General Info

Class: NexStar SE (Special Edition); Schmidt-Cassegrain
Best Uses: General Astronomy (Astrophotography , Viewing Galaxies/Star Clusters , Viewing Nebulae , Viewing the Moon , Viewing the Planets)
Recommended Experience: As with the 8SE, the Celestron NexStar 5 SE model details say it is made for the ‘Professional’ astronomer, but it is very possible to use it as an avid or recreational stargazer due to its ease of use and wide array of features.

Overall Rating: 8.65/10
Official Review: The 5SE is listed at about $1,500 and is typically sold for around $800. Because it has the majority of the features of the 8SE and costs about $600 less, I recommend the NexStar 5SE over the 8SE for any casual-recreational astronomers out there.

Though it does lack somewhat in the aperture/eyepiece department, it is quite easy to upgrade if necessary for your purposes, and if you do you will have an incredible deal with regards to investment.

Pros: Easy to setup, comfortable, strong construction, nice lenses, portable, great features & under $1,000
Cons: Somewhat complex for the average stargazer, needs upgrades on aperture, eyepieces & GPS (still under $1,000)

Click here to check out the Celestron NexStar 5 SE on Telescopes.com!

Important Details

Usability: 8.8/10 – Simple to setup and get used to (especially for a “Pro” telescope)
Comfortability: 9.1/10 – Most users say it’s comfortable
Durability: 9.2/10 – Strong Celestron build
Battery Life: 6.7/10 – Computerized models running on 8-AA’s always have trouble with this
Backlash: 7.0/10 – Minor issues, but manual covers this for beginners
Warranty: 9/10 – Standard Celestron 2-year limited
Storage: 8.7/10 – Light, portable & easy to store
Accuracy: 8.0/10 – Accurate SkyAlign feature (some complain about ease of use for alignment)
Setup: 9.3/10 – Easy to assemble & excellent manual

Check out more customer reviews of the NexStar 5 SE!

Tech Specs

Aperture: 125mm (4.92in)
Magnification (Lowest Useful, Standard, Highest Useful): 18x, 50x & 300x
Focal Length: 1250mm (49.21in)
Focal Ratio: 10
Resolution: 1.1 arc seconds
Angular Field of View: 1°
Slew Speed: Nine slew speeds: 4°/sec, 2°/sec, 1°/sec, 64x, 16x, 8x, 4x, 1x, .5x
Tracking: Alt-Az, EQ North & EQ South

Click here to learn more about the Celestron 5 SE!

Telescope Construction

Optical Design: Schmidt-Cassegrain
Viewfinder: StarPointer
Eyepiece: 25mm (0.98in)
Tube: Aluminum
Mount Design: Single Fork Arm Altazimuth
Weight: 27.6lbs (12.52kg)
Tripod: Steel w/ built-in wedge
Power Supply: 8-AA batteries (not included)
Lens Coating: StarBright XLT (Fantastic!)
Other Equipment: Hand control
Recommended Accessories: Filter/Eyepiece set, CN16 GPS add-on, and possibly an aperture upgrade

Extra Features

GoTo: Yes
GPS: Yes
Computerized: Yes
Alignment: SkyAlign, Auto 2-Star Align, 1-Star Align, 2-Star Align, SolarSystem Align
Remote: Yes
Object Database: 38,181 accessible objects
Programming Options: 200 user-definable objects

Summary: If you’re looking for a high-powered scope that won’t require too much upgrading in the near future, but you don’t want to pay more than $1,000 for it, the Celestron NexStar 5SE is a better bet than its popular cousin the 8SE.

That said, be leery of its fairly complex feature set and the necessity to upgrade the aperture & eyepiece. Ready to get the NexStar 5SE? Want to read more reviews? Check it out on my favorite telescope site: Telescopes.com!

Click here to order the Celestron NexStar 5 SE from Telescopes.com!