It takes a lot of knowledge of the night sky to easily be able to locate the celestial targets that you’re looking for. This is particularly true if you’re looking for deep sky objects that tend to be rather faint, and are often completely invisible to the naked eye. While there are resources such as GoTo mounts and planetarium programs that help with finding objects, not everyone wants an astronomy rig laden with a bunch of extra components. Thankfully, the Celestron NexStar 6SE Computerized Telescope, with its six inch aperture, has you covered. This telescope can function on either the included tripod or as a tabletop device, and comes with an integrated GoTo system that makes target finding a breeze. Whether you’re a beginning amateur astronomer, or a seasoned vet looking to save some precious time, this telescope is a useful machine adds a lot of convenience to your toolkit.
Manufactured by Celestron, one of today’s leading telescope producers, you can be sure of both the quality and the price. At a cost of only $799 (down from $1,359.95) the Celestron NexStar 6SE Computerized Telescope offers a load of value thanks to the built-in computer database of over 40,000 objects and the ability to easily find and view both planetary and deep-sky targets. This telescope is also extremely lightweight and portable, allowing you to wow your friends wherever they may be, as well as bring the scope with you on trips and outings in the field. There is not a better priced computerized telescope on the market, and the iconic Celestron orange tube design rests as a stamp of reassurance, along with Celestron’s staple two year warranty.
Fully-automated GoTo mount with single fork arm design
The Celestron NexStar 6SE Computerized Telescope is designed to make locating your celestial targets as easy as pushing a button, something that other telescopes are certainly capable of, but not without a vast assortment of additional equipment. Instead, Celestron has crafted this telescope with a built in computer that is part of the assembly itself. With Celestron’s Sky Align technology, you simply align the telescope any three bright objects in the sky, and the telescope will be able to orient itself and find any of the 40,000 celestial targets that are pre-programed into its database.
What’s more is that the telescope can be controlled with the detachable hand-held controller that can also provide detailed tours of the best objects to view in the night sky. The telescope is even able to track deep sky objects in real time, with no effort on the part of the user. Simply type in the target, and the telescope will do the work for you with one of its nine different speed settings. Star alignment and target finding simply don’t get any easier.
The telescope also comes with a free copy of Celestron’s CPWI Telescope Control Software, allowing you to not only control the telescope with the hand-held control, but with your computer as well.
The computerized mount can either be charged via eight AA batteries, or with the AC adaptor that can be purchased separately, leaving you options for how to power the device. Plug it in at home on your back porch, or use batteries to take it out with you into the field. You can even purchase a portable power station to save money on batteries over the long term.
This revolutionary design is unique to the Celestron NexStar 6SE Computerized Telescope, and is part of the reason that the telescope is so portable and versatile. It allows the telescope to function as either a table-top telescope, or as a traditional telescope mounted to a tripod, which is also included. The optical assembly and mount weigh a little more than telescopes traditionally do for this size at twenty-one pounds, but this is due to the internal computer and battery casing. However, the single fork design allows the telescope to be broken down into smaller lightweight components to make travel all the easier, which is useful if you’ve purchased this telescope for your child, who might be overwhelmed by the weight. You can transport this telescope even in the smallest of vehicles.
Shmidt-Cassegrain Optical Tube
The Celestron NexStar 6SE Computerized Telescope also combines the best elements of a refractor telescope and a reflector telescope with its Schmidt-Cassegrain design. This reduces the need for collimation, and allows for crystal clear views of both planetary and deep sky objects thanks to the six inch aperture of the telescope’s primary mirror, and Celestron’s StarBright XLT coatings on the optical mirrors and lenses. The views the telescope produces are also free of any coma or spherical aberrations. With a folded focal length of fifty-nine inches, a focal ratio of f/10, and a limiting magnitude of 13.4, this telescope can even function for astrophotography provided the purchase of a T-ring adaptor for your DSLR or CCD camera, or even a smartphone adaptor. In either case, Celestron recommends that you don’t build any additional optical component load of no more than ten pounds.
Upgradable for long term use
While the base model functions fantastically, and includes a number of accessories, (such as the ripod with adjustable steel legs, a one and a quarter inch star diagonal, a one and a quarter inch twenty-five millimeter eyepiece, a StarPointer Optical Red Dot Finderscope, and an accessory tray) it is also able to be upgraded with a number of NexStar specific products.
These include the StarSense Auto Align system, which works by replacing your finder scope with a digital camera and adds ten easy to locate stars for simpler and faster calibration and alignment. The StarSense Auto Align system can even recognize stars and celestial objects merely with the photos you take. There is also the Sky Portal WiFi Module that allows you to control the Celestron NexStar 6SE Computerized Telescope with your smart phone or tablet, replacing the hand controller for a more natural feel to your operation of the scope. The Sky Portal WiFi Module is also equipped with a compass mode, where you can hold your phone up to the sky and the compass can recognize and pull data including over four hours of recorded lectures about the objects in your phone’s sights. And, if astrophotography is your main interest in a telescope, there is the Ceestron Wedge, which adds additional tilt to the Celestron NexStar 6SE Computerized Telescope’s mount, allowing for increased exposure time and longer tracking of celestial objects, resulting in clearer photographs with no star trailing.
