Celestron Nexstar 102GT 102mm Go-To Refractor Telescope
- 102mm reflector
- Nexstar Computer Hand control, with 4,000 object database
- 2-1.25" eyepieces, 25mm, 10mm
- Accessory tray
- Tripod included
List Price: $ 817.95
Price: $ 817.95
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The Nexstar 8 SE upholds Celestron's reputation for quality optics. When I use an 11mm Plossl eyepiece (almost 200x magnification) for example, I can easily see the Cassini Division in Saturn's rings. When I look at Jupiter, the pale orange color of Jupiter's famous Great Red Spot is visible, and I've even been able to identify the polar caps and spot dust storms on the planet Mars. A 20mm Plossl eyepiece (about 100x magnification) is a good choice for viewing galaxies and star clusters. When I look at globular cluster M13 in the constellation Hercules the high contrast XLT optics show me a glowing snowflake made of hundreds of tiny pin-point stars! And a low power 32mm Plossl eyepiece is a good choice for views of larger deep space highlights like the Andromeda Galaxy and the Orion Nebula.
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Celestron's patented "SkyAlign" system makes the Nexstar 8 SE very easy to use. I just pick the nearest town from the built-in list, enter the date and time, and point the telescope at three bright stars. I don't need a star chart because "SkyAlign" identifies the stars for me. When I just want a quick look at the moon or a planet, I like to use the "Solar System Align" option. After entering the date and time, I just point the telescope at the moon and press the "Align" key. That's all it takes, the computer takes over and the telescope begins tracking quietly and accurately. At star parties I often have my Nexstar up and running while older computerized telescopes are still waiting for their alignment stars to appear in the twilight.
The Nexstar 8 SE comes with a simple red-dot finder scope and a basic 25mm eyepiece. You'll want to add a few good eyepieces to take full advantage of the Nexstar 8 SE's excellent optics. At the very least get Celestron's bargain priced Accessory Kit which includes high and low power plossl eyepieces, or treat yourself to some top rated Tele Vue eyepieces. At twenty-four pounds total weight, the Nexstar 8 SE is unusually light and portable for an eight-inch telescope. The drawback of course is that some people will find it too light. Like other Schmidt Cassegrain (SCT) telescopes there are plenty of optional accessories to upgrade this telescope with, such as heavy duty tripods and an optical finder scope. If you want to try astro-photography, however, check out Celestron's CPC 800 Telescope which features a heavy duty mount and tripod and an 8x50 optical finder scope right out of the box. --Jeff Phillips
Pros:
The excellent optics of Celestron's classic C5 Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope have been updated with premium Starbright XLT optical coatings. This telescope consistently delivers crisp, high contrast views of the moon, the planets, and brighter deep space objects. The standard equipment 25mm plossl eyepiece produces a magnification of 50x, powerful enough to show the rings of Saturn, the cloud bands of Jupiter, and the changing face of the Lunar disk. Optional eyepieces can be added to bring out significantly more detail. I like to use a 12.5mm plossl (100x magnification) or a 7.5mm Ultrascopic eyepiece (166x) for high power views of the planets. With the 7.5mm Ultrascopic eyepiece I can usually see the Cassini Division in Saturn's rings and cloud bands on the planet itself. I like to use a 32mm plossl eyepiece for great low power views of deep space highlights like the Orion Nebula or the Double Cluster in Perseus.
The NexStar 5 SE package also includes a sturdy adjustable tripod, a motorized alt-azimuth mount, and the NexStar hand held computer controller. You won't need a GPS receiver or star charts to operate this telescope. The SkyAlign procedure is easy to use, and experienced observers will like the two-star align and solar-system align options because they are even quicker to set up. The steel tripod and alt-azimuth mount provide a solid base for the NexStar 5 SE. Vibration is not a problem, even while focusing at high power. The computerized tracking is also very good, easily keeping planets in the field of a high power eyepiece. The disadvantage of a computerized telescope, of course, is battery consumption. I like to use a rechargeable Celestron Power Tank because the standard AA alkaline batteries only last a few hours.
This telescope is perfect for visual observing, and allowed me to capture some sweet images of the moon and planets using a Celestron NexImage web-cam. For long exposure deep space photography, however, I'd take a look at Celestron's Advanced Series equatorial telescopes such as the C6 N-GT --Jeff Phillips
Pros: