The low power 20mm eyepiece (35x) is best for viewing open star clusters and finding objects; I use the 10mm (70X) and 4mm (175X) eyepieces to zoom in on stars and planets. The planets show up quite nicely at 70x, and they're even better with a 6mm plossl eyepiece at 117x. Venus looks like a tiny crescent moon, Jupiter shows off its two major cloud bands, and Saturn's rings are sharply separated from the planet. Bright double stars also show up well. Castor, one of the twin stars in the constellation Gemini, turns out to be a double star only four arc-seconds wide. You'll need that 6mm eyepiece (117x) or the included 4mm (175x) to separate Castor into two beads of light. Students from middle school on up will find the Nexstar 60GT just the right size. It's affordable, it's light and portable, and it's an easy introduction to the world of computerized telescopes. My first telescope, made of telescoping cardboard tubes, came from an ad in Popular Mechanics magazine. I would have been thrilled to have a telescope as good as the Nexstar 60GT. An adult with a serious interest in astronomy, however, is likely to outgrow a 60mm telescope rather quickly. It takes a larger scope to see the divisions in Saturn's rings or resolve globular clusters into individual stars; if you want that kind of detail, take a look at the telescope buyers guide for some larger ideas. -Jeff Phillips Pros: Complete package is light, portable, and affordable Classic refractor design for good planet views up to 120x Nexstar computer finds planets, star clusters, and galaxies for you Cons: It's small-the only way to see more detail is with a bigger telescope Batteries only last a few hours The NexStar 60 GT is one of Celestron's most affordable telescopes, helping you turn starry nights into space odysseys at the touch of a button. It has a 2. 4-inch diameter refractor, focal length of 700mm, focal ratio of f/12, and includes three 1. 25-inch (35x, 70x, and 175x) eyepieces. Finding objects couldn't be easier with the Star Pointer finderscope, which is designed so you can point the telescope while scanning the sky with both eyes. NexStars represent a sophisticated combination of precision engineering, advanced electronics and exceptional optics. The only simple thing about NexStar is its operation. Refractors     This is a refractor telescope. Refractors (also known as a dioptrics) capture light with a lens at the front of a long tube and send it to an eyepiece at the other end. They look, in other words, just like what most people think of when they hear the word "telescope. "     Refractors offer-potentially, at least-the cleanest images of any telescope design. They are simple and reliable (the sealed tube is maintenance-free), and are good for both celestial and terrestrial viewing.    Read more about different telescope designs in our buying guide The thing that makes the NexStar 60 a "GT" version is the best feature of all: a "go-to" hand control that can be mounted on the fork arm for hands-free operation. The hand control-with an illuminated numeric key pad and dual 16 character LCD display-is fully computerized, allowing it to take you on a guided tour of the most spectacular objects visible. It has red back-illuminated buttons that help retain your night vision. At the touch of a button the NexStar 60 GT will go to the stars of your choice, change motion rate, get information on an object, or simply tell if an object is visible. The NextStar catalog contains over 4,000 celestial objects and categorizes them in an organized fashion. Here is an example of the actual text from the telescope's database as it describes M87: "Elliptical galaxy equal in size to 790 billion solar masses. More than 1,000 globular clusters are known to surround this galaxy and it is believed to have a giant black hole at its center. Distance: 50 million light years. " The NexStar 60 GT also comes with a sturdy, preassembled, adjustable aluminum tripod, as well as The Sky, Level 1 CD-ROM software. If the 4,000 object computerized database and automatic alignment capabilities aren’t inspiring enough, add to that the easily assembled, quick-release fork arm and you have the smartest, most user-friendly telescope available today. And NexStar telescopes love to travel. Sturdy and solid, they provide rigid low-vibration performance, with quiet, high precision servo motors. Powered by 8 AA user supplied batteries or an optional AC adapter (#18770), NexStar telescopes aren’t tethered to civilization – they carry it with them. Best of all, those sophisticated electronics are designed by the highly skilled engineers of Celestron, right down to the circuit boards, for tested superior performance. Moon viewing 101 The moon is often one of the first celestial objects a beginner will look at through his or her telescope. Here are a couple hints for you once you get your hands on your new NexStar 60. Often, it is tempting to look at the Moon when it is full. At this time, the face we see is fully illuminated and its light can be overpowering. In addition, little