As an amateur astronomer in Stockholm, I recently acquired a used NexStar 127SLT telescope to pursue my passion for stargazing. The telescope came with 25mm and 9mm eyepieces, which have provided excellent views of the Moon’s craters and jagged terrain. However, I’m now exploring what other celestial objects might be visible through this instrument.
Given Stockholm’s significant light pollution, I’m curious whether I could observe deep-sky objects like the Orion Nebula directly through the eyepiece, or if such views are only possible through astrophotography. I’ve also read that Mars’ ice caps should be visible with this telescope, though my attempts have so far only revealed a small, featureless point of light. The included eyepieces feel somewhat restrictive in their field of view, leaving me to wonder if additional eyepieces might enhance my viewing experience and reveal more details in these celestial targets.
I remember feeling the same mix of excitement and limitation when I upgraded to a similar scope—that initial view of the Moon’s craters is breathtaking, but then you hit that wall with light pollution and basic eyepieces. Your point about Mars appearing as a featureless dot is spot-on; I found that waiting for a night of exceptional atmospheric stability and using a higher-quality 6mm eyepiece finally revealed a hint of its polar cap for me. Have you considered a wider-field eyepiece, like a 32mm Plössl, to help gather more light for those faint deep-sky objects from the city?
Thanks for sharing your experience—it’s encouraging to hear that patience and a better eyepiece eventually brought Mars’ ice cap into view for you. From my own sessions with the 127SLT in Stockholm, I’ve found that the Orion Nebula is indeed visible as a faint, misty patch even with light pollution, especially using the 25mm eyepiece on a clear, moonless night. You might enjoy joining the local Stockholm Astronomical Society’s observing meets; they often have darker sky spots and can offer hands-on advice about eyepiece choices. I’d love to hear how your next attempt goes—please keep us posted!
I remember feeling that same mix of excitement and limitation when I started with my 127mm scope—the Moon is stunning, but then you hit that wall of light pollution. Your point about Mars appearing as a featureless dot is spot on; planetary viewing really demands steady air and often higher magnification than a 9mm can provide on its own. I found adding a decent 6mm eyepiece made a world of difference for Saturn’s rings and Jupiter’s bands. Have you considered a light pollution filter to help tease out the Orion Nebula from your city sky?
Thanks for sharing your experience—adding that 6mm eyepiece is indeed a game-changer for planetary detail, and I’m glad it worked for you. For the Orion Nebula from Stockholm, a light pollution filter can help, but even without one, you should see its hazy core directly through your 25mm eyepiece on a clear, moonless night. I’d love to hear how it goes if you give it a try, or what you spot next with your scope.
I remember feeling that same mix of excitement and limitation when I started with my 127mm scope—the Moon is stunning, but then you hit that wall trying for planets and DSOs. Your point about Mars appearing as a featureless point really resonates; I had to wait for a night of exceptional atmospheric stability and use a higher magnification eyepiece than my 9mm to even hint at the polar cap. For targets like the Orion Nebula from a city, a narrowband light pollution filter was a game-changer for me, letting me see the core structure directly. Have you considered trying any filters for Stockholm’s skies?
Thanks for sharing your experience—it’s so true that a night of exceptional stability and that extra magnification can transform Mars from a dot into a world. A narrowband filter is a fantastic suggestion for Stockholm’s skies; it can indeed make the Orion Nebula’s core visible by cutting through the glow, and I’ve found that even from the city, starting with the 25mm eyepiece on the 127SLT helps frame it nicely. I’d love to hear how it goes if you give a filter a try, or what other targets you’ve been working on.
As a fellow amateur astronomer with the same telescope, I find its high focal length and relatively small aperture make it surprisingly good for observing faint, distant objects in detail.
After purchasing the scope, I added an inexpensive set of eyepieces, including a 40mm Plössl that lowers magnification and widens the field of view. This makes it easier to view larger objects like the Andromeda Galaxy and helps keep them centered in the frame.
I’m also experimenting with astrophotography using a camera and stacking software. While I haven’t had much success yet, I’m enjoying the learning process. I plan to add a focal reducer to reduce magnification and minimize guiding errors. Using the scope on a friend’s equatorial mount made a noticeable difference in stability compared to the original mount, so an EQ mount is my next planned upgrade. This should allow for longer exposures and help compensate for the challenging focal ratio.
Despite its limitations, I really enjoy using this telescope. From my light-polluted backyard, I’ve spent time observing the Hercules cluster, watching more stars gradually come into view. It’s even more impressive at a dark site, so I’d recommend looking for a local star party if possible.
While I haven’t seen Mars’ ice caps, I have clearly observed Saturn’s rings and, on nights with excellent seeing, even the stripes on Jupiter.
This telescope is a Maksutov-Cassegrain design with a long focal length—1500mm in this case. That makes it excellent for viewing the Moon and planets with high magnification. As you noted, the field of view will be quite narrow, but online tools can help you calculate it with different eyepieces.
You can also observe double stars, which appear as single points of light but split into two or even three stars through the telescope. Globular clusters are visible as well, provided you’re in an area with minimal light pollution.
Galaxies will likely be difficult or impossible to see, as they’re extremely faint and this telescope’s F/18 focal ratio isn’t sensitive enough to capture them. Telescopes always involve a trade-off between focal length and focal ratio.
A few bright deep-sky objects, such as the Orion Nebula or Andromeda Galaxy, may be visible depending on your local light pollution levels.
I have this telescope among others. You can see the Orion Nebula with it, as it’s the brightest nebula, but it won’t look like photos. The Ring Nebula is another easy-to-find bright nebula, though it’s much smaller than Orion.
Mars is only close to Earth for about two months every two years. Right now, it’s about five times farther away and appears five times smaller than at its closest, so there isn’t much to see currently. When it’s close, you can make out ice caps and surface variations. Saturn and many of its moons are visible now, and Jupiter will be in a few months.
Double stars are great targets for this scope. Start with Albireo, which is well-positioned and one of the most famous. There are thousands of double stars if you enjoy them.
Open clusters are viewable, but many brighter ones are large enough that you’ll only see parts at a time. Globular clusters are visible too, though they may appear as gray smudges under moderate light pollution. You can also see the core of the Andromeda Galaxy, but it will look like a gray fuzz.
Thank you for all the suggestions! I’ll look into them and try observing other objects besides the moon. I did manage to get a nice photo of it yesterday using my iPhone through the eyepiece.
Do you have any recommendations for mounting a camera on the telescope? Holding it by hand wasn’t ideal.
Also, should I invest in additional eyepieces now, or is it better to get more familiar with the telescope first?
Thank you for the detailed list!