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Celestron NexStar telescopes are good models with high-quality features such as StarBright XLT coatings and GoTo technology, which automatically tracks objects in the night sky without a hand controller. Additionally, their mounts have a database with over 40,000 celestial objects, which you can observe.
Beginners, intermediates, or experts in astronomy need telescopes that match their needs. Celestron is a company that suits all these categories of expertise, and you can choose any option depending on your experience level and astronomy goals.
Choosing the right telescope that suits your needs can be challenging in online shopping. That’s why we created this article. We will look at the features and key benefits of Celestron Nexstar and break down every model.
Let’s dive in.
Features of Celestron NexStar telescopes
The standout features of Celestron NexStar telescopes include computerized GoTo Technology and an aperture ranging from 3 inches to 9 inches. The telescopes are also portable and use software such as Celestron (PWI) (CPWI).
Let’s look at the features in detail:
The aperture
The aperture’s diameter is expressed in millimeters or inches and dictates what you can see and how you will spot your celestial objects.
Nexstar telescopes have an aperture diameter ranging from 3 inches (90mm) to 9 inches (253mm). A large aperture helps you see finer details and fainter objects. A small telescope can still show a lot; for instance, an 80mm (3.1 inches) aperture can help you see dozens of galaxies while viewing from a dark location.
You will need a 6- or 8-inch telescope to view some galaxies from a typical backyard.
Astrophotography needs a telescope with at least 6 inches of aperture with a shorter focal length.
For instance, a Nexstar 6SE and Nexstar Evolution 6 Telescope have a 6-inch aperture which will help you capture enough light for great pictures.
Planetary observation requires an aperture of 8 inches, for example, the Nexstar 8SE Computerized Telescope. With additional magnification power, you can get satisfying results.
Still, weather conditions such as light pollution and atmospheric turbulence can affect viewing even with a large aperture.
You may also like: What Is a Good Magnification for a Home Telescope
Mount type
Nexstar telescopes have computerized GoTo Mounts, allowing them to track desired objects as they move across the night sky. They sit on pre-assembled, adjustable steel tripods.
With a push of a button, the mount allows you to point and track your targets while observing and following your target.
Computerized go-to mounts also come with a database of deep-sky objects and planets, and with a push of a button, your telescope slews to any object you choose.
Computerized Go-To technology
Computerized Go-To Technology means that a telescope comes with a computer and GPS. With this, you can track bright planets and other objects manually.
How do computerized telescopes work exactly?
Nexstar Computerized telescopes get their information from a database with 40,000 objects helping you to identify new targets depending on location and time automatically.
They store information on where a specific celestial object should be on a particular date, time of night, and location.
If you are viewing one specific object and want to view a different one, a computerized telescope will let you know precisely how much change of an angle to make.
Let’s look at the computerized features of Nexstar telescopes:
Computerized Alt-Azimuth mount
The telescope can track desired celestial objects as they appear to move in the night sky. As the earth rotates, the stars also move.
A Go-To Telescope will automatically follow the star’s movement by using precise knowledge of where the celestial body should be and astronomical calculations to track it. In addition, the computer can observe stars, planets, comets, and galaxies if it has enough data for tracking.
Computerized hand-control
With the push of a button, the hand control automatically helps the telescope slew to any celestial body. Nexstar’s database has over 300 global clusters, 600 galaxies, and tens of binary stars.
If you are unsure what to check, the hand control will generate a list of the best deep space objects visible depending on location and time.
StarBright XLT coatings
A telescope consists of different optical elements that collect light, focusing it for observation. Lenses refract light as mirrors reflect it.
A telescope collects as much light as possible, and the amount it gathers affects the image’s brightness. Each optical surface and lens lose light. But the correct optical coatings and lens materials can decrease light loss from these sources.
Nexstar uses highly reflective StarBright XLT for its optical features, including mirrors. A mirror without a layer will reflect 4% of the light that hits its surface, while one coated with Starbright XLT reflects 95%.
The Starbright XLT system develops a coating technique optimized for photographic imaging and visual use. Nexstar’s StarBright XLT high-transmission optical system design has three major components:
- Enhanced multi-layer mirror coatings are created from specific quartz, titanium oxide, silicon dioxide, and aluminum layers.
- Multi-layer anti-reflective coatings created from specific layers of magnesium fluoride and hafnium dioxide
- Corrector lens with high transmission water white glass
Optical design
Nexstar telescopes have four different types of optical designs depending on the telescope.
The two significant optical designs in NexStar telescopes include the following:
- Maksutov-Cassegrain Optical Des
- Shmidt Cassegrain telescope
Most Nexstar’s have a Shmidt Cassegrain Optical Design, including Telescopes with a 6-inch to 9.25-inch aperture. The Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope is a catadioptric or compound optical system that uses both lenses and mirrors.
