Celestron 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 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.

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.

The Celestron NexStar 6 SE is an incredible first telescope. I wanted to avoid cheaper scopes and get something that will last a lifetime. This is it. The optics are very good, nice crisp images. The motorized GoTo mount is fantastic for beginners as it makes it very easy for you to find objects quickly and enjoy observing without needing to find them yourself, and it tracks the objects as they move across the sky so you don't need to. It's not difficult to use at all as long as you read the manual and follow the on-screen prompts to align the scope, and once it is aligned, you're off to the races. I've seen absolutely stunning views of the Orion Nebula through this, even in my light polluted city back yard. It can be used anywhere, even in a city - you'll still see a great deal of objects like the planets, moon, star clusters, double stars, and bright nebulae, even a galaxy or two, like Andromeda. Outside of a city, in a real dark site, this scope will reveal so much. I found Neptune, very hard to see, on my second night with the scope. Truly stunning. A few notes: get a power bank to power the telescope. The AA batteries do not last long. I only keep the batteries in to move the scope back into storage position after it has dried out (it will collect dew) and come to room temperature inside. I recommend the Celestron power banks, despite the price, because they are made for this. Get a dew shield (the Celestron portable roll-up shield is just fine) because SCT scopes are dew magnets, you will need it. And get a couple more eyepieces - the 25mm that's included is okay, but if you want to see more, I recommend getting a 32mm plossl and an 8-24mm Celestron zoom lens. Both are reasonably priced and will open up what you can see in this scope. Zoom lenses are especially great for beginners to "dial in" the right magnification and get the best views. The included star finder is alright, a little cheap, but it doesn't matter as long as you align it properly. You only need it for a few minutes to do the initial alignment for GoTo, then you shut it off for the rest of the night, so it's really not worth the cost of replacement. A couple of filters can help too - Orion Ultrablock for looking at nebulae, and some inexpensive color filters may help with bringing out details with the moon and planets. Regarding shipping: I suspect this package was mishandled at some point by Amazon. Not long after receiving it, the altitude motor started making strange sounds, and the focuser knob (not the focuser itself) was slightly bent, so I suspect it was dropped. The box even showed a little damage, the visual back of the scope was likely pushed into the cardboard. But Celestron took care of fixing it quickly, for free under warranty, and now it's perfectly fine. For beginners considering a more "serious" telescope that 1) is easy to use, 2) will last a very long time, and 3) is portable to travel to dark sites or do quick observing sessions in your back yard, this is a great one to start with. It's portable enough (with a carrying case) to take almost anywhere, and not too heavy. It's a quick setup and if you're following the instructions, it aligns quickly. The hand controller is intuitive and very easy to use as it guides you through every step. If you want more feedback on this scope, check out the Cloudy Nights forum where you can read reviews and first-hand experiences of using it, along with common FAQ. Highly recommend this telescope. Inspect it when you get it to make sure there are no problems regarding mishandling during shipping. Otherwise, I love it, it really opened my mind to the wonders of amateur astronomy, got me started with a powerful yet easy-to-use telescope, and gave me a great hobby to get outside and enjoy the beauty of the night sky. Just be sure to use it on good, clear, calm nights for stargazing and you'll get the most out of it.

