Celestron NexStar 102 SLT - Telescope Review
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- Опубліковано 22 вер 2024
- The Celestron NexStar 102SLT is a medium sized Go-To refractor telescope system designed finding targets and tracking them as they move across the sky. It is perfect for large star clusters and bright deep-sky objects, and I've found it to be great at the Moon and planets as well.
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50 Things to See on the Moon
(Available on Amazon as well)
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110 Things to See with a Telescope
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Here’s the link to the Celestron NexStar 102:
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Here’s the link to the eyepiece:
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Here’s a link to the NexYZ:
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Upgrade to a basic 2-inch diagonal:
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Here’s a link to a great 2 inch eyepiece:
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Oh man, thank you so much for the examples of how to align the telescope! This is one of the most helpful demos on how to do an alignment I've found so far. I just picked up a copy of the 110 Things book, too. Thanks again.
Enjoy the book!
Thank you for continuing to provide excellent information and reviews! My daughter and I appreciate it!
Thanks!
One of my favorite telescopes. I'm glad you pointed out the 2 inch focuser many websites here in the states only state an inch and a quarter. And your books are great also!
Thanks for the feedback!
Another great video. Thank you for the review always educational and very interesting can’t wait for the next video.
Thanks!!!
Good review, thanks for information. Best regards from Azerbaijan🙋♂️🇦🇿
Excellent review seen this on sale in Ireland where I am for €599 yesterday. Am enjoying using my starsence 102 dx n getting some pretty good shots of the moon over the weekend and vid too still trying to figure of stacking. Hoping to save up for a dob next year. Thanks for all your advice too
Your videos are getting better, and better! Kudos!
Thanks!
A nice explanation of the go-to mount. Most people said a 130mm reflector (coma and w/o colored fringe ) is comparable to a 102mm refractor (w/ colored fringe, no coma). It would be a nice video comparison because Celestron starscense does sell them both around the same price. Yes, the refractor will win on easy to use (2in the eyepiece) and no maintenance compared to the reflector. Some viewers probably would want to know more.
Yes, I was actually sent both (the 102 by All-Star and the 130 by Celestron), I should test them side by side on the same targets with the same magnification. That’s really the only way to do it. On paper, the specs don’t always line up with the experience at the eyepiece.
the day he recorded this was on my bday :D
The dog is still the fly high Lyra😥😥
I have found that most things I wish to photograph are not visible with a finder scope and in my Bortle 6 sky, not even with the optical tube with less than a 15 second exposure, so I use late solving in SharpCap to find targets in SynScan and no longer even mount the finder scope.
But, I just bought a Celestron go to telescope, so I suppose I will have to learn the Celestron application and use an eyepiece on it.
Excellent review John! I even learned something new about the Celestron handset. :)
Thanks David!
I've had this scope for years and love the optics of a 102 mm refractor, but I hated the computerized mount. 102 mm refractors are best as a grab-and-go scopes, but if you are just going outside for an hour of astronomy, you don't want to spend your time fiddling with the setup of the computer. It steals valuable minutes of observing. Plus a computerized scope will keep you from learning the night sky . . . and that's most of what I want to do in astronomy. Save some money and get a simple alt-az mount that is push-to. If you'd really like some computer assistance, go for the Celestron StarSense 102. Its phone software can help you find objects and learn an immense amount about them.
Yes personally I love the Starsense, and if stargazing by myself would grab the Starsense first. That said there is a certain type of stargazer that loves tracking and loves to dwell on a single object for long periods of time. The tracking also is great for staying on target at high magnification, and when sharing the view with groups of people. It saves you from constantly having to check that the telescope is still on target.
I am a beginner would you recommend the celestron omni 102az or the inspire
@@corywillier1593 go with the Omni for the slow motion controls. Cheers!
@@LearnToStargaze thank you for the quick reply. I've been watching your videos my 6 year old daughter love science and astronomy this is going to be her first telescope. If she like it we might find a camera to take pictures of what we find and suggestions on a budget friendly camera that will work with the omin 102
@@corywillier1593 might as well get a used DSLR and a canon T-adapter. The telescope becomes the lens of the camera. www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/802621508-USE/canon_2807b006_eos_50d_slr_digital.html
Nice vid! I've had a celestron nexstar 4se for a few months and love it.
Nice!
Great video, I just ordered my first telescope..
Wonderful!
@@LearnToStargaze Yup can’t wait to use it lol..
amazing review!
Thanks!
A very interesting video, like! Isn’t a 102/1000 mm refractor, like the Explore Scientific First Light better than these two, since it will have less chromatic aberrations?
Depends on what you’re looking at. 1000mm makes for a really long and often wobbly telescope.