The Schmidt optical system has the following aspects:
- Zero power corrector plate
- A spherical mirror
- A secondary mirror
The light rays travel through the length of the optical tube three times when they enter the Shmidt-Cass optical system. A Shmidt Cassegrain telescope has a StarBright coating on its primary and secondary mirrors for enhanced reflectivity and a fully coated corrector for the best anti-reflection characteristics.
The optical design makes telescopes portable due to their large-diameter optics and short tube lengths.
The Maksutov Cassegrain Optical is also a catadioptric design with a mirror and lens. Light rays that come through the MAK pass through a corrector lens to the primary mirror and then go back to the spherical mirror before hitting the eyepiece. As such, the images become bright, sharp, and free of chromatic aberration.
The Maksutov-Cassegrain’s optical design offers a secondary spot instead of a secondary mirror found in the Schmidt-Cassegrain design. The secondary spot is much smaller than a secondary mirror in the Schmidt Cassegrain; hence the MAK has high-contrast views.
Eyepiece compatibility
When purchasing a Nexstar telescope, you must look at its eyepiece compatibility. Why? A telescope can only convey an image faithfully if the eyepiece is of equal quality with the finest mirror or objective lens.
Each telescope has a minimum and maximum useful magnification that shows its limits. Eyepieces that make the telescope exceed the highest useful magnification magnify the image without enhancing more details.
On the other hand, for an eyepiece that goes lower than the lowest useful magnification, the exit pupil exceeds what a human eye can support. This results in not seeing the whole field, or a black ring encircling your view.
The highest useful magnification is 60x per inch (25.4mm) aperture, while the lowest is 3.6x per inch (25.4mm).
Accessory compatibility
Nexstar telescopes come with standard accessories such as a tripod, fork arm, computerized hand control, optical tube, and other accessories.
Let’s look at other bonus accessories in detail.
Two eyepieces
The two eyepieces offer different magnifications for high and low-powered observing. For example, the Nexstar 127 SLT computerized telescope comes with two eyepieces, including the 25mm and 9mm.
A Starpointer red dot finder scope
The Starpointer red dot finder scope helps you to center your celestial object in the eyepiece for easy observation.
The Starpointer has 1* magnification and shows a wide field of view matching what you see with unaided eyes.
The red spot comes from an LED and is superimposed on a viewing screen. If you point the Starpointer Red Dot Finder to your desired object, the area in and around the red dot will be centered in the field of view.
A star diagonal
The star diagonal provides a comfortable viewing angle when looking at the night sky through its right-side-up view.
Newtonian-type reflecting telescopes such as Nexstar 130SLT don’t need a star diagonal since their design has a right-angle reflection to the side of the tube for comfortable viewing.
Starsense Autoalign accessory
You will find this accessory in the Evolution 8″ HD telescope. It scans the night sky and analyzes star patterns giving you the telescope’s exact location, date, and current time.
Read also: StarSense AutoAlign Review
Portability
Nexstar telescopes are portable. The Nexstar SE has a unique patented single fork arm mount that is portable and easy to set up. Additionally, the telescope comes with several compact and lightweight pieces, making it easy to transport in small vehicles.
When traveling to remote night sky locations, you can power it with 8AA batteries or a Power Tank portable battery.
Contrastingly, the Evolution 8 has a built-in battery with a long-life lithium iron phosphate battery that can last up to ten hours on a single charge. The battery system also goes into power-saving mode when the battery levels are low, running for as long as possible.
User interface and software
All computerized Nexstar telescopes come with a Celestron PWI(CPWI), the most advanced astronomy software.
Engineers at PlaneWave instruments and Celestron experts developed the software that provides an all-in-one solution offering you the following features:
- Graphical planetarium interface: A PointXP advanced mount modeling allows you to increase 100+ points to the alignment model for accurate tracking and pointing. Perfect for remote observations.
- Complete ASCOM telescope interface: Helps you navigate the telescope from third-party software applications.
- Local and online SIMBAD astronomical databases have thousands of deep space objects.
Nexstar telescopes also have a free download of advanced Starry Night Software offering detailed information about objects helping you plan out your next imaging session. In addition, the software has a telescope control through a PC.
Key benefits of Celestron NexStar telescopes
The key benefits of Celestron NexStar telescopes include easy-to-use, precise GoTo technology and an extensive database of any bright star or other space objects. The telescopes also have clear images, user-friendly software, and provide excellent value for money.
Let’s look at each telescope in detail:
Easy to use and set up
Nexstar telescopes are easy to use and set up due to their SkyAlign Technology. The telescope will tell everything about an object when you point it in the night sky.
You must input the date, time, and location and point to three bright objects. After putting the information, the telescope can find objects such as bright stars and planets in the hand control.
SkyAlign is better than other alignment methods because it doesn’t require you to confirm which star the telescope is pointing at for alignment.
You don’t need to know anything about the sky when you have SkyAlign.