or no contrast can be seen during this phase. One of the best times to observe the Moon is during its partial phases (around the time of first or third quarter). Long shadows reveal a great amount of detail on the lunar surface. At low power you will be able to see most of the lunar disk at one time. The optional Reducer/Corrector lens allows for breath-taking views of the entire lunar disk when used with a low power eyepiece. Change to higher power (magnification) to focus in on a smaller area. Choose the lunar tracking rate from the NexStar's MENU tracking rate options to keep the moon centered in the eyepiece even at high magnifications. Observing the Planets Other fascinating targets include the five naked-eye planets. You can see Venus go through its lunar-like phases. Mars can reveal a host of surface detail and one, if not both, of its polar caps. You will be able to see the cloud belts of Jupiter and the great Red Spot (if it is visible at the time you are observing). In addition, you will also be able to see the moons of Jupiter as they orbit the giant planet. Saturn, with its beautiful rings, is easily visible at moderate power. Remember that atmospheric conditions are usually the limiting factor on how much planetary detail will be visible. So avoid observing the planets when they are low on the horizon or when they are directly over a source of radiating heat, such as a rooftop or chimney. The Nuts and Bolts of the NexStar 60 GT Objective Lens Fork Arm Accessory Tray w/ hand control holder Hand Control Tripod 10 Tube Ring Focuser Knob Star Diagonal Eyepiece Star Pointer Finderscope Tube Ring.

5 degrees per sec, 32x, 16x, 8x, 4x, 2x Tracking Rates - Sidereal, Solar and Lunar Tracking Modes - Alt-Az, EQ North & EQ South Alignment Procedures - SkyAlign, Auto 2-Star Align, 1-Star Align, 2-Star Align, Solar System Align High quality 114mm reflector Fully computerized altazimuth mount StarPointer finderscope to help with alignment and accurately locating objects Quick-release fork arm mount Sturdy stainless steel tripod and accessory tray Proven NexStar computer control technology Database allows telescope to locate over 4,000 celestial objects The Sky Level 1 & NexStar Observers List (v2. 6. 4c) CD-ROM 1. 21 arc seconds Revolution 1. 02 arc seconds Revolving Power Photographic Resolution - 228 line per mm 265x Light Gathering Power 1. 1 Degrees Angular Field of View 59 feet (17. 98 m) Linear Fie Celestron's computerized NexStar 114 SLT adds affordable GoTo technology to a compact Newtonian reflector telescope. The complete package has everything you need to get started except the batteries. The box contains high and low power eyepieces (9mm and 25mm), the computer controller, an adjustable tripod, a red dot finder, and even a planetarium program for your personal computer. The NexStar 114 SLT's compact Newtonian optics produce images that are three times brighter than 60mm beginner scopes. With this telescope it's easy to see Saturn's rings and Jupiter's cloud belts. When the night air is still and clear I've been able to see the Cassini division in Saturn's rings and even spot the shadow of Jupiter's moons crossing the planets cloud tops! Deep space objects like star clusters and galaxies also show up nicely. The Ring Nebula M57, for instance, shows up as a pale smoke ring, and globular cluster M13 begins to reveal its individual stars. Celestron's computerized SkyAlign system is remarkably quick and easy to use. If you can see the moon, you can align this telescope! When you turn on the telescope, select "Solar System Align" on the hand control, enter the date and time, point the telescope at the moon, and press the "Align" button. That's all it takes; the computerized tracking system takes over and begins tracking, quietly, and accurately. Experienced users will love the "Auto Two-Star Align" and "SkyAlign" modes because they allow the telescope to point accurately at over 4,000 objects in the NexStar database. The accurate tracking allowed me to use a Celestron NexImage to take some nice close-up pictures of the moon and planets. The biggest drawback to a computerized telescope is its battery consumption. The standard AA batteries only last a few hours, but the NexStar 114 SLT works very well with an external 12-volt battery such as Celestron's Power Tank. The other drawback comes from the NexStar 114 SLT's compact optical design. This telescope uses a short-focal-length mirror combined with a corrector lens to simulate a traditional long tube reflector. This works pretty well at moderate magnification levels, but the mirrors may need to be fine-tuned, or "collimated," to get the best high power images. I find Celestron's Collimation Eyepiece helps me get this fine tuning just right, but the reward is sharp images, even when I use the high power 9mm eyepiece with a barlow lens for a magnification over 200x. -Jeff Phillips Pros: Easy computerized GoTo system Good (but not great) optics Includes everything but the batteries Cons: Short battery life Optics may need occasional fine tuning.

