From the manufacturer
Features and Benefits
Fully Automated GoTo Mount
Select from a database of more than 40,000 stars, galaxies, nebulae, star clusters, solar system objects, and more. Your NexStar SE locates them all with pinpoint accuracy and tracks them automatically.
Compact and Portable
The 8SE is ideal for weekend camping trips or excursions to dark sky sites. Its compact form factor is easy to transport and assemble just about anywhere.
Accessories Included
You receive a red dot StarPointer finderscope, 25mm Plossl eyepiece, visual back, and mirror star diagonal.
Schmidt-Cassegrain Optics
8-inch aperture provides excellent light-gathering ability at an affordable price. You’ll get impressive views of the Moon & planets, along with deep sky objects, while keeping a compact form factor.
Features and Benefits
Fast Setup with SkyAlign
Celestron’s proprietary SkyAlign procedure has you ready to observe in minutes. Centre any three bright objects in the eyepiece and NexStar SE aligns to the night sky, ready to locate thousands of stars, galaxies, and more.
Astroimaging Made Easy
Budding astroimagers can use the built-in wedge to polar align NexStar SE. Using simple, inexpensive adapters, connect your DSLR or astronomical camera & capture your own images of celestial objects.
A Lifetime of Astronomy
Compatible with all Celestron’s most popular accessories, including StarSense AutoAlign and SkyPortal WiFi Module, the NexStar SE can grow with you.
NexStar 4SE
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NexStar 5SE
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NexStar 6SE
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NexStar 8SE
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| Customer Reviews |
742
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929
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1,505
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| Price | £649.00 | £959.99 | £1,199.00 | £1,499.00 |
| Optical Design | Maksutov-Cassegrain | Schmidt-Cassegrain | Schmidt-Cassegrain | Schmidt-Cassegrain |
| Aperture | 102mm (4.02”) | 125mm (4.92”) | 150mm (5.91″) | 203.2mm (8”) |
| Focal Length | 1325mm (52”) | 1250mm (49”) | 1500mm (59”) | 2032mm (80”) |
| Focal Ratio | f/13 | f/10 | f/10 | f/10 |
| Magnification (with included eyepieces) | 53x | 50x | 60x | 81x |
| Limiting Magnitude | 12.5 | 13 | 13.4 | 14 |
| Lowest Useful Magnification | 15x | 18x | 21x | 29x |
| Highest Theoretical Magnification | 241x | 295x | 354x | 480x |
| Assembled Weight | 21 lbs | 27.6 lbs | 30 lbs | 33 lbs |
Andrew T.Andrew T. –
A Great Telescope for All levels. Starter to serious.
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Dear Fellow Astronomers… If Buying One, Please read All.When setting up, don’t forget the bubble-level supplied.It is an essential part of an ALT-AZ mount. Get the mount “flat” to the ground. If on old grass, with a thatch, or soft ground, tripod pads may help with “drift”, over a session.With this sorted, what can I say ?!! Amazing Telescope is the minimum comment.You have gained a Portable, Superb value telescope.It is obvious that other eyepieces may be a requirement.I bought a case of assorted eyepieces and filters (Celestron).I treated myself to a zoom lens too, great fun, but not essential (using many lenses in the construction, shall reduce brightness, but if your target is the moon or planets, or bright nebulae ..is interesting).Having read other reviews (thank you all), I bought a Celestron Power Tank.AA batteries are a great option though.With a corrector plate, dewing over, in the cold, is a possible issue.Again, a Celestron Dew Shield, prevents this. There are electric ones around, but a basic shround has served me well enough with a frosty air.In short you could end up buying many “extras”, which are not required. I bought a focal reducer for brighter, wider angled view (Creating effectictive telescope ratio to F6.3 compared to C8 F10, as bought – is easy to screw on/off at the eyepiece holder). Do you need this ? I did for some things, but could have survived without.Decide what you need to add, and don’t go mad for “power/magnification”. 