Celestron NexStar and Celestron Evolution are two different telescope series from Celestron. The telescopes in the evolution series are expensive compared to the NexStar series telescopes. Both these series offer similar aperture-sized telescopes. But many people might get confused while choosing the telescopes from these two series.
The Celestron NexStar 6SE & Celestron NexStar evolution 6 both are 6-inch aperture telescopes. So, in this article, we will compare these two telescopes.
Details of Celestron NexStar 6SE
The telescope has a 6-inch aperture. Its focal length is 1500mm & focal ratio is 10. The telescope comes with one 25mm eyepiece and you can get 60X magnification with this eyepiece. The highest useful magnification of this telescope is 354X & the lowest useful magnification is 21X. The optical tube assembly weighs 8lbs around 3.6kg & the total weight of the kit is 9.5kg.
NexStar 6SE mount
The NexStar 6SE has a computerized alt-azimuth single fork mount. The weight of the mount is 11lbs around 5kg. The load carrying capacity of this mount is 12lbs around 5.5kg. The tripod on which this mount sits has a weight of 9lbs around 4kg.
Details of Celestron NexStar Evolution 6
This telescope also has a 6-inch aperture. Its focal length is also 1500mm with a focal ratio of 10. This telescope comes with two eyepieces one is 40mm & the other is 13mm. You get 38X magnification with a 40mm eyepiece & 115X magnification with a 13mm eyepiece. As both telescopes have the same aperture and focal length. So the highest and lowest useful magnification of these telescopes is similar. The highest magnification is 354X and the lowest is 21X.
The optical tube assembly of evolution 6 weighs 10lbs around 4.5kg. The total weight of the evolution telescope kit is 38lbs around 17.5kg. It is much heavier than the NexStar 6SE. Because the mount of the evolution telescope is heavier and has a higher load-carrying capacity than the mount of the NexStar 6SE telescope.
NexStar Evolution 6 mount
The NexStar Evolution 6 also has a computerized alt-azimuth single fork mount. The weight of the mount is 16lbs around 7kg. The load carrying capacity of this mount is 25lbs around 11kg. The tripod on which this mount sits has a weight of 12lbs around 5.5kg.
The evolution 6 not only has a higher load-carrying capacity but also has a built-in battery. This battery will keep your telescope running for about 10 hours. It will automatically go into power-saving mode when the battery is low. The tripod’s height adjustment range of evolution 6 is more compared to NexStar 6SE.
The evolution 6 also has built-in wifi. With inbuilt wifi, you can use the telescope with your Smartphone through Celestron’s mobile apps. The gears and the motor drive used on this telescope are of high quality which gives you super smooth & accurate tracking.
What can you see with these telescopes?
Both telescopes have almost identical Optical tube assemblies with Celestron’s Starbright XLT coating for maximum light throughput.
You can see the details of the moon & planets. You can also see the cloud bands of Jupiter with these telescopes. Observing the Encke division on Saturn’s ring will not be an issue with these telescopes.
If you are willing to do astrophotography with these telescopes, then Evolution 6 will be better. As the tracking accuracy is good on this telescope. You can capture deep-sky objects like the Orion nebula by attaching your DSLR to this telescope.
As both telescopes have an alt-azimuth mount. So, for long-exposure astrophotography with these telescopes, you will need a wedge to convert it into an equatorial mount. If you don’t know ‘what are the different types of mounts?’ then make sure you watch this video.
Which one should you buy?
Buy NexStar 6SE
If you are confused about which one to buy from these two? Then the first parameter you should consider is the price. As both telescopes have almost identical optical tube assemblies. So the images you will see will be almost the same with slight changes here and there. So if you have budget constraints, then you should go with the NexStar 6SE.
For many people, the weight of the telescope is an important thing. The evolution 6 has almost double the weight of the NexStar 6SE. So if you are someone who wants to travel to remote locations for stargazing nights and looking for a good grab-n-go big aperture telescope then you should go with the NexStar 6SE.
Buy NexStar Evolution 6
Evolution 6 is more focused on improving your overall experience making it very smooth and enjoyable. So, the evolution 6 telescope does have some real advantages over the NexStar 6SE. It has a built-in battery, wifi, and worm gears for smooth tracking. With the built-in rechargeable battery, you will not be dealing with the hassle of attaching extra batteries. With the wifi, you can control the telescope easily with the phone so that’s a really good added advantage.
The mount of the evolution series is slightly heavier. A heavier mount will offer more stability which improves your overall experience. Compared to NexStar 6SE evolution 6 can be set up faster. So basically whatever improvements you need when you use NexStar 6SE are available in the Evolution 6 telescope. So if the price is not the issue, then you should definitely go for the Evolution 6 telescope over NexStar 6SE.
This doesn’t mean NexStar 6SE is an inferior telescope. NexStar 6SE is one of the best telescopes available in the market which offers great views and experience for the price you pay for. We have explained this in detail in this article.
If you buy any of these two telescopes they both will serve you long-term. The main difference between these two telescopes is the evolution 6 will offer you a much better and smoother experience compared to NexStar 6SE. Which one should you go for completely depend on your needs and mainly the budget.
NexStar 6SE vs NexStar Evolution 6 Summary
| NexStar 6SE | Evolution 6 | |
| Aperture | 150mm(6-inches) | 150mm(6-inches) |
| Focal Length | 1500mm | 1500mm |
| Focal Ratio | f/10 | f/10 |
| Highest Useful Magnification | 354X | 354X |
| Lowest Useful Magnification | 21X | 21X |
| OTA weight | 8lbs(3.6kg) | 10lbs(4.5kg) |
| Mount Type | Single fork AZ mount | Single fork AZ mount |
| Total Weight | 21lbs(9.5kg) | 38lbs(17.5kg) |
| BUY HERE | BUY HERE |
If you are looking for a telescope specifically for astrophotography then you need to check this article. You can also find the best suitable telescope for you with our telescope suggestion tool.
