Celestron Nexstar 5 Telescope (Telescope Only)

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Summary: goto where ?
Review: After receiving this scope .I read the instructions and understood them. The goto feature is not difficult to figure out.So I had no problems there. I have never been able to see any neb. or gal. Nothing but the usual boring venus and jupiter. The moon of course. This scope although expensive is no better than my dept. store telescope. What good is goto when you getthere there is nothing to see. Star test was excellent so it doesnt need collimation. DO NOT BUY ANY SCOPE WITH LESS THAN 8inches of apeture. And you can take that to the bank!!!

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Summary: Best of the small automated scopes
Review: Both Celestron and Meade have come out with scores of automated scopes in the last few years, and of the 5" and smaller scopes, the Nextstar 5 is the clear winner. It's large enough and optically fine enough to deliver a sharp image at magnifications of up to 250x, and bright enough to resolve thousands of dim objects. For lunar viewing it's first rate. Quality wise it's somewhat better built than the similar Meade scopes, with fewer plastic pieces.

You can buy smaller scopes with automation, but when shopping atthe inexpensive end of the market, it's better to put your money into optics instead of automation. But if you can budget over a thousand dollars, and you're looking for an automated scope, this is the clear choice.

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Summary: What I see through this scope
Review: I originally ordered the Nexstar 80 GT because I wanted to see the bands of Jupiter and the rings of Saturn during winter of 2001-2 while those planets were high and bright. Before it shipped, an astronomer friend suggested that I save [price] on a 5" or 8" scope by not buying that one. So I bought the Nexstar 5 instead. Overall, I am very happy with it, but now I wish that I had saved [price] on an 8" or 10" scope by not buying the 5".

With the Nexstar 5 and [price] worth of accessory filters and lenses, I see clearly five or six bands of Jupiter, I watch the four largest moons change positions as they orbit, but cannot see the moons' shadows on the face of the planet. On a clear, still night I can just distinguish the red spot. Saturn is beautiful, but I cannot make out separate rings, they blur into one. I see the Great Andromeda Nebula as an indistinct splotch of light. My favorite targets are, by far, the sun and moon. With proper filters (mandatory for solar observing) I can see sunspots, but solar flares require another very expensive filter. The moon is spectacular through this scope; I can easily see many interesting features of craters and mare. These are just my observations and not meant to criticize the scope - it does exactly what it is capable of doing.

While it does seem logical to spend your money on optics, until you become an expert skywatcher, the Nexstar goto and tracking features are a must. The sun, moon, and planets move so quickly across the sky that without some type of tracking system they quickly exit the field of view. Without the goto features it would be impossible for moderately experienced observers to point the scope at, say the Christmas Tree Nebula (never mind whether you can actually see anything once it gets there). The Nexstar does indeed have an internal database of 18,000 objects and 17,995 of them are either invisible or nondescript points of light - but that does not mean that they are not worth pointing the scope at.

Astronomy is an expensive addiction. Even those who use the Hubble space telescope would prefer a bigger and better scope. So in summary, buy this scope if it is what you can afford, otherwise do your homework and then buy a more expensive one.

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Summary: Great Fun
Review: I purchased this product about 2 Months ago, even though it came with all accessories to get you started, I am surprised how much money I have spent trying to get all the add ons to get the most out if the telescope. As most of you who own telescopes know, one you start to explore you want more.

The Nexstar 5 clarity is outstanding, the included computer and motors makes it cool, however it does take some time to get it aligned before you can start observing.

The Moon and Sun are incredible clear, I have not have a chance to observe any of the planets yet, for terrestrial viewing it is also outstanding

I am enjoying it, I will let you more as I explore more

PS: before you go an invest on any sophisticated eyepieces, invest your money on a Zoom eyepiece, it is much better than spending hundreds of dollars and having multiple eyepieces that you have to carry and change depending on what you are observing.

Rating:
Summary: Great scope for the size
Review: My neighbor has a Meade ETX125 and he has spent countless hours modifying it and attempting to make it as easy to use as the Nexstar (he still is not there). After a fairly simple alignment process, the scope slews easily to find other objects. The computer program can find most objects an amateur like myself would be looking for. The computer program that comes with it provides additional info. The scope does require additional lens so be prepared to purchase extras as well as filters if you are going to be looking at the moon.

Rating:
Summary: Compact and easy to use.
Review: Small enough to throw in the trunk of your car, sturdy enough to withstand the rigors of stumbling around the backyard in the dark, the Nexstar 5 offers fine viewing and ease of use for any beginner that does not have the time or the attention span to learn the locations of many celestial objects.