Review: Celestron NexStar 4SE GoTo Telescope

The NexStar 4SE telescope, from Celestron, offers star gazing enthusiasts a unique combination of portability and power. Easily carried, assembled, and disassembled, this telescope carries Celestron’s distinctive design and the latest in technological features for telescopes. At the same time, it offers consumers unmatched views of the night sky and an easy to use format that make it the ideal telescope for anyone looking for an easy way to delve more deeply into the night sky.

Key Features & Specifications

  • Item number: 11049
  • Weight: 30 pounds
  • Dimensions: 32.4 in. x 27.2 in. x 13.4 in.
  • Aperture: 102 mm (4.02 in.)
  • Eyepiece magnification: 53x
  • ASIN: B000GUFOBO
  • Materials: Plastic and steel
  • Mount: Single fork arm
  • Warranty: 2-year warranty on the telescope for damage and defects
  • Focal ratio: 13

The NexStar 4SE combines powerful star gazing capabilities with a compact and portable size. Designed specifically to make it easier to set up and take down, it sports Celestron’s distinctive single fork arm to hold the company’s characteristic orange scope. In addition, the scope can be broken down into multiple pieces in order to make the scope smaller and easier to pack and transport. Setup outside can take less than 10 minutes from start to finish, allowing the consumer to take advantage of brief periods of star gazing availability. Initial set up and programming can take a bit longer, upwards of an hour, and practice beforehand is a good idea in order to facilitate set up and breakdown in the dark. Overall, however, the scope receives praise from consumers for making it easier to transport and use than larger, more expensive telescopes.

One of the most appealing features of the NexStar 4SE is the fact that it possesses advanced technology to complement its easy set up. For instance, it possesses SkyAlign technology that allows the scope to automatically align itself when directed at three points in the sky. Consumers may also add an auto align function that aligns the scope without any effort on the part of the consumer. Other advanced features include a database of 40,000 astronomical items to help consumers identify the objects they are observing, an eyepiece magnification of 53X, and a computerized operating system. Consumers praise the scope for its durable, sturdy construction, though much of the scope is constructed of plastic. The scope is also unable to save the time and date settings but otherwise receives good reports for its performance and function.

The Celestron NexStar 4SE is ideal for anyone looking for a portable and high performance telescope. The scope’s relatively affordable price makes it appealing for beginners looking for a budget-friendly way to delve into the world of star-gazing. Its advanced technology makes it an appealing item for experienced star gazers looking to supplement their larger telescope with something smaller for shorter star-gazing ventures. The telescope’s ease of use, small size and easy set up make it ideal for anyone looking for a portable and quick tool for enjoying the nighttime sky.

For those interested in astrophotography, the following video explains how to setup your 4SE to work with your camera: