Celestron NexStar 6SE SCT with Accessory Kit

After studying Astrophysics at university I always had a strong desire to get me a big fat orange tube. Unfortunately I could never afford what I wanted and anything else never really cut the mustard.This is a big beast. 3 large boxes and the build quality is evident from first opening. I was worried about how shipping delicate optics would be, however shouldn’t have worried as the shipping boxes have bespoke foam inserts that I can see me using for some time.So far it’s been pretty cloudy. I’ve read a lot and learnt some of the nuances of setup. First things first the best advice I read was to practise setup in the day time, getting comfortable with the weight and size. Then point it at a distant chimney pot or similar instead of aligning automatically. Once happy and focussed (left for infinity, right for close up) take a look at the spotter scope and align the red dot using the 2 knobs. Worked a treat and my alignment was so much better.Second best tip was to use 2 star align rather than the full on sky align. Results are comparable but often sky align fails.I’ll build on my review as I learn more but with a great Black Friday saving I’m so happy I waited and saved up for a scope that is truly awe inspiring.Update after a couple of months.. Lots of cloud apparent, but some good viewing so far. My only addons so far have been a dew shield and an 8mm-25mm Celestron zoom eyepiece that is great value for money.. Next comes AstroPhotography

I will start this review by saying that I am not an expert. I got this telescope for my son and there is no way that we can manage to focus properly. The image is always out of focus. We absolutely are unable to obtain a clear and in focus image. I don’t know why. Definitely the focusing knob has a serious issue. It doesn’t seem to be precise and it’s not just a matter of going backwards and forwards with it, it just doesn’t work the same way you would focus with the camera. The magnification is a lot less than I expected (remember, not an expert in telescopes) the moon appears as a whole in the eyepiece and by adding a different eyepiece (I got a £300 9mm) the image is incredibly dark and in this case the focusing issue is way bigger. I definitely need to investigate these issues, but for now it seems to be a big waste of money.

Love the new telescope, my son calibrated the telescope and he said it didn't take long. I've also ordered Celestron NexYZ Phone Scope Adapter, Celestron 93640 1.25 Inch Universal Barlow and T-Adaptor and a moon filter.

I struggled for months with a faulty scope. I could never get it to align. However dutifully replaced.Finally got a scope that aligned, so was no longer a door stop.If you are a beginner, this is a great scope, but, not on its own.I was totally confused at aligning it using sight to 3 stars I didnt have a clue what and where.I bought the starsense and this aids alignment.So, on its own its not easy unless you have some idea what is in the sky.I also got the GPS so it knows where it is and what time it is.Once you have the kit, everything connected and communicating, get aligned, now you can 'go to' and view what you wish.You will need to buy some different lens and you can research this online with youtube etc.For photography, you can attach an SLR but really, forget it, webcams are the way to go.All in all a great scope but there is a lot to learn to know how to use it, it is not as simple to set up as would be indicated, also for the UK get a dew guard.

A great telescope, very clear and relatively easy to use. Alignment can be tricky - definitely, definitely purchase a power lead to go with the telescope (can be found online for £15). Batteries don’t last long, and when they begin to drain it throws the alignment completely.

Waited over six weeks for clear skies and tonight was the night.In addition I have the Celestron power supply and dew shield, Telrad finder, and wide screen eyepiece.I used the Auto Two Star Align which took a couple of minutes to set up, asked it to find M31 and straight away the Andromeda Galaxy was there. Unbelievable, just enter what you want to see and if its above the horizon this thing will find it. I have other stuff and am impressed with the optics, which gave a clear view of Mars.All I need now are the fingerless gloves I've just ordered, coldest night of the year!

Only owning a 2nd hand 5 inch telescope, I have always wanted an 8 inch telescope (size is everything) and decided to buy in xmas sale. I was unfortunately very disappointed. Firstly, the computer needs the date/time set on EVERY usage. Secondly the red dot finder (RDF) is practically useless (you struggle to see anything thru it with one eye) and the focussing requires 32 turns of a cheap knob. The Sky Align said it had worked (point at three bright objects) but I could not get it to find objects (the aim was slightly off) despite checking levelling, date/time, location and so on. Tried again (from scratch) on a clearer night but had exactly the same issues and at the end of the day could not justify the expense of this item (to my wife) with the frustrating experience. I suspect the light gathering optics are probably great, but could not locate any objects (either automatically or manually) with this set up. Cannot believe something this expensive comes without the facility to maintain date/time and has a useless RDF and dodgy focusser ... so I am disappointedly returning as “not fit for purpose” and returning to my 5 inch which at a fraction of the price of this scope at least allows me to view objects (automatically and manually) I.e. it works. Perhaps this scope could be great but not without buying gps (£150) to feed date/time, motorised focus (£150) and better auto finder (e.g. sky prodigy £350) which is outside my budget.