NexStar 6SE Computerized Telescope – 6-Inch Schmidt-Cassegrain Optical Tube – Fully Automated GoTo Mount with SkyAlign – Ideal for Beginners and Advanced Users – 40,000+ Object Database

I have owned several scopes over the years: a Meade ETX-90, an Orion 6" DOB, and a Zhumell 10" DOB (which I returned - read on). When I recently renewed my passion for astronomy earlier this year (2010), I started pulling out my little ETX-90 on a regular basis. Unfortunately, the aperture size and long focal length really limited my viewing to Saturn. I decided it was time to go for something with a bit more power. I bought the 10" DOB I mentioned above. It wasn't passed than the third trip outside, precariously carrying the OTA (Optical Tube Assembly) while "butting" the door open and avoiding hitting my dining room table, that I decided I needed to return that monstrosity for something more portable (by the way, it was a wonderful scope! If you can store it where moving it isn't a problem, it'll do the job!). Enter the Celestron NexStar 6SE. When the scope arrived, I opened the box and pulled out the parts. Having watched the instructional video on how to assemble the item earlier in the day, I didn't even need to look at the directions to get it put together. The tripod was solid and had little play. The OTA was easy to "drop" onto the pins on the tripod, and then I only needed to lock down the three knobbed screws to mount the scope completely. I did need to align the viewfinder, which was easy enough by lining up on Venus. I had forgotten how much I liked the GOTO system (my old ETX-90's mount had long ago stopped functioning). For the 6SE, I used the NexStar alignment method on my first attempt, which simply required 3 bright objects in the sky - I did not need to know what the objects were (you will, however, have to enter some other info like your latitude and longitude, time zone, date and time. Your latitude and longitude is easily found online). It was now time for the first viewing. I selected my old standby, Saturn. The scope slewed very quickly to the object, even going back and forth a bit to account for any play in the gears. When I looked through the low powered eye piece (25mm), Saturn was just left of center (likely my fault on the initial alignment). I then manually centered the planet and replaced my eye piece with a higher powered piece - a 9mm lens. All I can say is wow. I live a few miles from the Pittsburgh International Airport, so light pollution is a real problem for me. But, Saturn came in as crisp as I have ever seen it, and 4 of her moons were very easily discernible. However, planetary viewing isn't so difficult with even the most basic scope. I decided to try a few more difficult targets. I could see that The Big Dipper was out, so I typed in M51 - The Whirlpool Galaxy. After a few quick moments of slewing, I took to the eyepiece again (back to the 25mm, btw), and there were two "eyes" looking at me (M51 is actually two galaxies). Of course with bad seeing conditions and a 6" scope, I could not make out any of the "arms" of the galaxy, but I could easily see the telltale fuzzy eyes. I was quite surprised I was able to resolve them that easily with the smaller aperture on this scope! I don't remember my old 6" DOB having that easy of a time, but maybe that was due to the GOTO capability of this item. Next, I turned my attention to M81 and M82, two other galaxies very close to The Dipper. They came in great, with M82 showing off its profile nicely even with my (relatively) bad seeing conditions. Finally, I hit M3, which is a brilliant globular star cluster. The cluster was a wonderful view in this scope. Switching to a higher power eye piece caused many stars to shimmer in and out of view - it was jaw dropping. Anyway, I wanted to point out that, if you need a portable scope that is capable of showing you some wonderful astronomical sights, this scope fits the bill. Although another reviewer is right in that the stock eye pieces aren't incredible (nor are any other stock pieces!), you would certainly be happy with this scope for the occasional "quick" viewing session. Heck, put a few additional dollars (well, a few hundred!) down for some better eye pieces, and you'll be thrilled for years to come! One final note: due to the design of the Schmidt Cassegrain scope, you are almost required to buy a dew shield, unless you live in Phoenix or some other really dry area. Here in the northeast, my scope fogged up very quickly. I was able to build a temporary dew shield with some black construction paper that worked fine, but that's no long term solution. Astronomy is certainly not a cheap hobby! Overall, I am very pleased with this scope. And, unless you are more than casually into this hobby, I think you will be, too.

