Celestron · Newtonian
Celestron Advanced VX 6" Newtonian
6-inch parabolic Newtonian on a capable GoTo mount, built for serious wide-field observing at a mid-range price.
Performance Scores
Overview
The Celestron Advanced VX 6" Newtonian pairs a 152mm f/5 parabolic mirror with one of Celestron's more capable German equatorial mounts, making it a genuinely useful setup for visual observing and entry-level astrophotography. The wide f/5 focal ratio gives you expansive views of nebulae, star clusters, and large galaxies, though it does demand well-collimated optics to perform at its best. The parabolic primary mirror keeps spherical aberration in check, which matters at this focal ratio more than it would on a slower instrument.
The Advanced VX mount includes GoTo and tracking, which takes the frustration out of locating objects and makes longer observing sessions more productive. Periodic Error Correction is programmable and permanent, a real advantage if you plan to attempt any imaging. The updated motors handle moderate load imbalances better than earlier versions, and the overall mount design is stiffer than its predecessors.
At just over 35kg combined, this is not a grab-and-go setup. You will want a dedicated observing spot or reliable transportation for the mount. For someone with a fixed or semi-permanent location who wants a capable wide-field visual instrument with room to grow into imaging, this is a competitive option at $1,449.
At a Glance
152.4mm
Aperture
f/5
Focal Ratio
35.83kg
Weight
Specifications
Key Features
- 152mm parabolic primary delivers sharp, wide-field views with minimal spherical aberration at f/5
- GoTo system with a database of thousands of objects removes the guesswork from finding targets
- Programmable Periodic Error Correction improves tracking consistency, especially useful for beginner astrophotography
- Updated motors provide more torque, helping the mount handle heavier eyepiece and camera combinations
- German equatorial design allows for proper polar alignment and uninterrupted tracking across the meridian
- Stiffer mechanical construction compared to previous AVX versions reduces image-degrading flexure
- Newtonian design offers the largest usable aperture per dollar compared to refractors or SCTs at this price
Customer Reviews
17 reviews
Excellent mount and the scope is great as well. Perfect for any beginner. First night using it, took only about 10 minutes to align the scope and objects I plugged into the controls ended up dead center in the eyepiece. And I didn't even have good polar alignment. Once I perfected the polar alignmen...
I'm a previous owner of the 6 inch Celestron model shown here. Having just bought the much more expensive 8 inch Schmidt Cassegrain model, I feel the views through the 6 inch f/5 Newtonian are much sharper and have more contrast. You will need to invest in a Cheshire eyepiece though. This relatively...
I have had this scope for a couple of weeks now. I am still going through the learning curve with it. So I can't provide an "expert" review of this setup. This is a pretty darn good beginner astrophotography setup. This mount will support smaller setups like the 6" newt that comes with it. After you...