Precise Go-To technology for locating celestial objects
Go-To technology is a telescope mount and related software that helps you to point your telescope at any bright star that you select automatically.
The SkyAlign feature in NexStar Celestron helps you find any celestial object in the hand control depending on the time, location, and date.
The Go-To Technology offers the following benefits:
- It can locate objects that are difficult to find or impossible to spot with the naked eye.
- It will help you learn the sky as an amateur since the Nexstar hand control database has over 40,000 space objects, such as bright planets and other bright stars.
- You can capture images of any bright star and other space objects.
Large database of celestial objects
The Celestron Nexstar Hand Control is a standard computer accessory for all Celestron’s go-to telescopes. The hand control helps you access a huge database of over 40,000 space objects with a button push.
The telescope will automatically slew to space objects in various catalogs, including bright stars and planets. Nexstar database has over 300 clusters, 600 galaxies, and many binary stars.
If you need to know which object to view, you can take a Sky Tour and let the telescope show you the best objects. Sky Tour offers the best bright star to view based on location and time.
Nexstar telescopes also have electronic filters preventing you from selecting objects below your horizon. It removes all objects from the catalogs that aren’t currently over the horizon. As such, you don’t have to waste battery life or time sliding to objects below the horizon.
Bright and clear images
Nexstar telescopes use a combination of high-quality optics, a user-friendly computerized interface, and a single-fork arm mount to reveal fine details. You can view bright and clear images and take photos for astrophotography.
Telescopes will reveal details of the lunar surface, Venus and its phases, Jupiter and its four moons, the polar caps on Mars, and Saturn with its ring. You can also use telescopes with a 3-inch aperture to view wildlife for daytime observations.
If the Nexstar telescope has a MAK optical design, like the Nexstar 127SLT, you can get high contrast view. Its light-gathering ability allows you to observe what the solar system offers in bright and clear images.
Easy to transport and store
The unique, patented single fork mount arm makes a telescope portable and easy to set up. Nexstar telescopes also come with lightweight and compact pieces that are easy to transport and store.
You can get your telescope on any observation site and set it up very fast to view bright stars and other objects.
Versatile with a range of accessories
Nexstar telescopes have various accessories, including a star diagonal, two eyepieces, and a Starpointer Red Dot Finder Scope.
Nexstar grows with you from an amateur to a professional level. For instance, the Nexstar 130SLT is compatible with Celestron’s latest accessories, including StarSense AutoAlign, PowerTank Lithium, and SkyPortal Wifi module.
The Nexstar 4SE is excellent for beginners with its advanced features and quality optics. If you are a professional, the 4SE is compatible with high-tech accessories such as SkySync to provide GPS coordinates and StarSense AutoAlign to add automatic alignment functionality.
You can also pair the telescope with Skyris cameras to take images of the Moon and planets.
User-friendly software and interface
Celestron and PlaneWave instruments created a specialized telescope control software in all new Celestron computerized telescope mounts. Celestron PWI(CPWI) enhances the pointing accuracy of your telescope.
CPWI’s telescope control and Sky Viewer display allow you to target any object easily by connecting your PC to the mount. CPWI also has an extensive database that helps you find any deep sky objects.
In addition, Celestron linked CPWI to the online SIMBAD astronomical database, which has over 10 million celestial objects.
CPWI also has a PointXP mount modeling that accounts for alignment errors, providing superior pointing accuracy.
Great value for money
Nexstar telescopes offer great value for money with all their features and benefits. They have go-to Technology, allowing you to point at any celestial object automatically. The hand control has a database of 40,000+ objects you can choose from, and the telescope will guide you.
Celestron telescopes also allow you to advance in astrology as you gain experience since they are compatible with different accessories for advanced use. But they come with essential accessories such as two eyepieces and a star diagonal.
Suitable for amateur and professional use
Nexstar telescopes are suitable for beginners and professionals. Their SkyAlign Technology provides easy use for beginners and the accuracy demanded by experienced users. With SkyAlign, amateurs can still observe bright stars without knowing their names or location.
Beginners who want to start astroimaging can use the fork-mounted telescope that offers improved motors for excellent tracking accuracy.
You can capture images of the Moon and planets by attaching a planetary imaging camera. Advanced astronomers can add accessories such as Wedge for Nexstar evolution to achieve longer exposures for more detailed Astro photos.
High-quality optics and coatings
Celestron Nexstar telescopes have a star Bright XLT optical coating system that outperforms all other coatings in the market. A mirror with StarBright XLT can reflect 95% of light rays, ensuring the images are clear. The coating system is optimal for CCD photographic imaging and visual use.
Celestron NexStar models
Celestron NexStar models include NexStar SE, Nexstar SLT, NexStar Evolution, and NexStar Evolution HD.
Let’s look at each in detail.