I bought the 6SE through Amazon and also bought the Celestron lense/filter collection and the AC adapter. Everything arrived on time and intact, despite UPS's best attempts to damage the telescope box. Kudos to Celestron for their packaging. Collimation was perfect right out of the box and didn't need adjustment. I've used the scope on virtually every clear night for the last month and am very impressed. Sky Align is a breeze. The only times it has failed I either forgot to enter the correct date or time. After that it is a matter of finding 3 bright objects in the night sky and centering them in your eyepiece. HINT: I use the 27mm eyepiece to initially find each object (after using the finder scope) and then add the 2X Barlow to more accurately center the object. I usually pick some star in the Big Dipper, Capella, and for the time being Jupiter as my alignment objects. Works every time I input the right info. There is a bit of a learning curve so don't expect the unit to bend to your will until you've learned the system. The 'Identify' feature is great for a newbie astronomer like me: Point at the object and NextStar tells you what it is. I've spent a lot of time viewing Jupiter and images of it and the 4 visible moons are clear and crisp using the provided 27mm eyepiece as well as the 9mm and 15mm eyepieces I purchased separately, all 3 alone and with the 2X Barlow. Tracking is not all that accurate unless you sync to the object (in the 'Align' menu. Then it is much better. A list of Strengths and Weaknesses as I see it: Strengths: 1. The price and low cost of accessories. 2. The clear images. 3. Ease of setup and alignment. 4. Portability of the SC design. Weakness: 1. The provided level is junk. I use a 4" builders bull's eye level for much better accuracy. 2. You must remove the telescope from the tripod for leveling. Leveling with the scope attached to the tripod produces an error of approximately 1.5 degrees. In that respect it would have been nice if Celestron built an accurate level rather than the logo into the base. 3. The AC adapter turns with the scope so it is possible to unplug it or entwine your tripod during a night's viewing. If you unplug you lose your alignment, so always have batteries installed even if you use the AC adapter. A nice future upgrade would be to install the plug for the adapter in the non moving part of the base. It merely requires 2 contacts on 2 spiral tracks between the movable and stationary parts of the base. 4. Unless you use the Sync option, alignment seems to deteriorate over the course of a couple of hours. I am careful with the initial alignment as detailed above so I do not think that is the problem, rather something in the software. This is evidenced over the course of an evening by slewing back to an object (Jupiter in my case) using the GOTO Planet on the keypad. Over a period of time each return is farther to the left of center and lower in the field of view. 5. Keeps me outside on cold nights exploring the skies rather than inside by the fire. Still a 5-star product I am very happy with.