Analysis: Let me start off by saying... buy the powertank, you are pretty much forced to buy it because there is no other reliable power source unless you are close to an outlet and even then you will need to buy the ac adapter. Your hands are tied. So my first impression of this telescope was how easy it is to use. You basically input the time, date, and bunch of other common stuff associated with your location. Then, you point it at 3 really bright objects in the sky and try to center it as much as possible in the eyepiece. Lastly, confirm your 3 selections and you are ready to go. The alignment is a bit off regularly and you do have to adjust but the mount pretty much gets you in the general vicinity of the object you are looking for and with some practice you can find it. I so far use the "Tour" feature on the remote. It has a bunch of popular objects that people would want to see, like the Orion's Nebula or the Andromeda Galaxy.(Check some pictures that i have posted, taken with the Canon T2i it is possible). I am pretty satisfied with the portability of the telescope because i can move it all by myself and it doesn't break much of a sweat. I want to say that the optics of this Nexstar 6SE are absolutely amazing. You can see a lot of stuff and if you are a beginner like I am you will be able to learn a lot and improve with this telescope. When you get bored of just looking through the eyepiece you can try your luck at astro-photography. I think this will keep me busy with this telescope for a while. I use the Canon T2i with t-ring and prime focus adapter. However, I really cannot stop thinking of whether or not i should have gotten the 8SE instead to gather more light. But, with that being said if you are a beginner and are unsure if astronomy is for you, start off with the 6SE and see if you are really into astronomy. If you aren't you have saved yourself some dough otherwise if you become really into it you will end up upgrading sooner or later. Pros: Good sharp optics Easy to use mount Simple to setup Able to piggyback a dslr Rebate card arrives very quickly about 3 weeks Cons: Requires a power source Super loud mechanical mount, I swear people can hear you from a mile away.... don't want to wake up the neighbors The mount is not very good for astrophotography and you cannot take exposures for longer than 10 seconds objects become blurred. I give it 4 stars because of the bad mount. Otherwise, it is a really good telescope.

My last telescope was a 6 in Celestron Newtonian with a German eq mount. It was a good first telescope but a pain to set up and transport. I damaged the mirror a few years back and it's been gathering dust. With Saturn putting a show this month I wanted a new scope. I decided on a "go-to" scope because I read that it makes it much easier to find faint things. It's also easier to share with friends because it tracks automatically. I chose a six inch over a four inch because I wanted the increased resolution, and over a 8 inch for portability. I chose Celestron because it has a reputation for high quality and good service. The instrument arrived overnight. The packaging was impressive. It's intended to protect a precision instrument and it shows. Even though I am a lifelong technical man I read the instructions first. The full color setup manual was clearly written and illustrated and I had my scope unpacked and ready in an hour or so. The only negative aspect of this system is the computer interface. It's rs232 serial interface is rather retro and software is limited to windows. My main laptop is a MacBook and uses USB, so I'll need to drag out my old XP machine if I ever want to use those tools. But since the stars and planets are not likely to change their orbits during the useful life of the instrument I doubt I will ever need to. Just nit picking. I was impressed by the high quality of the materials and workmanship and the simplicity of the design of the Nexstar. I waited a day for a windstorm to pass and the dust to settle while I spent time with the user manual getting to know the instrument. The next day I set it up in my backyard (where shade trees obscure 50% of the sky). The stainless steel tripod is rock solid and the rubber leg tips provide a nice cushion against vibration. I sat the scope on the tripod head using the center pin and foot pads to align the mounting bolts, a much easier process than setting up my German EQ. Then I aligned the red dot spotting scope on a street light a few blocks away and waited for it to get dark. As soon as bright stars began to appear I went through the 3 star alignment. It sounds simple in the manual but it's even easier than it sounds. The hand controller has a cool red screen that stepped me through the process. I did it a few times so until I could do it with my glasses off. Then I picked Alcor as my first star. AMAZING! Just as advertised, the scope slewed around, stopped, and right in the center of the field was the double double, crystal clear. What optics! I went to Jupiter which was partially obscured by a tree, but through the branches I saw the disk clearly and 3 or 4 moons. And it wasn't even dark yet. One after another I looked for stars I knew and the Nexstar found them quickly. I am very impressed after my first evening with the Nexstar 6. The construction is high quality although some of the plastic components are, well, plastic. The optics seem well done and sharp. The mechanical elements are sturdy and appear to be quite robust. Setup and takedown are a snap. The entire rig fits in the boot of my MINI roadster which means getting to a better viewing site tonight will be all kinds of fun.