50x Magnification for every Inch of scope is great, before the loss of resolution starts.I found Jupiter’s Red Spot (more light brown at the moment), at 150x. Yes, go higher if image clear and stable.However, know the difference between a clear sky, and good “seeing”, when the stars have very little “twinkle”.The atmosphere can be be deceptive from day/night. Avoid being disappointed, if a clear view is so different from one night to the next.I do not do astrophotography, Very expensive hobby.Visual is best for me.In a “captured image”, the Brighter stars are Bigger. though they are not.In the eyepiece you always get that “needle-point” image, just more intense when brighter.Stunning vistas. Even Barnard’s star, was amazing. Tiny faint needle-point star field, with an obvious faint red dwarf.I would not have found this, with any ease, without the GOTO handset where you can enter the celestial co-ordinates (RA-DEC) of any object (the menu options in your manual describing the handset controls – indeed always read your manuals – even though not “trendy” !)I needed that facility to “GOTO” for a few comets too, their constantly moving position, can be found online, each day.However below, for fun, to show what you can have a go at/for, with a mobile phoneholder on the eyepiece, is a limited view of Venus at Crescent phase (minor wobble), and a moon shot.Lastly, Alignment is very easy !”2 star”, if you know the Star Names, or “3 star”, for Any Bright objects, but you must be accurate with location, and local time. To note, give a good spread, in compass angle (azimuth), of targets, whichever mode of alignment.Keep it simple, and do as much as you feel happy with, the 25mm eyepiece is fine. AA batteries are fine, don’t spend a fortune with add-ons.Grow With the scope and what you want from it.A fantastic telescope. Have fun looking up !!!P.S. I had to add some lovely images of M42. The Great Nebula of Orion. As mentioned above, sometimes it is the night (seeing) that picks Us ! I love the visual of M42 in my 25mm eyepiece. If you Google “Messier 42 in a telescope eyepiece”, you shall see images, drawn on paper (sketches), of huge flowing arms of gas.It is stunning in reality ! I could not take my eyes of it, even though a frosty night.What you Cannot See in low light is the colour !I thought to put my phone over the eyepiece, with my phone holder, with some setting changes (mid-range Samsung, selecting:- Camera/More/Pro – many adjustments available), and was blown away. And had to share with you all.One lovely “still”, showing the trapezium quartet of stars in this stellar nursery. One I over-exposed, showing more of M42 … and M43 popped out, top-right (adjoined), and then for fun, I took a video ! ( you may need to increase screen brightness for full effect).The shimmering/scintillation is only atmospherics, though sure that that would be more the case, nearer to it !I did a video of Jupiter too, but only one video allowed here.All my shots in this review are my first attempts, with no processing. Just for fun and show a little of what a Celestron C8 can provide.Additional: Don’t forget to use the “Sky Tour” button (also number 5), on the handset… for other delights !I found that it can give me, some targets, very low on the horizon, so if not available, “arrow skip” them and carry on. Enjoy. I do.
47 people found this helpful
David R. –
Great top notch telescope built to last forever!
This is a top notch telescope. Everything about it is quality and it is all heavy, solid stuff. The quality of the optics is superb. Surprisingly, it is very easy to put together. And then to use it, I thought it might be complicated. But it isn’t. To start with, you can use the hand control like a joystick to just point it and use the finder scope! The spiret level was a breeze to use because if you extend the tripod on a level surface, it is bang on anyway. I like the useful max power of 500x and the impressive 8inch appature to gather the light. Use this with a computer connected CCD eyepiece and it is even more unbelievable good! Expensive but great quality, built to last and zip running costs. Oh, and you can get a power adapter for 12 pounds to save on the batteries too.
6 people found this helpful
Rachkwo –
Beginner astronomer with a great piece of kit!!!
I’ve always had a keen interest in the skies since I was a little girl…having played around with various cheaper alternatives it has to be said you really do get what you pay for.Although this telescope doesn’t come cheap it really is worth every penny so if you have a genuine love of the night sky and want to see the universe in great detail then this is an investment.I purchased this around 3 months ago and the only frustrating thing has been cloudy skies. Weather hasn’t been too great up north but on the good few occasions it’s been clear it has been worth freezing your socks off in the garden to see the beauty of the night sky !The moon is spectacular through this scope, also Jupiter and it’s moons have been exhilarating ! I’ve also tried to get my children in on this and it’s well worth seeing your kids gasp at the sights you can see through this telescope that are clearly invisible to the naked eye.It’s well worth every penny and I’m sure it will last years as this is a sturdy telescope.In agreement with other reviews the only real slight flaw I can give is the vibration of the tripod at times but it’s not a big deal and later down the line there are other tripods that can replace it.It is worth investing in other products for instance get a good set of eye pieces and I also purchased the skywatcher power pack as batteries are unreliable.I just hope the overcast skies disappear soon so I can take this out more. After 3 trips to the lakes I found it was a waste of time travelling there as it was so overcast but despite the extra room it takes up in the car, I’ve decided that this telescope will come with me wherever I go!Highly recommend this piece of fabulous kit!!!!!
42 people found this helpful
E. A. Whyte –
Disappointed
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.
62 people found this helpful
Bob tries hardBob tries hard –
This is not just Nexstar it’s next Galaxy
Astronomy made easy or so I was lend to believe.You do need a good knowledge of the stars to setup this up.That’s he moan out the way.This is the best telescope I’ve ever had the pleasure to own.Yes it’s not straight forward to setup but once done the night’s stargazing is an absolute pleasure.That power and clarity of the optics is outstanding.Looking through the telescope for the first time was as if I’d opened my eye for the first time.I could not believe what I was seeing the brightness was incredible.It is not the cheapest of telescope and only get the one lens but I do feel it would be money well spent.The mount is well made and quite sturdy.Easy to fit the goto arm and the telescope is simple to fit too.Take about 5 minutes there’s a few options to align the telescope once done your good to go.The finder scope that come with this I’d don’t rate at all I can’t get on with it and will be replacing it as soon as possible.Everything else about the telescope is great there’s a little lens holder that fits on the mount and help keep everything sturdy.For mobility it’s a good size not to bulky the case for this is £300 up but I do feel with a little effort you use some of the packaging and away you go.I’d recommend this telescope every day of the weekExcellent work Celestron this Nexstar 8se is fantastic.
39 people found this helpful
Harrovian –
A very good first telescope
I had always had an interest in astronomy, and was stimulated to take it further by seeing the rings of Saturn in a telescope demonstrated at Whitby. Then, how much to spend? Patrick Moore said don’t spend less than £400. In a way it was rather like buying a boat. It would not be something I would use every day or even every week, I might not continue to use it for the rest of my life, it would take some time to get to know how to use it in a satisfying way. My first choice of equipment might not be the most suitable.I had always found Amazon a good source of products, and reading the reviews pointed me towards the Celestron Nexstar 8SE. Hearing from a retailer that they flew off the shelves as soon as they came in confirmed that impression. Amazon delivered right away, which the retailer couldn’t.The telescope worked straight away after assembling, though I had to buy 8 AA batteries. The instruction book needs a bit of updating – it alleged that the telescope is delivered pre-assembled, which it wasn’t. Fortunately it was fairly obvious. The delivery packaging can be reinforced with Duck tape for use as storage.The only significant problem I’ve had was when the hand controller screen froze into the “Transmit Data” mode. The Celestron website advised switching on and off repeatedly, which didn’t work, and then said download new software, which was fairly easy and did work.I think this telescope will suit me for quite a long time.
30 people found this helpful
Duncan –
About as close to a dream telescope as most people are likely to get
I’ve been an amateur astronomer for about 18 months and owned this scope for the last year, and I’m absolutely delighted with it. The major factors in this scope’s favor are:- Excellent light gathering for deep sky observations (less than 8 inch aperture is generally considered too small)- Superb resolution on the moon and planets (0.58 arc seconds, which will get you to 400x magnification but needs outstandingly clear, still skies)- Easy to use, respectably accurate computer control (you do need to know some stars, and should read the instructions though)- Exceptional portability (I can carry the entire scope downstairs and into the garden fully assembled)Things to be aware of when buying are:- It only comes with one eyepiece, which gives 80x magnification and seems good quality. I strongly recommend using this for at least a month and reading up before buying any more (they are at least as difficult to choose between as telescopes), and advise against the frequently advertised eyepiece sets.- A power tank is an absolute necessity, unless you intend to buy 8xAA batteries every other week. Search for “7Ah 12V Power tank” on your favorite search engine (Amazon really should sell these as well!)I’d also recommend you get a copy of “Turn Left at Orion”, to give you an idea of what you point it at, and that you join an astronomy society. Other than that, you’re ready to go.Clear skies.
112 people found this helpful
uktivouktivo –
First unit was faulty. Returned for a new one which seems ok
The first unit arrived but was faulty. It kept coming up with a fault on the handset. This unit arrived with tape on the boxes so I’m assuming it was a returned item resent out. As always, Amazon support was great, they arranged for a collection and a replacement to be sent to me. The new unit works just fine.Now, the unit has proven to be not the easiest scope to use. Mine is more complicated as I’ve added an EQ wedge onto it. My suggestion for anyone new to this hobby is to not add an EQ wedge from day one. Leave the scope as is from the factory and use it until things like alignment etc become familiar with you. Only then, add a wedge. Trust me, it will save a lot of headaches and cold nights stood outside cursing.One final comment. Be prepared to spend some extra money on accessories. This is not a cheap hobby, everything cost a fortune.Invest wisely and buy the best quality you can afford.
MikeyGadget –
Grossly overpriced, do your research
I bought this setup of the 8SE in 2010, it was £1200 from Amazon at the time, now £1500 wow! No idea in the increase, crazy.I will be honest, you would have to be pretty desperate to pay that money for this kit or unable to wait for your first scope by better research. Let’s not beat around the bush – the mount is dreadful for anything half serious. For observing the tube itself is great, but vibration really poor on the horrible mount. The scope itself itself isnt good for things suchbas astr photography, for the mount isnt an EQ type but altz, so any long exposure would be problematic and blurry, regardless the dire wobble of the single mount which is all pretty much plastic and not rock solid will drive you nuts with tracking. Any touch of the focussing wheel creates wobble. Not alot extra comes with this scope. If I were to buy again for the money now asking I would drop 700 on an EQ5 type mount and 400 on an alternative OTA. I’d then have 400 left for a few essentials you are going to need anyway. The 8SE tube I have pretty much sits in its box due to the frustrations of the dire wobbly, noisy mount. Many say can be damped down with pads etc, don’t believe it. Focussing will cause wobble and so will a gust. I am awaiting an HEQ5 mount to use with the 8SE tube and strongly suggest people think twice about 1500 for the 8SE all in one because many WILL be let down. If someone is determined for the 8SE you may as well save a few pounds and get the 6 inch of it. Do your research folks. Spending almost 1550 on a scope is serious money and if you make it a serious hobby the mount will lose flavour very quickly,
67 people found this helpful
Clanger –
Customer support from Celestron in non-existent
UPDATE & IMPORTANT WARNING!Celestron will only pay for returns of kit if within 30 days of purchase and expect you to have checked all aspects of your purchase by then, including the handset’s connectivity to a PC (which requires separate purchase of a mini-USB to USBA2 data cable). I spent 6 weeks arguing with them about my handset not being detected by multiple PCs before they agreed to even test the handset. A replacement was sent out within a day.The handset is critical to updating the mount’s firmware, which must be done before using any of Celestron’s other gadgets or their support guys will tell you do that before investigating problems any further.TL:DR very expensive piece of kit with outdated chipsets whose firmware are extremely difficult to update, Celestron won’t give you any meaningful support and it’s damned heavy.Pros:It’s a nice shade of orange.Cons:Needed a separate set of lenses before I could view anything besides the moon with any clarity, the supplised lens is poor.Unable to update the firmware on the mount with a Windows 11 PC or a Mac, Celestron support haven’t answered any of the tickets I’ve raised and without the update, any add ons like the autoguider won’t function correctly. There are lots of forum posts about this and how the firmware update software can’t see the telescope when it’s plugged in.The handset’s align function relies on your being able to see three or four bright stars fairly low in the sky, so if you’re using it in a garden where the sky’s not visible below a 45 degree altitude, you’re going to really struggle.OTA and tripod are both very heavy, you’ll struggle taking this out to view away from home.
69 people found this helpful