fills the field at low power with more detail than you'll have time to explore on any given night. Saturn's rings are unmistakable from the first session; in good seeing, the Cassini Division — the dark gap between the A and B rings — is a genuine target at higher magnification. Jupiter shows two equatorial cloud bands clearly, the four Galilean moons changing position night to night. The Orion Nebula (M42) shows clear structure — nebulosity spreading around the Trapezium, which splits at moderate power. The Andromeda Galaxy (M31) shows a concentrated core clearly. The Hercules Cluster (M13) shows some resolution at the edges at higher magnification.
The real tradeoff
Both scopes are capable. The question is which one fits the way you actually observe.
The Celestron NexStar 130SLT finds any target in its database automatically after alignment — spend the session observing. The Orion StarBlast 6 Astro Reflector asks you to navigate manually but gives you more aperture in return.
If learning the sky sounds like part of the fun, choose the Orion StarBlast 6 Astro Reflector — the extra aperture is a genuine bonus. If you'd rather spend your evenings at the eyepiece than learning to star-hop, the Celestron NexStar 130SLT is the more practical choice for most beginners.
The dark side
Every scope has a personality. Here’s where each one gets difficult.
Celestron
Celestron NexStar 130SLT
Alignment required every session
GoTo star alignment cannot be skipped — the mount needs to know where it is pointing before it can find objects. This adds several minutes to the start of every session, every time.
Collimation: the skill nobody mentions in the listing
The mirrors go out of alignment with use. Stars look bloated rather than sharp when this happens. Users report that a Cheshire eyepiece makes collimation straightforward once learned, but most beginners don't discover they need it until their second or third month.
Orion
Orion StarBlast 6 Astro Reflector
Collimation: the skill nobody mentions in the listing
The mirrors go out of alignment with use. Stars look bloated rather than sharp when this happens. Users report that a Cheshire eyepiece makes collimation straightforward once learned, but most beginners don't discover they need it until their second or third month.
Finding faint objects from a light-polluted garden is genuinely hard
Star-hopping to a globular cluster or dim galaxy from a suburban sky requires learning. Users report a real demoralising phase in the first weeks — landing on the wrong star field, convincing yourself it's the target, then finding out later it wasn't. This improves rapidly with experience.
Which is right for you?
Two different buyers. Two different right answers.
The guided beginner's telescope
Celestron · Celestron NexStar 130SLT
You’ll love this if…
- You want to navigate straight to targets without a star atlas — align once and the scope slews to any object in its database on demand
- You observe from a light-polluted garden where star-hopping to faint deep-sky objects would take most of a clear night
- You want objects to stay centred at high magnification without having to manually nudge the scope every few minutes
This will frustrate you if…
- You find the star alignment required at the start of every session frustrating — GoTo alignment cannot be skipped, and several minutes on a cold night before you can observe is the reality
- You notice that stars look bloated rather than sharp and don't know why — users report this is usually a collimation issue that's straightforward to fix once you know about it, but the listing doesn't mention it
The simple alt-az visual scope
Orion · Orion StarBlast 6 Astro Reflector
You’ll love this if…
- You want the fastest possible setup — no alignment, no polar alignment, just point and look
- Learning the sky by star-hopping feels like part of the appeal, not a barrier to it
- Portability matters — this mount is manageable to carry to a dark-sky site without a car full of equipment
This will frustrate you if…
- You notice that stars look bloated rather than sharp and don't know why — users report this is usually a collimation issue that's straightforward to fix once you know about it, but the listing doesn't mention it
- You try to find faint objects from a light-polluted garden and mostly fail — users report a real demoralising phase in the first weeks of star-hopping that improves quickly but is genuinely discouraging at the start
Our verdict
The Celestron NexStar 130SLT finds every object in its database after alignment — you spend the session observing, not navigating. The Orion StarBlast 6 Astro Reflector asks you to navigate yourself but gives you more aperture for the same money.
If learning the night sky sounds like part of the fun, choose the Orion StarBlast 6 Astro Reflector — the extra aperture is a genuine bonus. If you want to spend your evenings observing rather than navigating, the Celestron NexStar 130SLT is the more honest choice for most beginners. If I had to choose for someone starting out and unsure: the Celestron NexStar 130SLT — find things first, learn the sky later.
Celestron NexStar 130SLT
View Celestron NexStar 130SLT →Orion StarBlast 6 Astro Reflector
View Orion StarBlast 6 Astro Reflector →Deep field: Full specifications
Every data point, for those who want to go further.
Full specifications
Fields highlighted in blue or amber indicate the better value for that spec. Data is manufacturer-stated and may vary.
How much can it see?
| Spec | Celestron NexStar 130SLT | Orion StarBlast 6 Astro Reflector |
|---|---|---|
Apertureⓘ The most important spec — bigger = more light = better views | 130mm | 150mm |
Focal Length Longer = more magnification potential | 650mm | 750mm |
Focal Ratio Lower f-number = wider field of view; higher = more magnification per eyepiece | f/5 | f/5 |
Optical Design The type of optics — each design has different strengths | Newtonian Reflector | Newtonian Reflector |
Coatings Better coatings = more light transmission through the optics | Fully multi-coated parabolic mirror | 94% reflectivity parabolic primary mirror |
How do you point it?
| Spec | Celestron NexStar 130SLT | Orion StarBlast 6 Astro Reflector |
|---|---|---|
Mount Type The mechanical system that holds and moves the telescope | GoTo (Computerised) | Alt-Az |
GoToⓘ Computer-controlled pointing — finds any of thousands of objects automatically | ||
Trackingⓘ Motor keeps objects centred as the Earth rotates — essential for astrophotography |
The focuser
| Spec | Celestron NexStar 130SLT | Orion StarBlast 6 Astro Reflector |
|---|---|---|
Focuser Size 2" accepts wider eyepieces and gives better low-power views | 1.25" | 1.25" |
Focuser Type Rack-and-pinion is standard; Crayford and dual-speed are smoother | Rack and pinion | Rack and pinion |
Size & weight
| Spec | Celestron NexStar 130SLT | Orion StarBlast 6 Astro Reflector |
|---|---|---|
OTA Weightⓘ Optical tube only — useful for comparing mount load capacity | 2.9kg | 5.4kg |
Total Weightⓘ Full setup including mount — this is what you lug to the car | 8.5kg | 5.4kg |
Tube Length | 620mm | 635mm |
Tube Material | Steel | Steel |
What's in the box?
| Spec | Celestron NexStar 130SLT | Orion StarBlast 6 Astro Reflector |
|---|---|---|
Eyepieces Included eyepieces — more is better, but quality matters more than quantity | 25mm and 9mm eyepieces | 25mm and 10mm Sirius Plössl |
Finder Scope Helps you locate areas of the sky before switching to the main eyepiece | StarPointer red dot finder | EZ Finder II red dot |
Diagonal Tilts the eyepiece 90° for comfortable viewing — useful on refractors |
Blue highlight: Celestron NexStar 130SLT advantage · Amber highlight: Orion StarBlast 6 Astro Reflector advantage · Greyed cells: equal or subjective.