Brand new Nexstar 6SE - what accessories and eyepieces to invest in?

[thomasr]

Greetings all,

I'm new to astronomy and just purchased a shiny new Nexstar 6SE. A basic 25mm EP was included in the box, and I've managed to get some interesting views of Jupiter, Saturn, Venus, and the moon, but for planetary observation I know this scope is capable of much much better than 60x. I don't want to go crazy on accessories, but I do want to maximize the enjoyment I get out of this scope.

I live in a fairly light-polluted suburb, and I'll probably have only limited opportunities to escape to dark skies now and then. So DSOs are probably less a priority for me than planets. I am also fully aware that the 6SE is far from ideal for astrophotography, so my assumption is that a few quality eyepieces will make me a happier person.

My first decision: Should I buy a Celestron Eyepiece and Filter Kit (http://www.celestron.com/browse-shop/astronomy/visual-accessories/eyepieces/125in-eyepiece-and-filter-kit) as a cheap way to get myself set up with most of the things I need? Or should I buy the Celestron Luminos 7mm eyepiece (http://www.celestron.com/browse-shop/astronomy/visual-accessories/eyepieces/luminos-7-mm-eyepiece) for close to the same amount of money? From what I've read the 7mm Luminos would be a good match for the 6SE - especially if my priority is to grab a quick peek at Saturn or Mars off the back deck. FWIW, I wear glasses, to an EP with long eye relief would be a lot more convenient. Is the Luminos worth the extra money over the X-Cel LX (http://www.celestron.com/browse-shop/astronomy/visual-accessories/eyepieces/x-cel-lx-7-mm-eyepiece)? And I'm not stuck on Celestron. Feel free to suggest other brands and models that occupy a similar point on the price/performance curve.

Also, are filters something I want to think about? I did notice that when I was viewing Venus, the image actually seemed too bright - like it was overwhelming the hardware or something.

Many thanks for any and all replies.

[RT65CB-SWL]

Hi Thomas and welcome to SGL. 

Congratulations on the 'scope. I personally would forget about purchasing the eyepiece & filter set and concentrate on individual eyepieces, (ie BST's are apparantly very good). Filters for Venus i would recommend a No: #47 and/or maybe a variable polarising filter, (good for lunar and Jupiter too).

[baggywrinkle]

Agree with the above. I bought one when I had the 6SE (good scope) and only use the filters. The EP's are very basic with poor eye relief and some are impossible to use.

I would consider a Baader 8-24mm Zoom, it comes with a 2x barlow and is great quality. Since I bought it I use few other EP's. The price tag is reasonable.

I was using it last night on the Moon with my wee AA 70ED with the Barlow and it gave crsip clean views.

Another plus is that it comes fitted with a T ring adapter thread so if you do want to do any planetary or Lunar photography it is easy to use.

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[Warhammer40k]

Hi Thomas

I posted a similar query last week regarding more / better eyepieces for my newly purchased Celestron 6"scope and a number of people recommended BSTs which cost just unde £50 each. You might also want to consider Celestron Omnis which are on a clearance offer currently at Currys for between £10 & £20 each. You've got a great scope by the way - I love mine!

[ronin]

For the 6SE I would suggest to go with the Celestron X-Cel eyepieces.

They have reasonable eye relief and a decent selection of focal lengths.

The 6SE is an SCT so it will be f/10, I would suggest the 25mm and the 12mm as first options.

The 12mm for a bit of magnification and the 25mm for the wider view - will say that even with a 25mm X-Cel the view will not get large, just 1 degree. Would not suggest the 7mm as an initial purchase. The 9mm will be more useable, but the 12mm more so.

Do you go to the Toronto Astro Society ?

I read they have been donated a whole observatory, may be worth looking them up if you have not already.

HArd to say about Venus, there is no detail the whole thing is cloud covered and so generally "fuzzy". Means it might always be interpretted as overwhelming.

[sctb78]

Hi Thomas, similarly to you I have just started using a 6SE and was in the market for more eyepieces. After a bit of reading I decided on the Hyperion Zoom mk3 and will hopefully receive it this week. I've not bothered getting the accompanying Barlow at the moment as I'll wait and see how the zoom performs on its own.

Whatever you choose I hope you enjoy using your new scope, I know i do with mine [emoji1]

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk

[thomasr]

An update: I went back and forth on this a bunch of times. I thought about getting the Hyperion 8-24 zoom, a cheaper zoom, Barlow, no Barlow, etc. etc. Finally I ended up ordering a 9mm X-cel LX, a 15mm Luminos, and a generic 32mm Plossl. I'll also hang on to the stock 25mm Plossl that came with the scope. Hopefully this gives me a range of magnifications that will keep me happy for a while.

Filters, etc. can wait for later - if ever.