1. Celestron NexStar 4SE
The Nexstar 4SE has an orange tube design with the go-to technology making it the best telescope for the stargazing experience for amateurs and professionals.
It has a 4-inch aperture with light-gathering ability at an affordable price. You can view the planets, moon, and deep sky objects such as Orion Nebula.
Specifications
- Optical Design: Maksutov-Cassegrain
- Aperture: 102mm (4.02″)
- Highest Useful Magnification: 241x
- Lowest Useful Magnification: 15x
- Mount Type: Computerized Altitude-Azimuth Single Fork Arm
- Instrument load capacity: 10 lbs (4.54 kg)
- Optical Coatings: StarBright XLT
- GPS: N/A
The 4SE four-inch aperture has a primary mirror that packs enough light to observe different bright stars and planets, such as:
- Saturn’s rings
- The cloud bands on Jupiter
- The surface of the moon and its geographical features
If you want to observe different deep-sky objects, take the 4SE to a dark-sky site. You will observe the spiral arms of the Whirpool Galaxy and many more objects.
Nexstar also has a single fork arm mount that is portable and easy to set up. The telescope also has sturdy construction from high-quality components that help with pointing and accuracy for observation and following. It comes with a hand control to locate objects in the sky.
Nexstar 4SE series is compatible will all high-tech accessories for advanced users. For example, you can use SkySync to provide GPS coordinates to your telescope or StarSense AutoAlign for automatic alignment functionality.
To learn more: Celestron NexStar 4SE Review
2. Celestron Nexstar 5SE
The Celestron NexStar 5SE sits on a small mount head atop the same tripod. It has a Shmidt Cassegrain optical design with a five-inch aperture. Its Go-To mount has a database with almost 40,000 stars, moons, clusters, planets, nebulae, and galaxies.
The Nexstar 5SE is an affordable, travel-friendly telescope with a classic orange Celestron optical tube. It facilitates excellent planetary imagery with its long focal length(1250mm) and high focal ratio tailor (f/10).
Specifications
- Optical Design: Schmidt-Cassegrain
- Aperture: 125mm (4.92″)
- Focal Length of Eyepiece 1: 25mm (.98″)
- Magnification of Eyepiece 1: 50x
- Optical Tube: Aluminum
- Highest Useful Magnification: 295x
- Lowest Useful Magnification: 18x
- Light Gathering Power (Compared to the human eye): 329x
- Optical Coatings: StarBright XLT
- Mount Type: Computerized Altitude-Azimuth Single Fork Arm
Design and Key features
The Nexstar has an iconic metallic orange optical tube with a classy look that complements the single-arm form GoTo mount.
The mount attaches to the Optical Tube Assembly through a standard dovetail bar. The mount DC servo motors drain the 8AA batteries very fast, especially during the colder months. You can change the mount with a 12V external power source such as the Celestron Powertank (purchased separately).
The NexStar 5SE comes with a range of accessories that make it perfect for beginners and traveling astronomers. Some accessories include a computerized altitude-azimuth single fork mount, steel tripod, 1.25-inch star diagonal, StarPointer red-dot finder, and a 25mm eyepiece.
The fully assembled setup of a NexStar 5SE weighs 17.6lbs (8kgs) hence compact enough to transport in a vehicle or as airplane luggage. With SkyAlign technology, you can point at any celestial object, and the telescope will help you find the name via the computerized mount and database.
Performance
The optics are of high quality since it is a Schmidt-Cassegrain. It comes with a corrector plate, a concave mirror, and a convex secondary that allows you to use the compact Optical Tube Assemble(OTA) without affecting the focal length.
The StaBright XLT coated mirrors maximize the light they reflect (95%) for clear images. As such, there is little light loss as the celestial object is reflected from the primary mirror to the secondary mirror of your eyepiece for observation.
Nexstar 5SE’s eyepiece (25mm) has excellent quality and offers a magnification of 50*, perfect for a beginner. You can invest in other compatible eyepieces with different magnifications for advanced viewing.
Read the full review here: Celestron NexStar 5SE Telescope
3. Celestron NexStar 6SE
The Nexstar 6SE has a Schmidt Cassegrain optical design perfect for deep-space photography. The 6-inch aperture telescope has a focal length of 1500mm resulting in an f/10 focal ratio.
The telescope has features that fit people venturing into astronomy and people with experience in night sky observations. You can get detailed views of the solar system and deep-sky objects.
Specifications
- Optical Design: Schmidt-Cassegrain
- Aperture: 150mm (5.91″)
- Focal Length: 1500mm (59″)
- Magnification of Eyepiece 1: 60x
- Highest Useful Magnification: 354x
- Lowest Useful Magnification: 21x
- Light Gathering Power (Compared to the human eye): 459x
- Optical Coatings: StarBright XLT
- Mount Type: Computerized Altitude-Azimuth Single Fork Arm
Design and Key Features
The body of a NexStar 6SE has a bright orange aluminum chassis with black accents. The mounting bar attaches to the single-arm fork mount. The inner walls of the telescope have a dark black color to reduce unwanted reflections and enhance light transmission.