Ten seconds in and I like and subscribed. At 65 I always liked the idea of getting into astronomy, but got into learning the bass guitar. Anyway, just ordered 25x100 binoculars to start before spending money on a telescope. Nice video. Looking forward to checking out your other videos.
I got a bass and lessons for Christmas last year. Welcome to the stargazing hobby!
@@LearnToStargaze I just ordered your book, 110 Things.
@@RayPaganJr enjoy!
I like the bass guitar idea.... thank you!
Do you know what batteries this requires? I picked up a used one and the remote is dead
8 AA batteries or a standard 12 volt power supply.
How bad is the light pollution there ? Do you live in a big city, small town or village?
City of 500k
Hello, would you have any recommendations for a solar filter for the 102SLT? Btw.. great video! Thank you
Hi! There are usually just sized to fit. I have no particular recommendations in this regard. Clear skies!
@@LearnToStargaze Hi , thank you for the response , celestron does not have a sun filter for the scope, as it is a rare aperture size, but thousand oak optical has one, they are around $200 canadian with freight , and are not on amazon. I will post my review when I get it. great video and thanks for helping me out learn
Thats lovely motor drive, i need two for ARkit2 code 3d telescopes im building with 60cm planocomcave mirrors, wish me luck using just cameras, because its way too much light for retina
So if it’s a different day do you have to putt location date time again?
Yes.
@@LearnToStargaze ok
Is the Celestron SLT mount Compatible with the Celestron StarSense 102AZ OTA
Yes. Absolutely.
Saturn and Jupiter looked quite clean, considering it's a fairly fast scope. I am not seeing any bad CA
Nope, I’ve been impressed.
After a bit of research I think I will wait until I can get the 127slt Mak Cassegrain scope. I can get an equatorial star tracker later on, but I think I'm gonna end up with the Mak over a lower end refractor for imagining and native magnification reason. What do you think?
You’re just thinking of imagine planets right? For imaging nebula, generally the lower the focal length the easier it is to get a good image.
Great video! Can the telescope be replaced on this mount with another (say a star travel 120 for example)? Thanks
Yes, you can put other telescopes on the same mount, the challenge is the mount simply isn’t that powerful, so you need to watch the weight.
Pls reply iam confuse does this work like star tracker and track and objects like nebulae for high exposure does this avoid star trail
No this is not a star tracker, and it cannot be used to take photos of nebulae. It will follow objects, but the objects will appear to rotate in the image (look up field rotation). A star tracker would be the Skywatcher Staradventurer GTI or similar.
@@LearnToStargaze thank you sir
Hi, I need some assistance… I tried to point my telescope during the day to something, to align my finder scope. However I think something is wrong with the lens, idk? It appears far away and small, and I’ve used both lenses and the zoom-in/out. I’ve ran out of ideas, how do I align it?
You may need to seek help locally. Try your local astronomy club or a camera store. (Although it sounds like your finder telescope is on backwards).
I bought one and am waiting for delivery. I got the 127 Maksutov though. Guy in my club said the shorter Mak is less shaky than the longer scopes, especially the 130 Newtonian. Said it really needed a wider Vixen clamp. I had that issue with my Twilight One, it doesn't handle long tubes even though they're not too heavy at all.
Yup, I’d take the Mak over the Newtonian, too. Celestron sent me the 130, so I can’t complain.
@@LearnToStargaze I got the scope John, I'd bought it for my son who doesn't have a lot of time to learn the sky. Had him out Saturday doing a 3 star align, put in date, time, location and it asked for align so I pointed it from Polaris to Rigel to Sirius, it didn't align and I went further apart so I went from Polaris to Rigel to Arcturus, North, West and South and it still refused to align.
I started to get irritated, I'd set a 6x30 finder scope on it perfectly with a 12mm reticle eyepiece. So I know it was centered and you cannot spread out much more than North to South, but I did it again and went from Dubhe to Arcturus to Spica and it finally decided it was aligned and my son was already talking send it back if I have to mess with that. Worst was yet to come, I went to DSO and clicked on the Messier list and since Orion was right there I attempted to put in M042 for Orion Nebula, but it went to 001 Crab Nebula that doesn't show up well on 127mm aperture non-refractors under a Bortle four sky. I couldn't get it off M001 at all. Reading the instructions and losing my night vision it was a disaster. I'm buying my son a 102 Star Sense after I send this one back.
@@MountainFisher yes, sky align is a pain. Three star align is much more reliable. I think the Starsense 5DX would be a big upgrade over the Nexstar. Only thing you’re really missing out on is the tracking.
@@LearnToStargaze My son is better at high tech than I am and the seller (who shall remain nameless) said it just needed a software upgrade, because the one I bought didn't give any option for a two star, only three star alignments.
I don't know how to do a software upgrade and shouldn't need to with a brand new system. If I have to go to the trouble of packing it up for them to do it, it ain't coming back.
@@MountainFisher yeah, that’s strange. I didn’t know these could even update their software.
I've Celestron Inspire 90 Az telescope. I want to buy a go-to mount which is affordable and good. Can you recommend any go-to mount please.
Try the AZ-GTi.
Clear skies!
sir i have a question that should i go for this 4 inch slt or the 130mm slt. which is better
I have both right now, and I need to test them side by side with the same eyepieces and also the same Magnification. Currently though, I’m leaning toward the 102 (4 inch) because I’ve had two 130’s recently that were way out of collimation, and fixing this as a beginner would be a bit of a pain.
Amazing content thank you 🙏🏽 helping me to understand what telescopes are really all about and you are very easy to follow!
I have a CAm (Celestron Astromaster) 130eq used it was in bad condition and after struggling to make it useble well im just not using that much :(
Im looking for a decent refractor like I had as a kid. But there aren't many good comparison videos out there.
Anyone say if I should get the CAm 90az or the CSs 100az or this CNs 102 SLT. Realistically prices are very similar used in various conditions. Im a beginner and would like to eventually do some astro photography on my DSLR.
Also happy yo then upgrade things like eyepieces after purchasing.
Many thanks
For beginner images with a DSLR you may want to consider the SharpStar 61 on a SkyWatcher GTI star tracker mount. That’s pretty much as basic a setup as possible that will provide reasonable results.
Sorry for the off-topic but - which model of HH is that red beauty you are wearing that night? 😇
Haha, no idea. It was $200 Canadian at SportsChek last year.
@@LearnToStargaze HH are one of the best for long cold exposure and i want one for those nights :) :) hehehe
Hey there, could you do a review on a sky watcher dob if you haven't already?
You mean the truss tube dob? I’d usually do dob reviews by size, since they would all have a similar performance for a given mirror diameter. We’re currently filming a video on the 8 inch Starsense Explorer Dob.
@@LearnToStargaze Yep.
Can you do your own personal video on a nexstar se series telescope? I saw the one that you did on sky align and liked it.
Look up my video on the 8Se.
Clear skies!
@@LearnToStargaze A great video review! I watched it some time ago and i'm convinced for 8SE... though this 102SLT isn't that "bad"for a city, where i'm going to stargazing.
Hi John, informative and funny video, thank you. For a beginner, would you recommend such a 102/660 refractor over a 130/650 dob, like the skywatcher heritage? Or is aperture king in this case? Thanks for your knowledge!
Hello! This is something I really need to test! (Just waiting for clear skies). Currently I’m leaning 102, but I really need to test them side by side, same eyepieces, same targets.
@@LearnToStargaze Looking forward to this! Thank you!
I've got both kinds. There is little difference since the secondary mirror in the dob knocks its light grab down. So both are fine scopes. If you also want to do some terrestrial viewing, get the refractor. Otherwise, let price and ergonomics guide you. But be sure you really want a computerized scope. The motors have both advantages and disadvantages.
Hi@@JeffreyHoeper thank you very much for your advice! I then tend to the refractor if the image is equal. And you are right, i would go for a sturdy az mount instead of motorised one. But good hint! Clear skies, my friend!
Recommendations for a family telescope that is easy to set up, can see the planets up close, and for beginners? Will spend 1k To 1.5k. Thanks
Hi! I have a list of beginner telescopes at every price point on the homepage of LearnToStargaze.com
What telescope would you recommend for a 10yr old who se mom is on a budget
Hi! The Celestron Omni Az that’s currently at Costco for under $200. It’s the best telescope for beginners under $500. I made a grid of other options on the homepage of LearnToStargaze.com
@@LearnToStargaze thank you sooo much. I really appreciate you and your talent
@@LearnToStargaze thank you so much. I did order it and it’s on the way. I subscriber
Hi John, what should I buy? A 6 inch SLT telescope or a 6 inch SE telescope. Thank you for alway provide excellent information and reviews
I literally answered this exact question in the video.
@@LearnToStargaze Oh thank you very much, sorry for disturbing you.
Cause I just want to know which mount is better, next star SLT mount or next star SE mount
@@quannguyenle2330 ahh, sorry I misunderstood. The SE is designed for much heavier telescopes.
@@LearnToStargaze Don't mind it, hope you can make a video compare SE and SLT mount some day.
i have never had a problem with using my phone or i pad to connect to my telescope or to move it to planets or other objects in the sky.
Wow! Now that is amazing!!!!!
I've heard 102 refractors are dimmer than 114/130 reflectors for deep sky objects, but better for planets. Is this true in your experience?
