celestron omni XLT help

tara · Guest

I am purchasing a telescope. I am looking at the Celestron Omni XLT 150 mm reflector scope. Can anyone tell me if this is a good telescope for a serious beginner? Most of my viewing will be done in a somewhat rural setting, without many lights from town or industry. I want to be able to see planets, with some detail, such as rings, etc., as well as various other objects.

Jne_K · Site Admin Joined: 24 Sep 2003 Posts: 5018

Hi

It's an excellent beginner's telescope if it has the features you want. It is certainly large enough at 6" (150mm) to do some nice deep-sky work, which will most likely where you will be headed if you have a rural site, and it will also do a nice job on planets.
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Tara · Guest

Hey Joanie, thanks for your reply. One further question. As I grow into this telescope, will there be add-ons I can purchase that will allow the telescope to grow in its use, too?

tara

Jne_K · Site Admin Joined: 24 Sep 2003 Posts: 5018

Hi

Glad to help.

Most basic add on will be other eyepieces - you need at least two eyepieces and a barlow or three eyepieces to cover all the magnification ranges needed to cover all the objects out there. After that, anything else is optional, such as nebula filters and so on.
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tara · Guest

I am ready to purchase the Celestron Omni XLT 150 mm scope. Can you please recommend an additional lens or barlow lens that would enhance my viewing with this scope? It will be used in a somewhat rural area without a great deal of city lights.
Thanks,
tara

Jne_K · Site Admin Joined: 24 Sep 2003 Posts: 5018

Hi

Your choice of eyepiece depends mostly on what type of object you are trying to observe and that determines the magnification needed and eyepieces needed. Planets require high magnification, deep-sky objects require low and medium powers.

I generally recommend a range of magnifications in the low, medium and high range and do not recommend more than 200x as a maximum for your scope. Usually, three eyepieces or two eyepieces and a barlow will do as a minimum for astronomy.

A good way to cover all the bases is a kit, such as the Celestron eyepiece kit, 94303 or the Meade 07851. These will get you more than you need for eyepieces, but will also get you the experience you need to intelligently invest in premium grade eyepieces, which can be very expensive (more expensive than your telescope) and which also involve a lot of personal preference.
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