Meade Instruments 216004 Polaris 114Eq Reflector Telescope, Metallic Blue;

Developed for beginner and amateur astronomers, the Meade Polaris Series delivers an experience that will have you looking to the skies for many nights to come. Combining an equatorial mount and quality optics with superb value, the Meade Polaris refracting and reflecting telescopes are your gateway to the cosmos.

The Polaris 114 reflecting telescope is great for beginners and amateurs who want to discover more. With a 114mm (4.5") aperture size, the Polaris 114 will deliver bright, clear images for the aspiring astronomer to enjoy. Whether you're viewing the Moon, planets, or deep-sky objects such as nebulae, galaxies, and star clusters, the view through the Polaris 114 will keep you looking up for a long time.

Pros:
A larger aperture to get a better view of deep-sky objects

Once polar aligned, the equatorial mount allows you to locate and track celestial objects because it rotates with the Earth, instead of the up-down left-right directions of an altazimuth mount

Cons:
Reflecting telescopes won't produce right-side up images, so terrestrial viewing is limited

Q: How is this telescope different than other Polaris models (127, 90, 80, etc)?
A: The differences between each model are aperture size and telescope type. The bigger the aperture, the more light-gathering power the telescope will have, resulting in brighter, detailed images. The Polaris 114, 127, and 130 are reflecting telescopes, meaning they use mirrors to produce an image. The Polaris 70, 80, and 90 are refracting telescopes, which use lenses to produce an image. The Polaris 114 has a 114mm aperture, the smallest aperture of the Polaris reflecting telescopes, but larger than the Polaris 70, 80, and 90 refracting telescopes.