Celestron 22096 NexStar 102SLT Portable Computerised Refractor Telescope - Includes Adjustable Tripod, Fork-Arm Altazimuth Mount, Viewing Accessories and Bonus 'Starry Night' Software, Grey / Black

Product Information

The Celestron StarSense DX 102AZ features a doublet lens composed of two different types of glass, offering bright views of targets. (Image credit: Celestron) Because all these mountings use a standard Vixen-type or CG-5 dovetail attachment, you can attach any other instrument that uses the same dovetail, taking into account the load capacity of the mounting. Finally, there is a standard red-dot finder to help in pointing the telescope at objects. This is necessary when aligning the telescope, as you need to point it at a recognizable object at the start of observing. Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 102AZ review: First light and functionality Once the Zygo test report has been completed, the optical alignment is thoroughly tested and tuned to ensure they are spot on before they leave us.

The Celestron NexStar 102SLT comes with a StarPointer red dot finder, a 1.25” prism star diagonal, and two eyepieces: a 25mm Kellner (26x) and a 9mm Kellner (73x). Both Kellner eyepieces are mostly plastic but of decent enough quality to get you started.Refractor telescopes are generally more portable than their design counterparts due to the sturdier design of lenses versus mirrors but this telescope is especially portable. It has a strong body and durable design that can stand up to some travel. The Orion SkyQuest XT8, as with the AD8/Z8 and similar 8” Dobsonians, features double the resolution and 4 times as much light collecting area as the NexStar 102SLT thanks to its large 8” diameter primary mirror. The XT8 has a 2” Crayford focuser and provides great views, though it’s a little sparse on included accessories. Keep in mind though that the slow moving mount makes the NexStar 102 SLT less than optimal for bird viewing or observing moving animals. It’s best for observing static objects. Conclusion

NexStar 102SLT is ready to grow with you as you become a more experienced amateur astronomer. It’s compatible with all Celestron’s latest accessories, including StarSense AutoAlign, SkyPortal WiFi module, and PowerTank Lithium.Totally aside from the OTA’s – can anyone recommend a good power supply for the above telescopes that is also compatible with the NEQ5/6 that can handle 2-4 heater strips? Does anyone have any practical experience of any of the above – what do you think of them? Have you used a combination of the above scopes – how did they compare? The Moon and planets look good with the 102SLT as well, provided you can get the scope to stop shaking. Jupiter’s cloud belts, Great Red Spot, and 4 brightest moons can be seen, and Saturn’s rings are visible along with a handful of moons. You might have trouble seeing much in the way of detail on Mars, even at opposition, due to the 102SLT’s chromatic aberration smearing out the planet’s red disk. Uranus and Neptune are little more than starlike dots, while Venus and Mercury’s phases are visible (albeit barely with the latter due to its small size). Not for Astrophotography