After years of observing the night skies through my reflector’s lens, I found myself experiencing a sense of growing dissatisfaction and I immediately knew it was time to upgrade my telescope. With years of experience, I have grown into a very skeptical shopper and I had to take my time analyzing these two great options suggested by a fellow astronomer friend of mine.
Created and patented in 1941 by Dmitri Maksutov, the Cassegrain telescopes have revolutionized the stargazers’ world. By use of a spherical mirror and a weekly meniscus lens, the aim was to eliminate chromatic aberration and false colors produced by reflective scopes. The Schmidt uses a concave meniscus to further reduce coma in the imagery with the help of a correcting plate. The Maksutov uses a spherical mirror with one side of the lens being concave and the other convex.
What are the differences between the Meade ETX 125 and Celestron NexStar 6SE?
ETX 125 |
NEXSTAR 6SE |
|
Type of telescope |
Maksutov-Cassegrain |
Schmidt-Cassegrain |
Specs |
Aperture 127mm, 1900mm Focal length, f/15.3 Focal ratio
Magnification on eyepiece 26mm: 73x Magnification on eyepiece 9.7mm: 167x Min. Useful magnification: – |
Aperture 150mm, 1500mm Focal length, f/10 Focal ratio
Magnification on eyepiece 25mm: 60X Max. Useful magnification: 354X Min useful magnification: – |
Mounting |
Motorized Alt-Azimuth Mount – dual fork |
Motorized Alt-Azimuth Mount- single fork |
Assembled Weight |
15 lbs. |
21 lbs. |
Price |
Meade ETX 125 vs NexStar 6SE- How they compare
Optics and Design
ETX 125 is a Schmidt-Cassegrain with a 127mm aperture held by a 1900mm focal length and this results in a focal ratio of f/15 which is good for slow planetary observation in a narrow field of view with and medium to high magnification. The aperture size is large enough to gather adequate light and with the convex meniscus lens designed into it, this telescope guarantees crystal clear coma-free images with no false color. This lens has a right-angle image corrector as well for great eye relief. The secondary lens limits any obstruction of light and removes the need for repetitive collimation.
Optics in the NexStar 4SE are heavily coated and this makes for really great degree of reflectivity off the mirrors and lenses. With an aperture 150mm long and a focal length of 1500mm, f/10 is the achievable focal ratio with this scope. This translates to mean that you will have a narrower field of view but with a magnification power that’s perfect for everything from basic observations to astrophotography.
Computerized system
Meade have made provisions for astrophotography with a DSLR camera, there is a flip mirror within the optical tube that when turned, will direct light and focus on the target allowing for picturesque images of the night sky. An equatorial mount is used for this assembly and it enriches the process of object tracking as this GoTo enabled mount can be controlled via the AudioStar Hand controller which also allows the user to project images on phone or laptop.
Celestron’s NexStar 6SE is a Schmidt-Cassegrain that also uses a computerized GoTo mount which makes it a perfect telescope for young and amateur astronomers. Its compact design and Orange tube make for a great item of display that’s also easily portable. 6SE is also computerized and runs on the NexStar Plus system on the NexRemote hand controller. It has a database with over 40,000 astrological objects and also the SkyAlign software that completely simplifies the collimation process at set-up.
Meade ETX 125 vs NexStar 6SE – Overview
Meade ETX 125 – Overview and Key Features
For those who like to have the best of everything in one compact design, ETX 125 is the most ideal choice to make in telescope shopping. There is literally nothing this telescope is not prepared and able to do. Let’s start off with its beautiful glossy blue optical tube which immediately gives you an out-of-space mood with the shimmery sheen that covers it. It is a truly a well-built Maksutov-Cassegrain featuring a primary convex meniscus mirror whose primary task is to handle any form of chromatic aberration and eliminate the comas in any given field of view. Distinctly different from a Schmidt-Cassegrain, this scope uses a smaller secondary mirror which is mostly for ensuring minimal light obstruction and to increase the image contrast making the view even more crisp.
Meade ETX 125 boasts a 127mm aperture with a 1900mm focal length and the f/15 focal ratio, though a bit slow, provides the best performance for object tracking given the apparent field of view. These optics also allow for more light gathering in the focal tube even in super dark ambiences which makes for image visibility even further up the distant skies. The optical tube sits on the alt-azimuth GoTo mount with the help of a Vixen style dovetail plate. This together with an internally built focuser and an internal flip mirror, users can use the scope to focus on a target and at the same time capture the image on a connected DSLR camera with no need to replace or add any equipment.
Accessories in this telescope are such as an internally built focuser which helps the scope come into focus much faster than most other scopes. There is a red dot finder that is perfect for accuracy and does not block out the view of other objects. There are knobs that help in the adjustment of focus or magnification. The eyepieces provided for this scope are top-notch Super Plossl which means they have been full multi-coated resulting in brighter and more defined images. The 26mm produces 73x power and the 9.7mm allows us to see 196x further than our natural eye vision.
Meade’s AudioStar hand controller has a LED display that will show details about the scope’s apparent line of sight and objects visible in the sky. It has a numerical keypad that you will use to select objects that you would want the scope to show you and it will slew to that degree. It has a built-in red LED backlight which is easy to work with night adapted vision. Meade also gives us a LED flashlight for the purpose of providing eye relief.