Features and specifications
- The Celestron NexStar 6SE Computerized Telescope features a six-inch aperture that packs enough light-gathering ability to observe both planetary and deep-sky targets while retaining a compact design
- With a database of more than 40,000 celestial objects, the built in GoTo mount automatically locates and tracks objects for you
- The single fork arm design and sturdy steel tripod all assemble and break down from separate components for easy transportation
- The telescope has 59 inches of Focal Length and a Focal Ratio of f/10, and weighs in at 21 pounds
- Includes Celestron’s Starry Night Software Download which contains invaluable knowledge and resources for the beginning astronomer
- Includes all the accessories you need to begin viewing, such as a StarPointer Optical Red Dot Finderscope, a 1.25” star diagonal, and a 25mm multicoated eyepiece
- The Celestron Omni XLT 150 Reflector Telescope comes with a two-year warranty and unlimited access to technical support from Celestron’s team of US-based experts
User impressions
The Celestron NexStar 6SE Computerized Telescope is featured on a number of different retailer sites, including OPT, Skies Unlimited, and Amazon. The telescope has earned consistently high ratings on each of these sites, with a 4/5 on OPT, and a 4.5/5 on Amazon. With over five-hundred ratings on Amazon, and the telescope appearing on numerous best of lists, this telescope is well spoken for.
Users say that this is “hands down a fantastic instrument,” and feel “blown away by how bright and sharp the images” are, and that “the GoTo function of the 6SE makes this a no brainer” as “it’s easy to setup and use and the views are fantastic.” This telescope is a breeze for new users as “taking it out of the package and setting it up takes about 2 minutes” and “once you sky align it, it will hunt to any celestial body visible in the sky and stop on it dead center and then track it” to produce a “really sharp image out of a magazine” with “fantastic contrast”. For the ease of use and optical capabilities of the Celestron NexStar 6SE Computerized Telescope, users seem to agree that this is the “best telescope for the price,” with one user claiming that “hands down the best telescope I’ve owned so far.” Many also say that the telescope is “very well made and sturdy.”
“I am impressed with the ease of set up and the light weight of this scope,” said another user, who has used telescopes their entire life, including throughout their university education. Yet, this telescope still blew him away, impressing him “most of all with the fact that in less than perfect light conditions” in which he “could still pick out the Cassini division in Saturn’s rings with a 25mm lens and a 2X Barlow.”
Many users found the star alignment system easy to use thanks to the “full color setup manual” which “was clearly written and illustrated,” making “the process sound simple in the manual” and “even easier than it sounds.”
Some negatives that users have reported is the need for “the AC power cord or the power tank” as “the batteries will last for less than two hours” and the “battery compartment is hard to open.” Others have reported that, although the tracking is spot on it has a “super loud mechanical mount” that makes it so “that the neighbors can hear you from a mile away.” The telescope also tends to vibrate as the motor moves, making it somewhat difficult to take video of objects. Users also say that “you’ll need to invest in other eyepieces” to take advantage of the full capabilities of the telescope, and many users report that they have purchased Celestron’s eyepiece kit and are happy with the improved views.
Overall, this telescope is perfect for the beginner to intermediate amateur astronomer. The Celestron NexStar 6SE Computerized Telescope can even make a fine addition for the veteran astronomer who wants an easy to set up rig when it’s too much trouble to take out their full rig. This telescope takes much of the work out of backyard astronomy, leaving you more time to enjoy the sights. Of course, you will need to accessorize with additional lenses, as well as T-Ring adaptors if you plan on pursuing astrophotography. A power pack is an absolute essential if you do not want to go through an enormous number of batteries. Hand down though, this scope is well worth the investment, and you will be hard pressed to find a telescope that can deliver deep-sky views of this quality and with this ease for less. This telescope is most certainly well spoken for, and has impressed thousands of users since its debut. The Celestron NexStar 6SE Computerized Telescope, as well as the sisters in this telescope series, have topped telescope review lists for years, you can’t go wrong with this telescope.
Comparable telescopes
While we endorse the Celestron NexStar 6SE Computerized Telescope, you might also consider the following products:
- iOptron SmartEQ Pro GoTo Telescope
- Sky-Watcher Virtuoso 90mm f/13.9 Maksutov-Cassegrain Multi-Purpose Motorized Mount
Additional accessories
Here are some accessory suggestions that will improve your experience with the Celestron NexStar 6SE Computerized Telescope:
- Celestron NexStar SE & Evolution Wedge for 6″ & 8″ Telescopes
- Celestron AC Power Adaptor
- Celestron Power Tank 17
