Celestron Nexstar Telescopes

Celestron Nexstar Telescopes are high quality optical instruments; collectively referred to as Computerised Telescopes and also known as Go To Telescopes, Celestron Nexstar Telescopes use a computerised mount and are available in the Nexstar SE version, with the classic orange barrel or the Nexstar SLT version in a gun metal grey finish and uses Star Locating Technology (SLT).

The Celestron Nexstar SE series of Telescopes is for the more serious astronomer, but are also suited to beginners. All the models in the range of Nexstar SE Telescopes feature wider apertures than most telescopes, from 4 inch to 8 inch versions, and utilise best in class optics using Starbright XLT technology. The Celestron Nexstar SE range is well established and regarded as one of the best GoTo telescope ranges in the market today.

Nexstar Telescopes are available in a range of optical designs including Newtonian Reflector, Schmidt-Cassegrain and Maksutov-Cassegrain, so you’ll be sure to find the best Celestron Nexstar Telescope for your requirements. The Nexstar SE range of Telescopes are only available in Schmidt-Cassegrain and Maksutov-Cassegrain designs, all have superb pointing and tracking accuracy using the inbuilt software and hand controller, built into the Go To Mount.

The Nexstar series of Telescope use 1.25 inch eyepieces, meaning you have access to a wide range of eyepieces for your Nextstar telescope. If you are looking to buy and additional eyepiece, we recommend the Xcel eyepieces as they are a good match optically for the Nexstar telescopes. A red dot finder scope is included with all NexStar telescopes and helps you quickly align the scope and locate the object you wish to observe.

A high quality adjustable stainless-steel tripod is included with all Nexstar scopes; this includes a spirit level to assist in set up. The fully computerised, go to Altazimuth mount supplied, sits on top of the steel tripod, the mount is powered by 8 AA batteries, or you can use a mains adapter or if you are on location in search of dark skies, why not look at our range of portable power supplies and powertanks. The set-up of the scope is simple and takes two to three minutes, just follow a quick alignment process - selecting three bright objects, then use Celestron SkyAlign technology to get your telescope aligned and ready to observe in a matter of moments. 

SkyAlign technology makes it easy to set up and align your telescope, even if you are unfamiliar with the night sky, just simply align your telescope on any three bright objects, then you can use the included Nexstar+ remote control to select the best objects to view or something to observe from a database of over 40,000 celestial objects, broken down into categories of Solar System objects, Stars, or deep sky objects. Alternatively why not select Night Sky Tour, here your handset will provide a list of things to observe in the night sky that are visible in your area, and you can view them at your leisure. The software on the hand controller provides an easy-to-use system to view the night sky and is quite intuitive.

The most popular Nexstar model in the Nexstar SE range is the Celestron Nexstar 4SE. This model provides an optical tube diameter of 4 inch / 102mm, along with a 1325mm focal length, this coupled with the 25mm included eyepiece provide a focal ratio of f13 and a magnification of 53x.  Being the smallest telescope in the Nexstar range it is also the lightest, coming in at a total weight of just under 8kg, making it more portable to take to dark sky sites, away from the street lights of urban areas – maybe even on a weekend camping trip! Whilst it may be the entry level model in the Nexstar SE series, the Nexstar 4SE provides high quality images using the included 25mm eyepiece and Starbright XLT technology.

The Celestron Nexstar 4SE uses a four-inch primary mirror, that manages to gather enough light to enable astronomers to observe the wonders our solar system has to offer: Saturn’s rings, Jupiter's clouds and famous red spot, as well as the seas and craters on our nearest neighbour, the Moon. This would be it an ideal choice as your first serious telescope. Should you wish to view more distant objects such as Star clusters and galaxies, you will be able to see these with the Nexstar 4SE, but they will lack detail, due to the lower magnification, when compared to the larger Nexstar SE Telescopes.

Nexstar SE range all include a Star Diagonal, this is essential for comfortable viewing and not craning your neck while observing the night sky. For deep space objects the Nexstar 5SE and its sister models, 6SE and 8SE come into their own. Their superior light gathering power and focal lengths provide powerful magnifications to view hundreds of stars in the Pleiades Cluster, the spiral Andromeda Galaxy, and many more deep sky objects. Whatever you may be looking to observe in the night sky, the simple to use, yet powerful Nexstar Telescopes offer astronomers the ability to view the many wonders of the night sky but takes away a lot of the effort of locating and aligning your telescope.

The flagship model of the Nexstar SE range is the Celestron Nexstar 8SE, packed with advanced features, utilising an 8inch / 203mm aperture and Starbright XLT optics to provide crisp, clear and luminous images. The included 25mm eyepiece and 2032mm focal length supply a magnification of 81x and a focal ratio of f10. This gives the user the ability to view many solar system objects, including the ice caps on Mars. 

The Nexstar 8SE gathers 77% more light than the smaller 6SE, this due to the larger 8in aperture, quite a difference in light gathering ability. This means you can easily observe deep space objects including the Orion Nebula, Andromeda Galaxy plus many other objects. You can comfortably push useful magnifications to 200x with a 10mm eyepiece and really delve deep beyond our solar system and view many deep sky objects including the M33 Galaxy, Horsehead Nebula and Crab Nebula.

In the Celestron Nexstar SLT range, the Nexstar 130SLT is one of the more popular Nexstar models. With its 130mm / 5inch  aperture to provide bright images, this Newtonian reflector telescope has a focal length of 650mm, providing magnifications of 26x with the 25mm eyepiece and 72x magnification with the 9mm eyepiece.

The NexStar 130SLT Newtonian Reflector will show you details of the moon’s surface, the phases of Venus, the polar ice caps on Mars, the moons of Jupiter and Saturn with clear views of its rings. This model can also be used as a land-based spotting telescope for daytime and wildlife observations as well, using an additional erect image eyepiece. It should be noted that due to the 130SLT being a Newtonian Reflector Telescope, it will need to be collimated periodically, a quick process, but one that will be required from time to time, not something that is needed on Schmidt-Cassegrain and Maksutov-Cassegrain models.

The quality of Celestron Nexstar SE and Nexstar SLT Telescopes is unrivalled in their price range, and as a result, the Celestron Nexstar series of telescopes is one of the most popular telescope ranges available. The Nexstar SLT range are ideal for users wanting a good quality GoTo telescope at an affordable price, the Nexstar SE range are a higher quality computerised telescope for users that desire extra magnification from longer focal lengths, more luminous images and superior image quality at their fingertips.

All Celestron Nexstar Telescopes include a 2-year warranty, giving peace of mind knowing support is at hand should an issue develop. The Nexstar range of telescopes is well established, now over 10 years in the marketplace. The software in the hand controller is very stable and the build quality of the OTA and Tripod are very good for the money. Overall, the Nexstar range of telescopes represents exceptional value for money when looking for a mid-range go to telescope.

If you are searching for an astronomical telescope upgrade and want to take your astronomy more seriously or would just like a more powerful telescope for observing more distant night sky objects, there is a model of Nexstar Telescope in the series for you, take a browse though our range of Nexstar models from Celestron Telescopes.
Trust Celestron, the world’s premier telescope maker - Nexstar Telescopes at an affordable price.