And James? Yes! The Celestron NexStar 102 will provide a lifetime of fascination for those even remotely interested in astronomy. If there comes a point where you want to graduate to a larger telescope, you’ll never sell it because it is so portable and durable. Solar filters are inexpensive and a 2″ wide field eyepiece turns the night sky into a showcase! The focal ratio also means it should be decent at astrophotography also due to the time needed to capture an image not being insanely long. We also measure the Power with our systems which is essentially the error from the reference sphere to the test optic. The reference sphere we use on our system is a very high quality sphere so the closer to zero the Power, the less error between the 2 elements thus ensuring a higher quality optical surface. The Celestron NexStar 102SLT telescope has been a customer favourite for years thanks to its unique combination of high-quality optics, a user-friendly computerised interface, and a sturdy single fork arm mount. The only mildly challenging step is aligning the telescope. But with the built-in SkyAlign alignment technology and StarPointer Finderscope, even that is a piece of cake.

While not as good as an equatorial mount, the Alt-Az mount on the NexStar 102 SLT is perfectly suitable for beginners. The mount sits on a steel tripod to ensure it remains sturdy during observations.

SkyAlign - the simplest, fastest & most beginner friendly alignment method available on any computerised telescope. The images will generally be sharper because misalignment isn’t very common with the refractor lens found within. The StellaLyra 10”/ Zhumell Z10/Orion SkyLine 10 features 2.5x the resolution and 6.25 times as much light gathering power as the NexStar 102SLT, mounted atop a sturdy Dobsonian mount and with the same great features and accessories as the 8” model. Compared to the StellaLyra 8”/Z8 you’re only adding a few pounds of weight and a negligible gain in length/width, so if you can afford a 10” Dob we’d heartily recommend one, particularly the AD10/Z10, over an 8” unit. Overall, the optics within the 102SLT aren’t necessarily of the highest power and do suffer from chromatic aberration nevertheless it’ll still be quite solid and versatile experience for most newbies to the astronomy scene. What Do The Celestron Nexstar 102SLT’s Specifications Mean?

The database on the SLT scopes is variably mentioned as having either 4,000 or 40,000 deep-sky objects in its catalogue. Regardless of which it actually has, there are probably a few hundred deep-sky objects that are interesting to observe with the 102SLT. I would be very interested to see someone kit out their refractor with some of the excellent accessories on the market including filters, Barlow lenses, and diagonals and then see them put to use with the Celestron technology. That could be super fun. It would be easier than ever to try out different filters and then be able to actually look at something different with them applied because of the database. The Celestron StarSense DX 102AZ features a doublet lens composed of two different types of glass, offering bright views of targets. (Image credit: Celestron)

How easy is it to use?

The Explore Scientific 10” Hybrid Dobsonian provides more than 2.5x the resolving power and 6.25x the light gathering ability of the little NexStar 102SLT, and its buttery smooth, sturdy, and easy-to-use Dobsonian mount makes finding objects in the night sky a breeze. When dismantled, the 10” Hybrid rivals the 102SLT in portability and takes up fairly little volume in a closet, vehicle, or other storage space.