Celestron 76LCM GoTo Telescope

Celestron 76LCM GoTo – a compact Newtonian for beginners

The Celestron 76LCM combines a classic Newtonian reflector with a computerised alt-azimuth mount. Its 76 mm aperture gathers substantially more light than the unaided eye and is suited to first observations of the Moon, bright planets and selected star clusters. Once aligned, the motorised LCM mount can automatically slew to and track celestial objects.

What you can observe

The Moon reveals many craters and mountain ranges. In steady seeing, bright planets are rewarding targets: the phases of Venus, Jupiter's disk and four large moons, and Saturn's ring system. Bright open clusters and a few compact deep-sky objects can also be observed. What is visible depends greatly on sky conditions, observing location and experience. Under light-polluted skies, many faint objects remain invisible or show little detail, even when selected by GoTo.

GoTo control and alignment

The NexStar hand controller contains a database of more than 4,000 celestial objects. With SkyAlign, enter the date, time and location, then centre three bright objects in the sky; the controller identifies them and calculates the alignment. Other alignment procedures are also available. The mount can then slew to selected targets and track the apparent movement of the sky. The StarPointer red-dot finder helps centre alignment objects.

GoTo does not eliminate alignment: a level tripod, accurate location and time settings, and carefully centred reference stars are essential. Allow time to learn the alignment process before your first observing session, and plan for a suitable power source.

Eyepieces and magnification

With a 700 mm focal length, the supplied 25 mm eyepiece gives about 28× and the 9 mm eyepiece about 78×. The 25 mm eyepiece provides a useful overview for finding and observing larger areas of sky; the 9 mm eyepiece is suited to the Moon and planets. The manufacturer's stated maximum useful magnification of 180× is a theoretical guideline for very favourable conditions. In practice, moderate magnification often gives a steadier, more detailed view; atmospheric seeing, collimation and mount stability set the useful limit.

Buying advice: is the 76LCM right for you?

This set suits beginners who want to try an approachable GoTo system and locate bright targets without searching manually for a long time. The small Newtonian and computerised mount prioritise convenience. If your main goal is to see finer planetary detail or observe faint galaxies, consider a telescope with a larger aperture and a correspondingly sturdier mount. The alt-azimuth LCM mount is not designed for demanding long-exposure astrophotography.

A Newtonian telescope presents an upside-down image in the eyepiece. This is normal for astronomical observing, but makes this design unsuitable for daytime nature viewing. Reflector optics may also need occasional collimation.

Technical specifications

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