Nexstar 6SE weighs only 8 pounds and has a compact Schmidt Cassegrain Catadioptric design; hence it is very portable. Its motorized Alt-Az mount has a field tripod with 1.75″ legs making it sturdy enough to hold the weight of the optical tube and mount when there is wind.
Performance
The Nexstar 6SE has a 1500mm focal length and a wide field of view, providing comfort and flexibility for viewing. You can observe large deep sky objects.
The telescope comes with a single 26mm eyepiece that magnifies 60*. But you can buy other eyepieces to achieve a magnification of 354* to get the best results from the telescope.
With StarBright XLT optical coatings, you can clearly observe space objects such as the Nebula and its stellar members with no defects.
The telescope can also target an object hence perfect for long-exposure photography. For example, you can leave the telescope focused on a star, and it will keep tracking it.
Read the full review here: Nexstar 6SE Telescope Review
4. Celestron Nexstar 8SE
The Celestron NexStar 8SE computerized telescope is a famous telescope with an 8-inch Shmidt-Cassegrain amateur. Its orange tube design has the latest features for both beginners and advanced astronomers.
With a large 8-inch aperture, the Celestron Nexstar 8SE has excellent light-gathering ability providing great views of planets, the moon, and deep sky objects such as the Hercules Globular Cluster.
Read also: Celestron NexStar 8SE Review (Planetary Telescope)
Specifications
- Optical Design: Schmidt-Cassegrain
- Aperture: 203.2mm (8″)
- Focal Length: 2032mm (80″)
- Magnification of Eyepiece 1: 81x
- Highest Useful Magnification: 480x
- Lowest Useful Magnification: 29x
- Light Gathering Power (Compared to the human eye): 843x
- Optical Coatings: Starbright XLT
- Mount Type: Computerized Altitude-Azimuth Single Fork Arm
Design and Key Features
One striking feature of the Celestron Nexstar 8SE is its practical size and compatibility. It has a catadioptric construction (which uses both lens and mirror) and enables a short tube construction even with a long focal length of 2032mm.
The Celestron NexStar 8SE telescope has a clutter-free body allowing you to carry it under your arm without knocking accessories off the telescope.
The hand controller fits perfectly to the fork mount arm, and its buttons are large and easy to use during cold nights. You only need to type in the number of the sky object, and the Celestron NexStar 8SE will slew to its location in the sky.
The hand controller also has a database of 40,000 objects that guide you if you are a beginner.
The steel tripod of the Celestron NexStar 8SE is also strong and rigid to provide ample support for the heavy mount. As for power, the 8SE mount takes eight AA batteries which are best for backup.
Performance
First, the hand controller requests you to select a desired language. The next step will be to use the up and down arrows to select the alignment method. You will also choose your city, country, time, location, and date. The last step is selecting a star, but you can use Celestron’s SkyPortal app to identify the stars.
The 25mm single eyepiece and 1.25″ star diagonal and visual back help you see high-quality images. The 81* eyepiece magnification will allow you to view various objects in the night sky, from galaxies to the planet.
5. Nexstar 90 SLT
Star Locating Telescopes (SLT) is Celestron’s attempt to make a computerized telescope with lower prices and specifications. NexStar 90SLT is the smallest NexStar SLT with a Maksutov-Cassegrain design and technological offerings from Celestron.
Specifications
- Optical Design: Maksutov-Cassegrain
- Aperture: 90mm (3.54″)
- Focal Length: 1250mm (49″)
- Magnification of Eyepiece 1: 50x
- Highest Useful Magnification: 213x
- Lowest Useful Magnification: 13x
- Light Gathering Power (Compared to the human eye): 165x
- Optical Coatings: Fully Coated
- Mount Type: Motorized Altazimuth
Design and Key Features
NexStar 90SLT comes with a computerized mount, a GoTo Altitude-Azimuth Single Fork Arm with 40,000 deep space objects in a database. However, due to the 3-inch low aperture in the Nexstar 90SL, you can only view very few objects.
The telescope doesn’t have an in-built battery for the mount. Instead, you need to purchase 8 AA batteries or use a 12V AC adapter which offers a substandard tracking experience.
Nexstar’s 90SLT tripod has a thinned-out steel model compared to the usual rock-solid steel that comes with expensive models. But the thinned-out steel is better than aluminum telescope versions within the same budget.
The 90SLT weighs 5.4kgs, weighing less because of the smaller specifications meaning it’s portable.