Adjustable height tripod Celestron 2-Year Warranty Celestron’s computerized NexStar 130 SLT adds affordable "Go-To" technology to a compact Newtonian reflector telescope. By using mirrors instead of lenses, the Newtonian optics of the NexStar 130 SLT produce an image nearly five times brighter than the NexStar 60 SLT refractor telescope. The package includes everything except the batteries, and features easy no-tool setup, two good eyepieces, and even includes a student version of "The Sky" planetarium software. The Newtonian design of the NexStar 130 SLT is optimized to produce bright images over a wide field of view. When I use an optional 32mm Plossl eyepiece, the famous Double Cluster in Perseus looks like a display of celestial fireworks with streamers of stars trailing across the 2 degree field of view. The standard equipment 25mm eyepiece magnifies the image about 26 times, with a wide field of view just right for viewing deep space objects like star clusters or the Orion Nebula. The included 9mm eyepiece (72x magnification) offers great views of the Lunar disk and globular star clusters like M13. And when I add a 2x Barlow lens to the 9mm eyepiece for a total magnification of 144x, I can easily see cloud bands on the planet Jupiter and pick up detail in Saturn’s rings. The NexStar 130 SLT also features Celestron’s patented SkyAlign technology. With SkyAlign I don't need a star chart or a compass to align the telescope, I just enter the date and time then point the telescope at three bright stars. SkyAlign tells me the star names, and allows the telescope to find over 4,000 stars, planets, and galaxies by just pushing a button. The accurate tracking makes it easy to get high power views of the planets, and allowed me to take some great pictures using a Celestron NexImage webcam. I also like the "Two-Star align" and "Solar System align" modes because I can often get the NexStar system up and running while older scopes are still waiting for their alignment stars to appear in he twilight. Reflector telescopes offer more light gathering power per dollar than any other design, but that value is balanced by the fact that the mirrors may need to be aligned or "collimated" occasionally. Using Celestron’s Collimation Eyepiece I had no trouble fine tuning the optical alignment, and I was rewarded with sharp views of Lunar craters even when I pushed the magnification up to the theoretical limit of 300x. The other drawback of a computerized telescope, of course, is battery consumption. An optional PowerTank battery is a handy way to power the NexStar 130 SLT, and I like to keep the tripod legs short and observe while seated because this gives me a solid and comfortable view. -Jeff Phillips Pros: Wide field views Computerized go-to tracking Light and portable Cons: Short battery life Sensitive to vibration Suggested Options: Celestron Accessory Kit Celestron PowerTank battery Celestron Collimation Eyepiece.

With its pre-assembled, adjustable steel tripod, the NexStar 60 can be up and ready to use in a matter of minutes. Celestron's SkyAlign alignment technology and the included StarPointer Finderscope with a red LED makes aligning a breeze. With the NexStar 60, you can see breathtaking views of the lunar landscape, Venus and its phases, Jupiter and its four moons, and much more. Weighing only 9. 5 pounds, this telescope can be easily moved to your favorite observations point.