This scope has nine different degrees of slew speeds and this means that tracking is very smooth regardless of magnification levels. Alignment and collimation processes are a breeze with this model. There are many align options to choose from; One-Star, Two-Star and Three-Star and no matter which one you go with, the scope will take care of it. All you need to do is press the button.
Meade’s system of navigation is very user-friendly and comes with an impressive database of over 40,000 celestial objects. The built-in speaker will give you information to the last detail about scientific data and history in relation to a select 500 celestial targets. The system will also help you make plans for astral viewing based on some projections on amazing events to be anticipated. From anything like sunsets, sunrises, eclipses, planetary events, meteors and equinoxes, Meade will keep you up to date. By use of a cord connecting to an internet enabled computer, this database can be regularly updated. Based on its educative benefits, this scope would be ideal for home use or classroom sessions on the magic of astrology. The database has tons of information on major constellations, galaxies, nebulas, stars and satellites. What’s even cooler is that we can use the scope for both celestial and terrestrial views.
The whole optical tube sits on an alt-azimuth tripod stand made with steel legs that are adjustable. The stand is strong and sturdy, comes with an accessories tray in the middle and has hooks in the inner rails for added weight which increases stability and minimizes vibrations during tracking. The stand has altitude and azimuth bearings that work to enrich the slewing speed and tracking accuracy of the telescope. It runs on 6AA batteries that need to be bought separately and provide up to 20 hours of continued use of the GoTo system. It’s advisable to buy an external adapter for longer observation time and optimal performance.
What we like
- Easy to use and computerized system
- Quick and simple set up
- Compact design that is portable
- Access to a learning database great for beginners
- AudioStar software with all details
What we don’t like
- Might need a moon and solar filter
- Needs an external power source
What you can see with the ETX 125
- The polar caps on mars
- Moon surface craters and general lunar shots
- Phases of Venus
- Jupiter’s moons
- Saturn and its rings
- Galaxies and Nebulas
- Stars and constellations
- Satellites
View price on Amazon
NexStar 6SE – Overview and Key Features
This is a sturdy, light-weight and beginner-friendly telescope of the Schmidt-Cassegrain models. It is ideal for all types of observations in the dark night skies. Celestron have their own multi-coating system that they have used on this scopes lenses to maximize light transmission and minimize distortions or aberrations. Brighter deep-sky objects like nebulae and the planets as well as the moon and its amazing terrain will be visible with this telescope.
The NexStar 6SE has an aperture 150mm wide and rests in a tube with a focal length of 1500mm and the resulting f/10 ratio is great for moon and planet imaging. The tube gathers great light in the heavily coated anti-reflective mirrors and lenses. The smaller size of the secondary mirror minimizes light obstruction and plays a huge part in creating color correct images.
For astrophotography, this secondary mirror could be removed and a DSLR camera attached in its place giving a wider field of view with a f/2 focal ratio for quick astrology snaps. They provide us with a 25mm eyepiece which gives us a magnification power of 60x. the eyepiece has an adapter 1.25 inches wide and can accept these length eyepieces if you would like to experiment with others to vary magnification view. Meade added a foldable rubber rim on the eyepiece barrel in consideration of those who wear glasses.
There is also a 90-degree angle diagonal mirror which enables comfortable viewing and can be used to horizontally correct the view of the skies which will vertically still be warped. The use of the red dot finder assists in object finding and without magnification, will allow you to star-hop while you navigate the skies.
NexStar comes with a hand controller that works with compatible devices to help with hands-free control of the telescope. The NexRemote control has LCD screen displaying 16 characters of data at a time. The buttons are backlit as well for optimal use in dark ambience. It has a database filed with over 30,000 celestial objects and detailed information about their history and form of existence. As you use your scope and make discoveries of new objects, the system can add these new user-generated locations. Up to 100 of them.
This scope is perfect for beginners or amateurs as it has a sky tour which it comes up with based on your location and the objects visible in your field of view. The scope also features the SkyAlign software for easy and quick collimation of lenses and mirrors for optimal views and images. You have the option to align by two-star, one-star or three-star and with a simple pointing towards thee bright stars, allows your scope to self-align and this is a one-time process. The mount being alt-azimuth can slew left, right, up and down for celestial observation but the tracking is off for terrestrial views.
A DSLR camera can be added to the assembly by use of the Dovetail plate and the NexRemote can be used to automatically trigger the shutter to capture breathtaking imagery. The alt-azimuth tripod mount is powered by 8 AA batteries that you have to buy separately and has dual-servo axis motors for smooth slewing in high magnification with close to zero vibrations. There are also optimal encoders that are used to track the GoTo functions and to help keep the scope in alignment when in manual mode.
What we like
- Computerized and Easy to use
- Quick and simple set up
- Compact design that is portable
- Access to a learning database great for beginners
- SkyAlign software with all details
What we don’t like
- Might need a moon and solar filter
- Needs external power source
What you can see with the NexStar 6SE
- The polar caps on mars
- Moon surface craters and general lunar shots
- Phases of Venus
- Jupiter’s moons
- Saturn and its rings
- Solar systems
- Constellations
View price on Amazon
Verdict
Meade’s ETX 125 though looking really good in its glossy blue sheen and having a dual fork arm does come in handy at times, it by no means beats the 6SE’s ability to handle astrophotography automatically with just the push of a button. That’s beyond convenient!
