Explore Scientific Sidara Nano 114 114mm Newtonian Telescope with Alt-Azimuth Mount

Product Overview

The Explore Scientific Sidara Nano 114 is a complete telescope package built around a 114mm Newtonian reflector on a lightweight Nano alt-azimuth mount. Explore Scientific describes it as a short focal length instrument, chosen so the field of view stays wide and finding objects stays straightforward, and the package is supplied with the telescope, the Nano mount, a tripod, eyepieces and accessories.

The other element Explore Scientific highlights is SkyAssist, an integrated navigation technology intended to simplify locating objects. They describe the function rather than the mechanism, so the operational detail is not something we will invent here — we can put the specific question to our Explore Scientific rep if it is the deciding factor for you.

What 114mm of aperture means in practice is fixed by physics rather than by marketing: an area roughly 265 times that of a fully dark-adapted 7mm eye pupil. That is enough for the Galilean moons, the phases of Venus, the cratered lunar terminator in detail, the brighter Messier clusters and the larger nebulae.

Who It's For

• Observers who want aperture without bulk: a 114mm mirror gathers substantially more light than a small refractor, and the Nano mount is built around keeping the whole package light enough to carry out in one trip.
• Casual and spontaneous observers: this is a good match if you want something that goes from the cupboard to the driveway in a couple of minutes rather than something that needs a setup ritual.
• Observers who prefer alt-azimuth motion: up-down and left-right is how the sky looks from where you are standing, without the equatorial step of polar alignment.
• Anyone who wants navigation help: this is a good match if star-hopping from printed charts is not how you want to spend your first hour under the sky.
• Wide-field observers: a short focal ratio keeps large clusters and nebulae inside a single field rather than filling it with a fraction of the object.

Key Features & Design

• 114mm Newtonian reflector: mirror optics, which means no chromatic aberration of any kind — a mirror reflects every wavelength to the same focus.
• Short focal length: specified by Explore Scientific as the basis for the wide viewing angles that make locating objects easier.
• Nano alt-azimuth mount: two-axis motion in the directions the eye expects, on a mount designed around portability.
• SkyAssist navigation technology, integrated into the package as Explore Scientific's answer to finding targets.
• Complete package: telescope, Nano mount, tripod, eyepieces and accessories are all part of the published contents.

Optical Design

A Newtonian reflector collects light on a concave primary mirror at the base of the tube and returns it up to a flat secondary mirror set at 45 degrees, which turns the cone of light out through the side of the tube into the focuser. The eyepiece sits near the front of the tube rather than at the back, which is why a Newtonian on an alt-azimuth mount is comfortable to use standing up.

The trade-offs are equally structural. The secondary mirror and its support sit in the light path, which produces the four-point diffraction spikes visible around bright stars. The two mirrors also need to stay aligned with each other, and that alignment — collimation — drifts slowly with transport and handling. It is adjusted with a collimation cap or a laser collimator in a few minutes, and it is a routine maintenance step on any Newtonian rather than a fault. We stock collimation tools and can include one.

Explore Scientific does not publish a focal length, focal ratio, eyepiece specification or weight for this model, so those figures are absent from the specifications below rather than estimated from the model designation. If any of them decides the purchase for you, ask and we will get them confirmed before you order.

Recommended Uses

• Lunar observing, where 114mm resolves crater chains, rilles and terracing along the terminator.
• Planetary viewing — the Galilean moons, Saturn's rings, Venus through its phases and Mars near opposition.
• Bright deep-sky objects: the Orion Nebula, the Pleiades, the Andromeda Galaxy, the brighter globulars.
• Family and backyard observing where quick setup decides whether the telescope actually gets used.

Compatibility and Accessory Notes

• Eyepieces: included in the package. Explore Scientific does not publish which focal lengths are supplied, so the resulting magnifications are not quoted here. Additional 1.25-inch eyepieces are the usual way to extend the range on a telescope of this class.
• Collimation tools: a collimation cap or laser collimator is the standard companion to any Newtonian and keeps the two mirrors working together.
• Filters: a lunar or neutral-density filter takes the glare off a gibbous Moon, which is the accessory most often wanted first with an aperture in this range.
• Mount: the Nano alt-azimuth mount and tripod are part of the package, so nothing further is needed to observe.
• Astrophotography: an alt-azimuth mount without tracking suits short-exposure lunar and planetary work with a smartphone adapter or a planetary camera. Long-exposure deep-sky imaging calls for a tracking equatorial mount, which is a different class of instrument.

Good to Know Before You Order

• Explore Scientific publishes very little numerical specification for this model. Focal length, focal ratio, eyepiece focal lengths, tube length and weight are all absent from their product page, so those rows read as not published rather than carrying an estimate. We are happy to put specific questions to our Explore Scientific rep on your behalf.
• Newtonians need occasional collimation. The two mirrors drift out of alignment slowly with handling and transport, and bringing them back takes a few minutes with a collimation cap. We stock the tools and can walk you through it.
• Diffraction spikes come with the design. The secondary mirror support crosses the light path, so bright stars show four spikes. Many observers consider that part of how a reflector looks.
• An alt-azimuth mount does not track the sky. Objects drift out of the field as the Earth turns and are nudged back by hand, which is normal for this mount type and part of why setup is so quick.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it difficult to set up?

No. The tripod opens, the Nano mount sits on top, the tube goes on the mount and an eyepiece drops into the focuser — a couple of minutes with no polar alignment and no tools. SkyAssist is Explore Scientific's built-in aid for finding objects once you are set up.

What can I expect to see?

114mm gathers roughly 265 times the light of a dark-adapted eye. That covers lunar detail down to small craters, the Galilean moons and Saturn's rings, Venus through its phases, and the brighter clusters, nebulae and galaxies from a reasonably dark site.

What focal length is it?

Explore Scientific does not publish one for this model, so we are not going to quote a figure. If it matters to your decision, ask us and we will get it from our rep first.

Does it track objects automatically?

The Nano is an alt-azimuth mount, which moves in altitude and azimuth by hand. SkyAssist is described by Explore Scientific as navigation technology to make locating objects simpler rather than as a motorised drive.

Can I take photographs with it?

Short-exposure smartphone shots of the Moon work well on a mount like this. Deep-sky imaging needs a tracking equatorial mount and longer exposures than an alt-azimuth head supports.

Bottom Line

In short: a 114mm Newtonian reflector supplied complete with a lightweight Nano alt-azimuth mount, tripod, eyepieces and accessories, with SkyAssist navigation built in and a short focal ratio chosen for wide, easy-to-find fields. Explore Scientific keeps the published figures sparse on this one — if there is a specific number you need before deciding, send us the question and we will get it answered.