Most exciting is the wide variety of deep sky objects (stars, clusters, nebulae). Because of their optical design, reflectors are best suited for astronomical use. - All you need to know is the general direction of North, your closest major city (included in the instruction manual), plus the date and time, and you will be observing planets, stars and more within moments. - NexStar computerized telescopes are so straightforward, astronomers at all levels can locate over 4,000 pre-programmed stars, planets, and other celestial objects right out of the box. Plus, fully assembled tripod ad pre-installed electronics make set up quick (taking only seconds) and simple. - All of our NexStar Telescopes come equippped with 2- 1. 25" eyepieces and everything you need including the hand controller. - Limited Quantities Available - On Sale Now! Celestron likes to say, "the only simple thing about NexStar is its operation," and we have to agree. The sophisticated NexStar 114 GT is quite easy to assemble, even for a complete novice. Once you put the scope together and mount it on the sturdy aluminum tripod (also included), simply take the hand control with illuminated dual 16-character LCD display, and dial in the date, location, and position of north. Using its quiet, high-precision servo motor, the NexStar automatically aligns itself with the night sky. Reflectors     This is a reflector telescope. Reflectors (also known as Newtonian reflectors or catoptrics) capture light with a mirror at the bottom of a tube, which sends the image to the eyepiece at the top of the tube.    First-time telescope users sometimes have difficulty with the idea of looking through the side of a telescope, but the big draw for reflectors is that they are by far the cheapest to manufacture-and thus offer the best value-of all telescope types. They also generally have zero chromatic aberration.    Read more about different telescope designs in our buying guide From there it is a breeze to select what you want to see using the computerized hand control, which features automatic slewing to over 4,000 celestial objects, as well as manual high-speed slewing and fine-centering at the touch of a button. Even a beginner can master this telescope within just a few observing sessions. Also provided: a Star Pointer finderscope designed to help you point the telescope while scanning the sky with both eyes, the Sky Level I CD-ROM with a database of 10,000 celestial objects, and a sturdy, adjustable aluminum tripod with an accessory tray. Featuring a 114mm (4. 5-inch) diameter Newtonian reflector with a focal length of 1,000mm (focal ratio of f/9), this telescope affords approximately 265 times the light-gathering power of the naked eye. And, with the two eyepieces (25mm and 10mm) included here, it offers maximum magnifications of 40x and 100x, making it capable of revealing fine detail within galaxies and nebulae. The NexStar 114 Newtonian reflector has 265 times the light gathering power of the average human eye, revealing fine detail within galaxies and nebulae. This compact design brings objects into view with a 114mm aperture, 1000mm focal length capable of achieving magnifications of 40x and 100x with the included eyepieces. Its large 4. 5" diameter outshines smaller scopes. Polar caps on Mars become visible along with the cloud belts on Jupiter. The rings of Saturn are also clearly visible. Perhaps most exciting is the sheer variety of deep sky objects (stars, clusters, nebulae). Because of their optical design, reflectors are best suited for astronomical use. Specifications summarized: 114mm (4. 5") diameter Newtonian Reflector Focal Length of 1000mm Focal Ratio of f/9 Weight: 15. 5 Lbs. Standard accessories for the NexStar 114 GT: 25mm (40x) and 10mm (100x) 1. 25" SMA Eyepieces Star Pointer Finderscope The Sky Level I CD-ROM Sturdy, Adjustable Aluminum Tripod with Accessory Tray GT models come with the complete Go-To computer hand control Moon viewing 101 The moon is often one of the first celestial objects a beginner will look at through his or her telescope. Here are a couple hints for you once you get your hands on your new NexStar 114. Often, it is tempting to look at the Moon when it is full. At this time, the face we see is fully illuminated and its light can be overpowering. In addition, little or no contrast can be seen during this phase. One of the best times to observe the Moon is during its partial phases (around the time of first or third quarter). Long shadows reveal a great amount of detail on the lunar surface. At low power you will be able to see most of the lunar disk at one time. The optional Reducer/Corrector lens allows for breath-taking views of the entire lunar disk when used with a low power eyepiece. Change to higher power (magnification) to focus in on a smaller area. Choose the lunar tracking rate from the NexStar's MENU tracking rate options to keep the moon centered in the eyepiece even at high magnifications. Observing the Planets Other fascinating targets include the five naked-eye planets. You can see Venus go through its lunar-like phases. Mars can reveal a host of surface detail and one, if not both, of its polar caps. You will be able to see the cloud belts of Jupiter and the great Red Spot (if it is visible at the time you are observing). In addition, you will also be able to see the moons of Jupiter as they orbit the giant planet. Saturn, with its beautiful rings, is easily visible at moderate power. Remember that atmospheric conditions are usually the limiting factor on how much planetary detail will be visible. So avoid observing the planets when they are low on the horizon or when they are directly over a source of radiating heat, such as a rooftop or chimney. The Nuts and Bolts of the NexStar 114 GT Lens Cover Optical Tube Fork Arm Tripod Accessory Tray w/ hand control holder Hand Control Collimation Adjustment Knobs Tube Ring Eyepiece Star Pointer Finderscope.