Performance
NexStar has a 90mm aperture and a 1250mm focal length, resulting in an f/14 focal ratio. As such, the telescope can achieve a magnification of 213*. If you get the max capability of the NexStar 90SLT, you can see the following objects:
- Jupiter
- Saturn and outer rings
- The moon and its craters
- Mercury, Mars, and Venus are visible but not in detail
- You can see some Star Clusters and Galaxies as bright dots
You can’t perform serious deep sky Astrophotography with NexStar 90SLT due to the nature of the mount. The auto-tracking can track the object for 10-15 minutes, but the movement is not smooth because it moves up and down. The image gets blurry after 40 seconds.
The best activity for this telescope is lunar imaging because you don’t require extended exposure to the moon.
6. Nexstar 102SLT
The Celestron NexStar 102SLT has the standard entrance level aperture of 102mm with an optical length of 660mm creating an f/6.5 focal ratio. It is a Refractor optical design with all NexStar technology coming in a solid design and decent size. The budget telescope offers refractor versatility, technology, and image quality for beginners.
Specifications
- Optical Design: Refractor
- Aperture: 102mm (4.02″)
- Focal Length: 660mm (26″)
- Highest Useful Magnification: 241x
- Lowest Useful Magnification: 15x
- Light Gathering Power (Compared to the human eye): 212x
- Optical Coatings: Multi-Coated
- Mount Type: Computerized Altitude-Azimuth Single Fork Arm
Design and Key Features
The NexStar 102SLT doesn’t have a built-in battery in the mount, meaning you must purchase AA batteries. But the AA batteries run out fast, so you need your power source, which can ruin your alignment.
The mount is stable since it has a large and circular connection to the tripod. However, the 3.75″ dovetail bar and optical tube connection don’t provide enough stability to carry 2″ eyepieces and a DSLR camera.
The 102SLT weighs 14 lbs and has a 26″ long optical tube making it easy to transport and put in the backseat of most cars.
Performance
The optics in this telescope have an all-round design with mid-level performance in planetary viewing and deep space.
The 25mm and 9mm eyepieces are Kellner models, which are not the best in the market. But the 1.25″ star diagonal is excellent in quality and creates clear images with astronomy.
NexStar 102SLT provides an average Planetary performance enough to view the following:
- Jupiter, its moons and clouds, and the Great Red Spot
- Rings of Saturn and its largest moon Titan
- Mars (seen as a red disk and little surface detail)
- Venus (As a small disk)
- Other planets are observed as tiny colorful dots or not seen at all. The problem with planetary performance is chromatic aberration, a colorful halo around bright objects. You can correct this problem by purchasing a corrector lens.
You can’t perform astrophotography with NexStar 102SLT because the mount isn’t built for this purpose. The mount uses up-and-down movements to track the celestial object, ruining any long-exposure images.
But, you can get 30-40 second images of Saturn, Jupiter, and the Moon. As for deep space astrophotography of galaxies or nebulas, the photos will be disappointing.
7. NexStar 127SLT
NexStar 127SLT is a light and portable telescope with a 5-inch aperture. This telescope is beginner and intermediate-friendly, but advanced astronomers can also use it.
Specifications
- Optical Design: Maksutov-Cassegrain
- Aperture: 127mm (5″)
- Focal Length: 1500mm (59″)
- Highest Useful Magnification: 300x
- Lowest Useful Magnification: 18x
- Light Gathering Power (Compared to the human eye): 329x
- Optical Coatings: Fully Coated
- Mount Type: Computerized Altitude-Azimuth Single Fork Arm
Design and Key Features
The 127SLT has a high-quality aluminum build with the Optical Tube assembly that sits on top of the mount through a metal CG-5 Dovetail bar secured by a nut.
The telescope has a stainless steel tripod affixed to the mount using a plastic nut. The steel tripod is very light, so it’s essential not to extend the legs and use seated observations for comfort.
With a Maksutov-Cassegrain optical design, the telescope comes with a lens on top and a spherical primary mirror at the tube bottom. As such, it removes any aberrations, such as the coma that appear in a Newtonian reflector telescope and color fringing even with high magnifications.
NexStar features a GoTo function with a hand control that has a database of over 40,000 deep space objects. The mount needs a power source, which the 127SLT doesn’t have.
You can buy 8 AA batteries, but the mount drains out the power fast, so the best option is the Celestron Power Tank or an AC adapter.
Performance
NexStar 127SLT comes with 25mm and 9mm eyepieces that allow you to view planets and deep sky objects. You can buy additional eyepieces for more precise imaging.
The highest useful magnification that a Nexstar 127SLT can achieve is 250*, and you need a 6mm eyepiece to get this.
The focal ratio for this telescope is f/12; hence you can view the following objects in the sky:
- The Hercules Cluster
- The Orion Nebula
- Planets
- Andromeda Galaxy
- The Pleiades star cluster
- Sharp details in the solar system, such as lunar craters, rilles, and mountains
- Mars (seen as a red dot)
8. NexStar 130SLT
Celestron NexStar 130SLT is the largest SLT telescope with a 130mm (5″) aperture and Newtonian reflector telescope design. It is excellent for casual astronomers who don’t need a telescope with many features that deliver outstanding results.
