Celestron NexStar 6SE Computerized Telescope

150mm SCT Optics: 0.77 Arc Second Resolution with StarBright XLT Coatings

The heart of the NexStar 6SE is its 6-inch (150mm) Schmidt-Cassegrain optical tube. This design uses a combination of a corrector plate and mirrors to achieve a long 1500mm focal length in a compact 16-inch tube, 181mm (7.1") in diameter. The included 25mm eyepiece gives 60x (1500mm / 25mm); the highest useful magnification is 354x and the lowest 21x. Focusing moves the primary mirror, using the focus knob on the rear cell. Celestron's SCT manual advises making the final focus turn counterclockwise so the mirror moves against gravity, which minimizes any mirror shift, and starting on a bright object such as the Moon or a planet, since out-of-focus stars are very diffuse.

StarBright XLT is Celestron's coating system, built from three parts: enhanced multi-layer mirror coatings of aluminum, SiO2 and TiO2, with reflectivity fairly flat across the spectrum for both imaging and visual use; multi-layer anti-reflective coatings of magnesium fluoride and hafnium dioxide; and water white glass instead of soda lime glass for the corrector. Water white glass transmits about 90.5% of light uncoated, 3.5% more than soda lime glass, and reaches an average transmission of 97.4% with the StarBright XLT anti-reflective coatings.

The limiting stellar magnitude is 13.4, and the secondary obstruction is 56mm (2.2"), 37% by diameter and 14% by area. The 6SE's six-inch aperture shows Cassini's Division in Saturn's rings, the cloud bands on Jupiter and geographic features on the surface of the Moon, and from a dark-sky site hundreds of pinpoint stars in the Hercules Globular Cluster and the spiral arms of the Whirlpool Galaxy.

NexStar GoTo Mount: A 12 lb Capacity and 5°/Second Slew Speeds

The iconic single-fork arm mount provides a stable, computerized platform for the 8 lb optical tube. The mount carries 12 lbs (5.44 kg). Celestron's patented single fork arm mount is designed to be portable and quick to set up, and the NexStar SE breaks down into several lightweight, compact pieces that are easy to transport, even in small vehicles. Fully enclosed motors and optical encoders handle position location, and the NexStar+ hand control sits in the side of the fork arm.

Once aligned, the mount can slew to any object in its database at up to 5° per second, one of 9 available slew speeds. The NexStar+ hand control provides access to Sidereal, Solar, and Lunar tracking rates, and Alt-Az tracking. For long-exposure astrophotography, the mount supports equatorial tracking modes (EQ North and EQ South) when used with an optional wedge.

SkyAlign in 3 Steps: GoTo Alignment Without Knowing the Stars

Celestron's SkyAlign technology makes setting up the GoTo system incredibly simple. You don't need to know the names of any stars to get started. SkyAlign makes alignment as easy as 1-2-3: center three bright objects in the eyepiece and press ALIGN. Beginners can take a Sky Tour, which finds the most interesting objects currently visible and slews to each one. Optional accessories include StarSense AutoAlign, which makes the NexStar SE align itself, and SkySync, which provides GPS coordinates.

• No Star Knowledge Needed: The system can use planets, the Moon, or bright stars as alignment points, making it accessible to absolute beginners.
• Multiple Alignment Options: For more advanced users, the NexStar+ hand control also offers 1-Star, 2-Star, Auto 2-Star, and Solar System alignment procedures for added precision or specialized setups.

Engineered for Portability: A 28 lb Grab-and-Go System

The best telescope is the one you will use most often. The 28 lb system breaks down into three components: the 8 lb optical tube, the 11 lb mount head, and the 9 lb tripod. That makes it easy to transport, even in small vehicles.

The tripod has 1.5" stainless steel legs and adjusts from 965.2mm to 1422.4mm (38" to 56"). The tripod comes assembled; the accessory tray slides onto the center support rod and the leg brace locking knob presses its arms against the legs. The telescope base sits over the positioning pin, its 3 feet in the recesses of the tripod mounting plate, and the captive mounting bolts tighten from underneath. The included bubble level, placed on the mounting plate, helps level the tripod.

The NexStar SE runs on eight AA batteries (not included) in the compartment at the center of the base, or on 12V DC at 750 mA from an optional 12V AC adapter or one of Celestron's PowerTank power sources.

Imaging: Planetary, Autoguiding and Fastar/HyperStar

The 6SE and 8SE have a port labelled AutoGuide next to the AUX port, meant only for long-exposure astrophotography on the optional EQ wedge, with an autoguiding camera on a 6-pin ST-4 cable through an optional off-axis guider or guide scope. It is not wired like an AUX port: never plug anything but an ST-4 autoguider cable into it.

On the optional wedge, the hand control's EQ North and EQ South alignments and the Polar Align routine help you polar align.

For wide-field deep-sky imaging, you can replace the 6SE's secondary mirror with a DSLR or astronomical camera using a Fastar/HyperStar lens assembly, sold separately and not included; at f/2, exposures are about 25 times shorter than at f/10. For planetary imaging, pair it with one of Celestron's NexImage cameras.