Following in the footsteps of Askar's successful 107PHQ flatfield apo, we take a look at its bigger brother, the 130PHQ. Arriving in a single, very large box, the first thing we noticed about Askar's largest-aperture refractor was the weight, so we were glad we didn't have to carry it too far! Opening the box revealed a substantial and extremely robust carry case, with the telescope held very securely inside. Upon removing the telescope, we found the included adaptors located in their own compartments underneath. In keeping with the colour scheme of other Askar PHQs, the tube was finished nicely in white with black and green accessories.
The 130PHQ has a very professional feel to it, with everything made from machined aluminium and zero plastic. The fit and finish is exceptional; we even had to remove the lens cover to extend the dew shield because it fitted so well that it created suction. But, once the lens cover was removed the dew shield slid smoothly into position and was retained securely by a thumb screw. The large-barrel focuser is silky-smooth and claims to be able to handle up to 8kg in weight, enough for most users' needs. The focuser is also fully rotatable and, again, the fit on this is excellent.
Style and substance
The 130PHQ on its own weighs 10.2kg, with the carry case and supplied accessories making a combined weight of 12.5kg. It was quite apparent this is a telescope that will require a substantial mount to do it justice. As well as its weight, at 1,061mm with its dew shield extended, it's a long tube. Given these two vital statistics, the carry handle on top of the OTA made the telescope surprisingly easy to move around and gave additional security when lifting onto our mount.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة August 2023 من BBC Sky at Night Magazine.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة August 2023 من BBC Sky at Night Magazine.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Could We Find Aliens by Looking for Their Solar Panels?- Designed to reflect ultraviolet and infrared, the panels have a unique fingerprint
Researchers searching for life beyond Earth spend a lot of time thinking about what telltale signs might be detectable astronomically. Forms of unambiguous evidence for the presence of life on another world are known as biosignatures. By extension, techno signatures are indicators of activity by intelligent, civilisation-building life.
Antimatter- In our continuing series, Govert Schilling looks at antimatter, the strange counterpart to most of the matter filling our Universe
Particles and corresponding antiparticles are very much alike, except they have opposite electrical charges. For instance, the antiparticle of the electron - known as the positron - has the same tiny mass, but while electrons carry a negative electrical charge, positrons are positively charged.
Where Have All The Milky Way's Early Stars Gone?- Our Galaxy has a curious lack of pristine stars
The Big Bang produced a Universe filled almost exclusively with hydrogen and helium; all other elements - what astronomers call metals - were produced by stars, supernovae and everything that happens later. So if you can pick out a pristine star with no metals polluting it from among the billions in the Milky Way, then you are likely to have a star dating from our Galaxy's earliest days.
Inside The Sky At Night - Two years ago, exoplanet scientist Hannah Wakeford received some of the first data from the JWST
Two years ago, exoplanet scientist Hannah Wakeford received some of the first data from the JWST. In July's Sky at Night, we discovered what she's learned since then.
How to stack DSLR data in Siril
Easily combine multiple frames to boost detailin your astro photos
Lunar occultation of Saturn
You'll need to strike a balance on 21 August to capture the Moon covering the ringed planet
How to plot a variable star light curve
A rewarding project to chart stars that change brightness
Smartphone photography with a telescope
Mary Mcintyre explains how to get impressive night-sky images using your phone
Once-a-century solar storm is overdue
If a Carrington Event struck today it would be catastrophic, says Minna Palmroth
The new era of human spaceflight
There's been a step-change in crewed space missions since the dawn of the 21st century. Ben Evans charts its course and looks ahead to future horizons