Specifications
- Optical Design: Newtonian Reflector telescope
- Aperture: 130mm (5.12″)
- Focal Length: 650mm (26″)
- Highest Useful Magnification: 307x
- Lowest Useful Magnification: 19x
- Light Gathering Power (Compared to the human eye): 345x
- Optical Coatings: Aluminum
- Mount Type: Computerized Altitude-Azimuth Single Fork Arm
Design and Key Features
The 130SLT weighs approximately 8-9kgs, and the optical tube is 635mm making it portable. It has a computerized Mount just like the one on NexStar SE telescopes.
The mount’s lightness allows easy separation from the optical tube due to the vixen dovetail design making the 130SLT very portable.
The 130-650mm optical tubes are too big for the mount, which causes a shaky view. The mount is also too light and can turn off when you bump into it. The problem is that you must input data and the time when the mount turns off.
The difference in weight between the optical tube and the mount means that the eyepieces or cameras for astrophotography do not work well.
Performance
NexStar 130SLT comes with two 1.25″ Plossl eyepieces (25mm and 9mm) and a 2″ wide field focuser. It can achieve a max magnification of 260*. Due to its Newtonian design, it can suffer from comatic aberration, which one can fix by installing a coma corrector later.
The telescope has a focal length of 650mm, an aperture of 150mm, and a focal length of f/10. The focal length helps you see faint objects such as galaxies or nebulas.
If you use the maximum power of the 130SLT, you can view a lot of bright planets and other objects, including:
- Solid detail of Jupiter, its cloud bands, and red spot
- Saturn’s color and its rings
- Mars (when nearest to Earth)
- Neptune and Uranus (tiny blue disc-shaped objects)
- Nebulas, Star Global Clusters, Andromeda, and other galaxies
- The moon and its crates
9. Nexstar Evolution 6 Telescope
The Evolution 6 is a 6-inch aperture telescope making it the smallest of the three Evolution scopes. It is a Shmidt Cassegrain telescope with integrated WiFi. You don’t need hand control because you can slew into your desired objects with a tap on your tablet or smartphone.
Specifications
- Optical Design: Schmidt-Cassegrain
- Aperture: 150mm (6″)
- Focal Length: 1500mm (59″)
- Magnification of Eyepiece 1: 38x
- Highest Useful Magnification: 354x
- Lowest Useful Magnification: 21x
- Light Gathering Power (Compared to the human eye): 459x
- Optical Coatings: StarBright XLT
- Mount Type: Computerized Altitude-Azimuth Single Fork Arm
Design and Key Features
The metallic tripod has a metal accessory tray with indentations for carrying or storing the tripod. The tripod is sturdy and helps you achieve a uniform height for your telescope.
As for power, you don’t need an external power supply or batteries. The Evolution 6 telescope has a built-in long-life lithium iron phosphate battery that can last up to ten hours on a single charge.
You can also use a USB charge port to charge other devices that need to stay on during observation. The power system is also intelligent since it goes into power-saving mode when the battery levels are low.
Performance
The Evolution 6 Telescope has a 13mm and 40m eyepiece and 1.25″ star diagonal. Its focal length is 1500mm, and its aperture is 150mm, making a focal ratio of f/10.
All these features, plus its optical design, make the telescope gather details from celestial objects such as Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Venues, and the Moon.
You will see the following with Evolution 6:
- Unique colors of Jupiter, its Galilean Moon, and The Great Red Spot
- Yellow-green colors of Saturn, its rings, and the Cassini division
- The yellow color of Venus (Not the surface)
- Uranus and Neptune (seen as blue dots)
- The Moon
However, you can’t use the Evolution 6 for deep space performance because the optical design cant fit large objects like the Andromeda Galaxy.
The solution to this is using a focal reducer of up to f/5-6. Or, you can purchase a 2″ star diagonal and a 2″ wide-field eyepiece which will enhance the optics interaction with deep space.
10. Nexstar Evolution 8 Telescope
The Celestron Evolution 8 features full motorized tracking and GoTo Technology. The Shmidt-Cassegrain telescope is integrated with WiFi meaning you don’t need a hand controller. You can explore the universe with the Celestron app on your smartphone or tablet.
Specifications
- Optical Design: Schmidt-Cassegrain
- Aperture: 203.2mm (8″)
- Focal Length: 2032mm (80″)
- Highest Useful Magnification: 480x
- Lowest Useful Magnification: 29x
- Light Gathering Power (Compared to the human eye): 843x
- Optical Coatings: StarBright XLT
- Mount Type: Computerized Altitude-Azimuth Single Fork Arm
Design and Features
The Evolution 8″ has an advanced mount, a GoTo system with rechargeable features. You can convert the altazimuth mount into an equatorial mount when you purchase Celestron’s equatorial wedge and a beefier tripod.