We tested the 102 refractor against two 114 newtonians in a previous video. It wasn’t even close, the 102 refractor was far superior for both deep sky and planets. I think it has to do with the % of the aperture obstructed by the secondary mirror assembly in the smaller Newtonians.
@@LearnToStargaze As a newbie, maybe I'm getting tunnel visioned by ''bigger is better'' One more question, the computerized mount, is that forever tracking an object or does it move/stop/move/stop? Wondering if it'd be suitable for when I inevitably attach a DSLR camera :) Your videos helped make astronomy far more accessible as well as your books, thank you!
A 4" refractor is the equivalent of a 5" reflector after you subtract the central obstruction the refractor will be brighter every time if it's a decent one. Same for the Maksutov and Schmitt Cassegrain at these smaller sizes. To see better than a 4" refractor you actually need to jump to a 6" reflector with good collimation and mirrors.
I had my mirrors refigured to near perfect focus or I would have sold it by now, an f-5 150mm reflector is not exactly a grab and go, but it really isn't very heavy.
I was thinking of buying the nexstar 127 slt so can you review it to there aren't much reviews on this scope
Good idea! I’ll see if I can track one down.
@@LearnToStargaze thanks I currently have two scopes in mind one is starsense explorer dx 5 and the other is nexstar 127slt both are from celestron
@@MEDIAFIRR they are both almost the same performance wise. Depends if you want tracking (NexStar) or ease of use (StarSense).
@@LearnToStargaze your right I want the starsense but there are two different options one is the starsense dobsonian 8 and the other is starsense explorer dx 5 slt if you have an 8 inch dob that is similar to the starsense dobsonian 8 can you tell me which to buy I want to observe the planets
@@MEDIAFIRR The 8 is huge. If you want to observe the planets go with the Dx 5" with it's smaller size (and still great performance), and longer focal length, it's much more likely to get used.
Hi sorry for interrupting again I don't know if you own these telescopes but I'm planning on buying either the celestron 114eq or 130eq but i don't know which one is better do you think u could help
Honestly they’re both not great, but the 130 is less not great if that helps.
See the homepage of LearnToStargaze.com for a list of telescopes that meet the minimum criteria for what makes a good beginner telescope.
@@LearnToStargaze sorry so your saying that the 114 is better is that correct
I'm English so I didn't catch the less not great phrase
@@cptpoland7127 No, the 114 is not better. It has an extra piece of glass in the focuser that you don't want. Also, you don't want a telescope with "EQ" in the name.
@@LearnToStargaze I heard the telescopes with eq in the name are good because of the stand they have and the 130 has good magnification campared to others
How does this telescope stack up against the Celestron 6SE
The 6SE is in a slightly more premium category than this. It has much more light gathering power, and higher resolution.
@@LearnToStargaze Is there a refractor telescope added to the NEW EQM35Pro computerised
"Go-To" equatorial mount that would equal the portability and view of the 6SE ?
@@mamajax7551 No. The 6SE is an SCT. This is a portable as it gets for a given aperture. However, you could put a 6 inch SCT on the EQM35Pro.
@@LearnToStargaze Thank you so much for the replies, I really appreciate it. Love your channel and am just starting your books, aimed here at the Southern Skies in Sydney Australia. Keep those vids coming, we all love them.
World’s most famous chimney at this point
Neighbors probably think I’m so weird spending all this time looking at a chimney.
Mrs Stargaze is going to slap you one of these days! Making her do these skit’s. What a lovely lady. And you had a jacket on in Fernandina Beach! Oh yeah… that’s in Georgia 🤔😂😂😂😂😂 well that’s not Flarda! I’m in Sebastian and no jacket needed. Safe travels my friend. And you thought Flarda was warm. Ha! Not up there at Georgia!!!
Fernandina Beach is in Florida. It was 80 degrees, but the flight jacket was worn by all the supporters of the expedition, (it was extra warm since we had all just run a 5k race on the runway.)
@@LearnToStargaze , I know where it is. Most people just laugh and say it’s S Georgia. Just like Jacksonville 😊
@@LearnToStargaze , it’s a southern thing 😂
Haha, I should know apparently, I lived in Fort Mill, SC.
@@LearnToStargaze and it’s Flarda 😁
@LearnToStargaze do you have instagram please reply
Yes.
@@LearnToStargaze what is your instagram
@@mrbinklesgames6620 @LearnToStargaze
@@mrbinklesgames6620 just got your note about Mars. It is high in the sky overhead for the next few months. You can’t miss it.
@LearnToStargaze did you see my message on Instagram please reply
Yes, to answer your question, the Moon passes near Mars once per month. January 3rd will be the next time they will be side by side.