If you wish to observe planets and the Moon in excessive magnifications and see exact, clear views of deep sky objects the computerized Celestron NexStar 6SE is tough to beat. When you’ve leveled it, aligned it, targeted it, and received to know its GoTo system the Celestron NexStar 6SE delivers hit after hit. Although its GoTo tech is displaying its age, with the idea of a wired hand controller is shortly changing into outdated within the age of the web.

Why you possibly can belief Digital Digital camera World Our professional reviewers spend hours testing and evaluating services and products so you possibly can select one of the best for you. Discover out extra about how we check .

How nicely have you learnt the night time sky? The Celestron NexStar 6SE assumes nothing, however are able to find and pointing the telescope at any three vibrant stars. If you are able to do that then this computerized GoTo telescope’s SkyAlign tech robotically aligns itself. It’s intelligent stuff – and it’s definitely why the Celeston NexStar vary function as a few of the finest computerized telescopes (opens in new tab).

Nonetheless, the Celestron NexStar 6SE isn’t geared toward learners, the excessive worth makes certain of that, although there are few GoTo telescopes this straightforward to make use of this aspect being a totally fledged sensible telescope (opens in new tab).

Resplendent in its iconic orange livery, the Celestron NexStar 6SE’s diminutive optical tube is right down to its Schmidt-Cassegrain optical system, some of the standard designs for beginner astronomers.

However is the Celestron NexStar 6SE telescope a worthy buy for eager stargazers? Right here’s every little thing you’ll want to find out about why to purchase – and why to not purchase – the Celestron NexStar 6SE.

Specs

Optical design: Schmidt-Cassegrain reflector

Aperture: 5.9”/150mm

Focal size: 59”/1500mm

Focal ratio: f/10

Eyepiece focal size: 1”/25 mm (60x)

Complete equipment weight: 21 lbs/9.5 kg

Mount kind: motorized altazimuth

The Celestron NexStar 6SE telescope sports activities Celestron’s iconic orange coloring (Picture credit score: Jamie Carter)

(opens in new tab)

Key Options

The Celestron NexStar 6SE is a Schmidt–Cassegrain catadioptric telescope of the sort that’s been standard with beginner astronomers for many years. It sits on a single fork arm motorized mount that doubles because the brains behind a computerized GoTo system. If in case you have little data of the night time sky then that is gold mud.

You choose an object from a database on this telescope’s hard-wired NexStar+ hand controller and the Celestron NexStar 6SE slews proper to it. Its database has 40,000 objects and you may also go off-catalog and manually enter celestial coordinates if you wish to examine, say, a passing comet.

The Celestron NexStar 6SE telescope comes with a 25mm eyepiece solely (Picture credit score: Jamie Carter)

(opens in new tab)

The Celestron NexStar 6SE has a 6-inch aperture and comes with a single 25mm eyepiece. The inclusion of just one optic is a disgrace, because the telescope’s focal size makes excessive magnifications – as excessive as 350x – attainable and usable in case you add your individual higher-power eyepieces. The eyepieces sit in a star diagonal in the back of the optical tube, which makes it simpler to have a look at objects with out having to be instantly behind the telescope.

Whereas the Celestron NexStar 6SE telescope isn’t designed to be among the finest telescopes for astrophotography (opens in new tab), it’s attainable to connect a digital camera to the again of the Celestron NexStar 6SE utilizing a T-adaptor (opens in new tab). Pictures of the lunar floor are the almost definitely goal.

Celestron NexStar 6SE telescope has a Schmidt–Cassegrain catadioptric design (Picture credit score: Jamie Carter)

(opens in new tab)

Construct & Dealing with

The Celestron NexStar 6SE’s fork mount is a straightforward altazimuth design – as most motorized GoTo telescopes are – so there’s no must become involved in difficult polar alignments and balancing utilizing counterweights, as is important on equatorial mounts.

Though its aluminum optical tube is light-weight, the Celestron NexStar 6SE isn’t the best telescope you’ll ever maneuver from your home to your yard. Many of the blame goes to its tripod, which has a really giant footprint when arrange, although it retains the Celestron NexStar 6SE secure. Being fully stage on a tough floor is equally as necessary if the Celestron NexStar 6SE’s GoTo system is to work precisely.

The very best recommendation is to set it up whereas it’s nonetheless gentle as a result of in addition to having to make use of a spirit stage (a small and extremely losable one is supplied within the field) it’s additionally essential to align the Star Pointer pink dot finderscope. As soon as that’s achieved the StarAlign system works nicely, although you possibly can forestall time-consuming failures by selecting vibrant stars which can be as removed from one another as attainable. It takes barely longer to manually slew between from side to side, nevertheless it’s price it.

The Celestron NexStar 6SE telescope has a keypad for programmable exploration (Picture credit score: Jamie Carter)

(opens in new tab)

Efficiency

The Celestron NexStar 6SE is a superb telescope for observing just about something within the night time sky. When you’ve leveled it, aligned it, targeted it, and received to know its GoTo system the Celestron NexStar 6SE delivers hit after hit.

Our first goal was Mars, its pink hue instantly apparent, with different photo voltaic system targets much more spectacular. Jupiter’s moons had been introduced clearly across the big planet’s vibrant, fortunately, optically exact disk. There was no trace of any shade fringing round this vibrant object. Ditto a First Quarter Moon, on which we noticed the sunshine and shadow near the sundown/dawn line. We may clearly see the magnificent Apennine Mountains, utilizing high-power eyepieces to survey Mare Imbrium and the Archimedes crater in spectacular element.

We additionally went off-catalog and went looking out the heavens for comet C/2022 E3 (opens in new tab) because it handed its closest to Earth. Googling then manually getting into the RA (proper ascension) and Dec (declination) – coordinates on the sky that correspond to longitude and latitude on Earth – was a little bit of a ache, however the Celestron NexStar 6SE produced a good view of this faint and diffuse object.

Nonetheless, what actually delighted us had been tack-sharp views of the mirrored starlight on the Orion Nebula’s interstellar cloud. Optically, the Celestron NexStar 6SE is vastly spectacular – however you will want to purchase some good high quality eyepieces to get one of the best from it.

(Picture credit score: Jamie Carter)

(opens in new tab)

Verdict

Sharp, exact, and with spectacular StarBright XLT optical coatings that keep away from any optical nasties, the Celestron NexStar 6SE is a telescope to save lots of up for and use for a few years.

Nonetheless, it’s not with out its foibles and there are some causes to suppose that the Celestron NexStar 6SE and its GoTo ilk will quickly be in line for a tech refresh as a result of the idea of a wired hand controller is shortly changing into outdated.

You’ll find out extra about our astronomy protection at Digital Digital camera World, with our guides to the sky this month (opens in new tab), or get impressed with the most recent pictures from the James Webb House Telescope (opens in new tab).