The Lithium battery is rechargeable and can go up to 10 hours on a single charge.
Performance
The Nexstar telescope has an 8-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain design with enhanced EdgeHD optics for more precise imaging.
With an aperture of 203.2mm and a focal length of 2032mm, it achieves a focal length of f/10.
You can reach a maximum magnification of 480* to view a lot of bright stars and objects, including the following:
- Mercury and Venus
- A detailed structure of the moon (phase, craters, mountains, ridges)
- Mars (ice caps and dust storms)
- Jupiter’s cloud belts, the Great Red Spot, four large moons and their disks and inky black shadows
- Saturn and its rings (the Cassini division)
- Uranus disk
- Neptune and Pluto appear as stars
11. Nexstar Evolution 9.25
Celestron Nexstar Evolution 9.25 is the largest evolution telescope with unusual C9.25 optical tubes featuring GoTo mounts with motorized tracking.
Specifications
- Optical Design: Schmidt-Cassegrain
- Aperture: 235mm (9.25″)
- Focal Length: 2350mm (93″)
- Magnification of Eyepiece 1: 59x
- Highest Useful Magnification: 555x
- Lowest Useful Magnification: 34x
- Light Gathering Power (Compared to the human eye): 1127x
- Optical Coatings: StarBright XLT
- Mount Type: Computerized Altitude-Azimuth Single Fork Arm
Design and Key Features
The Evolutions 9.25 has a one-armed fork mount like the other Evolution models. You can control the Altazimuth Go-To mount with a hand controller or a tablet/smartphone app like the Celestron SkyPortal app.
Dedicated equatorial mounts are stronger, but you can convert the mount into an equatorial using a wedge.
Like other models, the Evolution 9.25 also has a rechargeable lithium battery that can last up to ten hours.
Performance
The telescope has a 1.25″ star diagonal, 1.25″ visual back, and 13mm and 40mm eyepieces. Getting an f/6.3 focal reducer, eyepieces, and a 2″ diagonal is essential if you want a wider field of view.
You can see the following with the eyepiece:
- Mercury and Venus (seen as gibbous orbs or smooth crescents)
- A detailed structure of the moon (craters and mountains)
- Mars (you can see ice caps on a steady night)
- Jupiter (4 moons and their disks, the Great Red Spot)
- Saturn’s rings (Cassini Division)
- Neptune and Pluto (Seen as stars)
12. Nexstar Evolution 8HD with Starsense
The Nexstar Evolution 8HD is a portable and compact solid telescope for long hours of visual observing and astroimaging. It has unique features such as EdeHD optics, interval LiFePO4 battery, and integrated WiFi.
Specifications
- Optical Design: EdgeHD
- Aperture: 203.2mm (8″)
- Focal Length: 2032mm (80″)
- Magnification of Eyepiece 1: 51x
- Highest Useful Magnification: 480x
- Lowest Useful Magnification: 29x
- Light Gathering Power (Compared to the human eye): 843x
- Optical Coatings: StarBright XLT
- Mount Type: Computerized Altitude-Azimuth Single Fork Arm
Design and Key Features
The telescope features an aluminum optical tube and a sturdy single-arm mount which is altazimuth computerized. The mount has convenient features, including worm gears for both axes, release clutches, a USB port, and tray lighting for the accessories.
The other unique feature is the StarSense AutoAlign, which aligns your telescope to your desired object. The technology scans the sky, examines star patterns, and calculates the telescope’s date, location, and current time.
The lithium battery is a built-in feature on the mount lasting up to 10 hours, making it perfect for astroimaging.
You may also like: Celestron SkyPortal WiFi Module (Setup & Review)
Performance
The Evolution 8HD has an 8″ Edge HD optical tube, which is a flat field Schmidt optical system. The optical tube creates aberration-free images and comprehensive visuals across the photographic field. It guarantees very sharp views across full-frame sensors.
The telescope also has excellent tracking accuracy hence great for astroimaging. You can capture images of the planets and moons by attaching a planetary imaging camera.
For advanced astroimaging, you need to turn your mount to an equatorial mount by using the Wedge for Nexstar Evolution.
You may also like to read: Is Celestron a Good Telescope Brand?
Takeaway: Use Celestron Nexstar to enhance your astronomy
Celestron is a well-known telescope brand with high-quality optics and innovative designs.
The features that contribute to its popularity include GoTo technology, StarBright XLT coatings, and Sky Align Technology.
The brand caters to all, including beginners, by providing a wide range of telescope NexStar models that are easy to use set-up. It is the best telescope choice for both beginner and advanced astronomers. If you want to view and capture your experiences in the sky, check out our guide on The Best Camera For Astrophotography (Buying Guide)