If you think you’ve seen the optical tube before, you have - it’s the same Chinese-sourced tube sold by other retailers. The optics are decent at low powers, but as you climb in magnification, the fast f/5 focal ratio optics start showing some aberrations - there’s false color (purple halos) around brighter objects, and as you get near 100X, image quality starts to break down. The moral: Take it easy on the magnification, and you’ll be OK. Even without pushing it, you can still easily see the rings of Saturn, four moons of Jupiter, and a lot of lunar detail. And aberrrations aside, the little NexStar 80 is a fun low-power rich field telescope. You’re going to have a lot of fun looking at the Pleiades, the Double Cluster in Perseus, the Andromeda galaxy, the Orion Nebula, and dozens of other objects. The telescope’s Goto system will be instantly familiar to anyone who’s initialized a NexStar (or Meade’s similar Autostar system. ) If you haven’t done this before, the scope needs to be told some basic information: the current time, date, location on the planet, etc. Then you center two known stars to the best of your ability. The scope takes over from there, automatically slewing to the desired object, and keeping it in the field of view as the earth rotates. Mostly it works well, but there are a few minor glitches here and there. The battery pack has a loose connector, which is prone to falling off, forcing you to reinitialize (hint: try attaching the pack to the fork arm itself using velcro. ) The computer sometimes takes the "long" way around, strangling itself with its own cord. And the unit’s light weight - only 11 pounds - won’t break your back, but it’s so light that any accidental bump (easy to do in the dark) will knock the scope out of alignment, forcing another reinitialization. The hand held controller contains a wealth of information. The 4,000 object database is probably optimistic for such a small scope (you won't be able to actually see all those objects), but it’s a nice touch, and besides, silicon’s cheap, right? In fact, one of the fun things you can do with a scope like this on a rainy day is to do a "fake" initialization indoors (yes, even in the daytime. ) Then, just start pushing buttons on the controller and read all about the objects in the sky. So, in the end, what we have here is a nice telescope that offers good value for the price. No scope in this price range is perfect, of course, but there are few other options in this price range. Meade’s ETX70AT is similar to the NexStar 80GT. If you‘re looking for more light gathering ability, go with an Orion XT6 or XT8. If you like the NexStar system but want a more serious telescope, consider saving up for Celestron’s NexStar 5i. -Ed Ting Pros: Light, compact, versatile, and inexpensive On-board computer makes finding objects a snap Good at low power Cons: Optics only so-so at higher powers Cords tend to tangle Relatively small aperture (80 mm).

Celestron's new SkyAlign technology is remarkably quick and easy to use. You won't need a GPS receiver or a star chart. In fact, if you can see the moon just choose "Solar System Align", enter the date and time, point the scope at the moon and push the "Align" key. This simple procedure was all I needed to initialize the computerized tracking system and start taking pictures with my Celestron NexImage CCD imager. The NexStar computer allows the telescope to track quietly and accurately with surprisingly good precision. When I use the three star "SkyAlign" mode to initialize the telescope, the GoTo system consistently places deep space highlights like the Orion Nebula, the Andromeda Galaxy and the Double Cluster in Perseus near the center of the low power eyepiece. The standard equipment 25mm eyepiece (36x magnification) or an optional 32mm plossl (28x) provide nice low power views of these objects. The tracking system also makes it easy to get some delightful high power views of the moon and planets. The included high power 9mm eyepiece gives a magnification of 100x, but I find the views are quite good up to 150x when I use an optional 6mm plossl. The NexStar 80 SLT is large enough to show good detail on the moon and planets, but it's not large enough to bring out much detail in deep space objects. Globular cluster M13, for instance, looks very comet-like with a glowing core and feathery edges; it simply takes a larger telescope to see M13's individual stars. The other drawbacks to this telescope are its short battery life and a mount that wobbles while focusing at high power. Try setting an external 12 Volt battery like Celestron's Power Tank on the accessory tray; it will power the scope and reduce vibrations at the same time. -Jeff Phillips Pros: Easy computerized pointing and tracking High contrast views of the moon and planets Cons: Short battery life Wobbles while focusing at high power Too small for deep space.