The most aperture per dollar, and an alignment to keep · review
National Geographic's 114/500 Newtonian: a 114 mm mirror at 500 mm focal length on an alt-azimuth mount and full-size tripod, with two eyepieces giving 19x and 51.5x, a red-dot finder and a smartphone adapter.
A 114 mm mirror at 500 mm is f/4.4, a fast Newtonian. Fast mirrors give wide, bright, low-power views: the whole Pleiades, the Orion Nebula with room around it, the Milky Way’s star clouds.
National Geographic gives the two magnifications, 19x and 51.5x, but not the eyepiece focal lengths. With 500 mm of focal length they are about 26 mm and 9.7 mm.
An alt-azimuth mount on a full-size tripod, a red-dot finder and a smartphone adapter for snapshots of the Moon.
A fast mirror needs to be collimated accurately, and simple eyepieces soften toward the edge. Neither is a reason to avoid it; both are worth knowing. See when the image is soft.
51.5x is the top supplied power. A 6 mm eyepiece or a Barlow brings Saturn’s rings and Jupiter’s belts into reach.
On November 7, 2026, Amazon.com listed it at about $75 from a third-party seller.
Figures as Keepa reported them on the day this page was last updated. Stock and pricing shift without warning.
Prices quoted in this text were read on November 7, 2026. The live price is at the top of the page.
Same aisle, closest price — what the same spend else shows.
| Aperture | 114 mm (4.5 in), stated |
|---|---|
| Focal length and ratio | 500 mm (19.7 in) · f/4.4, the quotient of the two published figures |
| Optical design | Newtonian reflector |
| Mirror coating | Not published by the maker. |
| Secondary obstruction | Not published by the maker. |
| Focuser type | Not published by the maker. |
| Collimation access | Not published by the maker. |
| Tube length | Not published by the maker. |
| Mount supplied | Alt-azimuth mount on a full-size tripod |
| Supplied accessories | Two eyepieces giving 19x and 51.5x (focal lengths not named; about 26 mm and 9.7 mm by arithmetic) · red-dot finder · smartphone adapter |
| Amazon reference | B0D6Q4JVDF |
| EAN | 0811803034099 |
The listing gives only the powers, 19x and 51.5x. With a 500 mm focal length that means about 26 mm and 9.7 mm eyepieces.
It gives wide, bright views, ideal for star fields and large nebulae. It also needs careful collimation and shows the flaws of simple eyepieces at the edge of the field.
About 230x at best. A 6 mm eyepiece (83x) or a 2x Barlow with the 9.7 mm (103x) would add a planetary power.
This model is listed on Amazon.com, at ≈ $75 at the last reading. Listed is not the same as in stock: availability changes daily, and the buy box shows the live price.
Details checked on November 7, 2026.
Wide, bright low-power views of large objects, by someone who will learn to collimate
Listed because the eyepiece or part names this scope.
Specifications: the manufacturer sheet for telescopes and observing optics and the matching Amazon product page. Prices and availability: Keepa. Every figure on this page names its source.
114 mm (4.49 in) mirror · 900 mm (35.4 in) focal length · f/7.9 · alt-azimuth mount
A 114/900 Newtonian reflector on a simple alt-azimuth mount and aluminum tripod, supplied with 25, 9 and 4 mm eyepieces, a 6x30 finder, a 1.5x erecting lens and a 3x Barlow.
Best for: A family telescope for planets and bright deep-sky objects, where nobody wants to learn polar alignment
114 mm (4.5 in) Newtonian · German equatorial with slow-motion altitude rod · 20 mm and 4 mm eyepieces · 3x Barlow
Celestron's PowerSeeker 114EQ: a 114 mm Newtonian on a manual German equatorial mount with a slow-motion altitude rod, supplied with 20 mm and 4 mm eyepieces and a 3x Barlow.
Best for: A first equatorial reflector bought on price
≈ $180
127 mm (5 in) Newtonian · German equatorial with slow-motion altitude rod · 20 mm and 4 mm eyepieces · 3x Barlow
Celestron's PowerSeeker 127EQ: a 127 mm Newtonian on a manual German equatorial mount with a slow-motion altitude rod, supplied with 20 mm and 4 mm eyepieces and a 3x Barlow.
Best for: The most aperture on this shelf for about $200
≈ $200