Bought a NexStar 6 SE back in December 2012. Used often and it is a brilliant scope. The 23" eyepiece provided is excellent, very clear. Very easy to set up and transport to viewing sites as well. I would highly recommend it. Things to note: You dont need a carry case, just get a $20 plastic box big enough to fit the bottom half of the packing it comes in, get one wide enough that you can fit in the Power Tank you will need as well - DO NOT USE BATTERIES. Consider some kind of heater - i have a 'shade' that wraps around the top of the scope with a heater attached to stop glare in the area, and kill off any dew if that is an issue where you are (rarely for me in the Caribbean)- powered again by the Power Tank. Use the auto two star align - the three star align is not reliable for some reason, always off target when slewing. With the two star align, i put the alignment object in the bottom left corner of the eyepiece, hit the button, then move the object right (to bottom center of eyepiece) then up to middle of my eyepiece to center it properly, then hit align button. Do the same when the scope slews to the second alignment object, and voila, your scope will slew to objects and center them in your eyepiece. It may drift out slightly the first time you slew due to play on the gears (it will head to the top of the eyepiece), but one correction and it then seems to track objects accurately for hours. Overall, the optics are outstanding for a 6 inch, especially with the supplied 23" eye piece. I bought the celestron accessory kit with the eye pieces/2x barlow and filters and those are slightly darker than the supplied 23" (still excellent for the price!!). Other members of my astronomy club are jealous of my scope as it is easy to transport, can take all the transportation (Still perfectly collimated after a year of frequent hauling up and down my condo stairs and transport to the sites) and still works like a charm. Excellent bit of kit indeed, and all for $1,000 with the power tank, accessory kit, vibration pads etc. I would say the supplied finder thingy is a bit cheap, and you have to really force it to its lowest setting, but its still working a year later as well, and if needs be, just buy a Telrad. OK, you can get a better 6 inch scope iom sure, but not any where near this price. So 5 stars from me.

Just recieve this yesterday upgrading from a 30 year old Celestron 8 manual configuration. Its a learning curve for me. Not crazy about the red dot alignment finder, prefer the finders scope with cross hairs. I do like the wifi acessory, but took a bit to get everything working but its fine now. Does need the auto focus, but that will come later. All and all its a very nice scope. Not cheap, but has so many possibilities and add ons are expenisve. Also updating the firmware and software still need to be done. Lots of little details like wifi should have come with this scope and not a 130 dollar add on. The free software for my tablet is amazing to say the least. The weight isn’t bad, but a good case for travel and storage is next on the list. All and all just a very nice Telescope. Update: Scope is down, used it once. Trouble code 16 and 17 shut down motors. Look up before you buy.

I am hoping I just got a defective unit - Celestron used to make good stuff. 1. Extreme backlash in gears - sometimes takes one to two seconds to start moving. and wold keep going after releasing the button - even at slow speeds. 2. Drive does not sound right - not smooth. 3.Using Celestron's PC program when aligning, I'd center and object and tell the program it was centered. The telescope would then move off center. 4. The controller clock was off - after an hour, it was off 2 minutes 5. Did not retain the current date 6. Did not retain the current position 7. The software was several versions behind - had to update the scope. Some parts of the scope were well made. But the battery cover seemed fragile - I was afraid I would break it everytime I would put it on. The holder for the hand controller is a joke - the controller continuously fell off.

Ideal iniciación o nivel intermedio. No aconsejable para astrofotografía de cielo profundo pero se puede hacer. Ideal añadir algunos accesorios como el gps y/o wifi.

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!

1 yıldır listemdeydi. Daha önce Celestron 127EQ kullanıyordum. Gözlemlerimi her zaman keyifle yapıyordum. Bu teleskopla daha da keyif alacağıma eminim.

I bought this to be a portable travel telescope and I think it is ideal for that purpose. I was worried that the 6" aperture would be too small to resolve the deep space targets I prefer from my bigger 10" Dobsonian, but I am pleased that it appears the 6SE is large enough to get most DSOs and yet is small enough to be able carry the entire kit - OTA, mount, and tripod all assembled - out of the house to set up in the backyard quickly. To be sure, any reduction in aperture size will sacrifice some faint DSOs, but the 6SE's primary mirror is big enough to reach all Messier targets and many galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters. As a bonus, its 1500 focal length handles the moon and planets even better than my 10" Dob. The 6SE is a great travel scope for a seasoned astronomer, but it would also make an excellent first scope for someone looking to take up that pursuit. The goto feature makes finding targets easy. Bravo Celestron. I am impressed.

Its very good choice