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Explore Scientific
Explore Scientific AR127 Refractor
The AR127 is a 127mm f/7.5 achromatic refractor — a big, bright, wide-field visual scope that delivers impressive views of open clusters, large nebulae, and the Moon. At 127mm aperture, the light-collecting area is meaningfully larger than the popular 102mm class, and the f/7.5 focal ratio keeps chromatic aberration within acceptable limits for visual use (you will notice colour fringing on very bright objects, but it is not distracting on typical deep-sky targets). The 3-inch dual-speed Crayford focuser is excellent for a scope at this price point. For observers who want a large, rich-field visual instrument without paying apochromatic prices, the AR127 offers very good value.
Product image
What you'll see
The Cloudy Nights forum discussions provided do not contain first-hand observing reports from Explore Scientific AR127 owners describing what they actually see through this specific telescope model. The two forum threads analyzed focus on a new ES 62-degree eyepiece line (unrelated to the AR127) and a purchase advice thread comparing 102mm APOs versus 152mm achromats, where the AR127 is not discussed as an owned instrument. To provide authentic, grounded information about targets and observing experience with the AR127, forum posts from users who actively own and use this specific model would be required. Without such reports present in the available discussion threads, any synthesis would constitute invention rather than extraction of community knowledge.
Worth knowing before you buy
The AR152 f/6.
The AR152 is very large, heavy, and unwieldy for manual equatorial mounts, requiring at minimum a CG5 mount which adds significant cost and bulk to the system.
The fast f/6.
Head to head
How it compares
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Full Specifications
Optics
| Aperture | 127mm |
| Focal Length | 952mm |
| Focal Ratio | f/7.5 |
| Optical Design | Refractor |
| Coatings | Fully multi-coated achromatic doublet |
Mount & Tracking
| GoTo (Computerised) | No |
| Tracking | No |
Focuser
| Focuser Size | 2" |
| Focuser Type | 3-inch dual-speed Crayford |
Physical
| OTA Weight | 5.8kg |
| Tube Length | 1000mm |
| Tube Material | Aluminium |
Included Accessories
| Diagonal | No |