New Celestron Nexstar 5SE

[nosleep (Nick)]

I have recently bought a new 'scope and am now looking to add to it. The first thing I've done is to replace the original finder scope (a piece of rubbish, quite frankly) with a Celestron Starpointer Pro. At least I can now align my 'scope to my viewfinder. The 'scope also came with a Celestron 25 mm Plossl, but no other eyepieces.

Now, the extras. My goodness, so much too add. (dreaming). But what I would appreciate feedback on is what I have initially settled upon, which is the following.

The eyepieces: (all Plossl)
Sirius 6.5 mm, Sirius 10 mm, Sirius 15 mm: A 2X Celestron Barlow with T-Adapter.

Filters:
Sirius 80A Blue, Sirius 25 Red, Sirius 38A Dark Blue, Orion Polarizing Moon Filter, Sirius Oxygen OIII Filter.

After further consideration, and any feedback on the above, I will then begin looking at dew control. This is a totally foreign field to me, but one I feel must be considered. Deeper "homework" will be required on my part here.

Any help would be greatly appreciated, initially on eyepieces and filters, the dew control will come a bit later, because, at the end of the day, I want this meaningful pursuit to have some kind of purpose.

I know this not the bee's knee's in telescopes, but I must go with a very tight budget.

Much thanks,
nosleep (Nick) :co nfused2:

[astro744]

I would get a 32mm Plossl to maximise true field in 1.25” size but also to give brighter images at the low power. A 40mm is also an option for more exit pupil at the expense of apparent field but true field is same as 32mm.

If getting a 2x Barlow then forget the 6.5mm eyepiece as a 15mm with Barlow will give 167x which is very nice for Jupiter and Saturn and can reveal lots of detail. A 10mm and Barlow will push your ‘scope to its limits but be good for Mars (and other planets) given good seeing. A 10mm alone is good for Jupiter and Saturn when seeing is good but not great.

Filters are for serious planetary observers that use the different colours to tease out different coloured features. If you want a single filter get a light blue 80A or Orange 21 (or both) or none. The blue helps with contrast on the Great Red Spot on Jupiter. The Orange is a good for Mars but Mars is quite nice without any filters. Most observers say that all filters do is make the planet appear the colour of the filter and that it then doesn’t look that good. True but that’s not the point of the filter. It is simply a tool to enhance contrast of a particular surface feature and the filter selected depends on the surface feature colour being sought after. I wouldn’t get any coloured filters yet until you know if you enjoy observing planets.

I never use neutral density or polarizing filters especially the latter. I find resolution is compromised with polarizers and if all I want to do is dim the light I simply increase the magnification. Best way to enjoy the moon is with a binoviewer and an SCT is very binoviewer friendly. Consider it an option after a year or so as it adds another dimension to lunar observing.

A UHC or O-III filter is good for nebulae and best at low power for the larger objects. O-III is good for the smaller planetary nebulae too. An active dew controller (heater) is not critical but a dew shield is recommended to also eliminate stray light.

[Ryan101 (Ryan)]

Hi Nick, congrats on the new scope.
Just some thoughts and please understand these are just my own personal opinions.


First, I find colour filters add a real false colour to the view of planets. Some love the contrast they provide but I find they only add contrast and make some features 'stand out' but don't add more detail.
Personally I would get the 80A and see how you like that before buying more. The 80A is probably the most subtle of the colour filters you have mentioned as the others will provide what I'd call a 'fake' looking image.
Definitely get a moon filter. It's really really bright without it.

I find a UHC filter more versatile than an Olll filter. They are great on the majority of bigger nebula you will probably observe ie tarantula, Carina etc and can help some planetaries pop a bit more.
Olll filters are more geared to only planetary nebula from my experience and your scope may struggle with the majority of these as they are fairly small targets.
I hope this helps

[doug mc]

Do some research on insulating your SCT. It will save you waiting for cool down time and help with your corrector plate from dew. As previously mentioned, consider a binoviewer for luna and planets.

[nosleep (Nick)]

Thank you all for your generous feedback, you have all given me something for serious consideration and I will more than likely take your advice on board.

Many thanks
Nick

[Dave882 (David)]

All good advice already given. If you want to do any deep space shots (eaa on an alt-az mount is good for up to 10-30sec subs for your setup) then a 0.63x reducer is invaluable. Also good to give a wider field for visual observation.

[nosleep (Nick)]

Thanks David, this info will be stored for now, but I could well get into a photo setup further down the track. The wide field observing could be taken on board sooner, but for now I have just spent a bit on the previous replies.

My purchases were; 10 mm Plossl, 15 mm Plossl, 2X Barlow, 40% Transmission Moon Filter and a UHC Skyglow Broadband CL Filter. I would have bought a dew shield but they were sold out, but I can get one off the supplier.

All advice is greatly appreciated.

Nick