This is my second scope. The first was a Bushnell 4.5 inch reflector of disputable quality. The mirror was good, but I had to replace the flimzy tripod and get better eyepieces to even attempt to see anything clearly. This telescope is superior a hundred fold . The image of jupiter, for instance, is crisp and clear with the included 25mm eyepiece, Seeing hasn't been very good here, in Quebec City, these last few days, but I was able to observe the king of planets with a 10mm eyepiece and enjoy details impossible to discern with my old reflector. Allignement of the go to is relatively simple. The hand controller has a red backlight to preserve night vision. However, with the backlight on during allignement, the scrolling of instructions on the hand controller display is unreadable. Tracking is good, but I have noticed that occasionaly, the scope seems to loose track of the object, which makes it necessary to use the hand controller to bring things back on track. One of the reasons I purchased this scope was because it can be easily transported and assembled. The tube need not be removed from the mount. It can be rotated vertically to align with the mount arm into a neat compact package easily storable in my OTA bag. The tripod is also compact and light. Contrary to other comments, I find the tripod and mount well built and sturdy enough for the nexstar. A question of opinion, I suppose. I purchased the 18774 power tank with this scope, which I think is essential. The tracking motor will eat through the required AA batteries in no time. I also burchased the AC adapter. There is only one 25mm eyepiece included with the scope. The purchase of a few more of different magnification, a barlow and a few filters such as a lunar filter is a good idea. However, the nexstar is highly usable with the included accessory. There are many resources on the web which are helpful in the use of this SCT. Michael Swanson's Nexstar site, for one, has a lot of good info, although some of it seems outdated. Youtube is also a good source of valuable information. Included in the box: Scope and tripod (obviously) , tripod accessory tray, level for the tripod, 25mm eyepiece, 1.25 inch Star diagonal, Starpointer finderscope, The Sky Level 1 Astronomy Software, NexRemote telescope control software, RS232 Cable (you'll need an RS232 to USB adapter for newer computers) The good: Crisp image Easy assembly Easily transportable and storable Sturdy enough tripod Easy alignement with the hand controller The Bad: Scrolling text on the hand controller is unreadable when backlight is on. Tracking sometimes lost. To conclude, I have so far no regrets with my purchase. And although I have only a few hours of observations with the scope, I am quite satisfied. With mars and saturn soon to be in opposition, I believe the next few weeks will bring loads of astronomical fun. ***After a couple months of use, I thought it would be a good idea to share my experience with this scope. I had mentionned in my initial review that the scrolling text on the hand controller (HC) was unreadable at night, with the red backlight on. As I navigated through the numerous menus on the HC, I realized that I could set the speed of the scrolling, which pretty well solved that problem. So scratch that from the "Bad". The gears in this scope produce some backlash. This problem is well documented on the web and must be taken into consideration when attempting to do a proper star alignement and expect the scope to center on planets. Without some ajustements in the settings of the HC, planets will never align properly in your eye piece once the star alignement has been performed. I've found some very helpful astronomy forums with valuable info regarding different settings to minimize the impact of this backlash. I've added a spotting scope which makes the optical tube back heavy. I had no idea that this could have an impact on the the alignement, but it does. Call that a newb's mistake, I suppose . All in all, my experience with this telescopes has greatly improved with the knowledge collected on the web. So, the second point on my "bad" list still applies, but it can be remedied. My allignements are still not perfect. I still have to test some settings, but I'm getting very close. It's only a matter of time. But all this does not minimize the fact that this great telescope has enabled me to observe the marvels of our solar system and beyond with a clarity that truly amazes me. It's easy to set up, light and transportable. A great buy for a beginner like myself, and certainly for more experienced amateur astronomers. And worthy of its fifth star. (PS. The celestron GPS for this scope is a very helpful addition, by the way.) Celestron 93969 SkySync GPS Accessory

Very nice and easy-to-use and assemble final i saw Jupiter

Il prodotto è di buona fattura, non ho trovato difetti di sorta. Buono anche l'imballaggio che può essere usato anche per lo stoccaggio dello strumento. Il treppiede è ben fatto e solido ed è di rapido montaggio con la testa della montatura. Per i principianti come me, consiglio di scaricare il software Celestron per aiutare l'allineamento del telescopio e per l'update del computer della montatura. Sono molto soddisfatto dell' acquisto.

La serie Nexstar SE ha sido reconocida por muchos años por su excelente relación calidad - precio, y el modelo 6SE no es la excepción. Los materiales de construcción son de la mejor calidad, y destaca la firmeza del tripe para mantener al tubo óptico con la menor vibración posible. La curva de aprendizaje es aceptable incluso para un principiante, sin embargo yo lo colocaría en una categoria intermedia. La ventaja en este sentido es que el 6SE es uno de los telescopios más usados, por tanto existe mucha información y experiencias compartidas en línea. La óptica Schmidt - Cassegrain lo hace un excelente telescopio para observaciones planetarias, lunares y solares (con el filtro apropiado). Sin embargo, también da resultados aceptables con objetos de espacio profundo brillantes y de tamaño angular pequeño (nebulosas planetarias, cúmulos globulares, y algunas galaxias). Finalmente el tamaño del tubo óptico es un excelente equilibrio entre apertura y potabilidad, ofreciendo una buena capacidad de acumulación de luz, sin incrementar demasiado el peso y volumen para transportarlo con facilidad. En pocas palabras, difícilmente te puedes arrepentir de invertir en este telescopio. Cielos despejados!

This is my first telescope since I was a teen. Setting up the telescope wasn’t easy. Need patience, but once set up great views. As the telescope only comes with one lens, you should include additional lenses with greater magnification.