Eyepiece and telescope pairing

Celestron Omni 4mm Plossl in the Celestron NexStar 4SE: magnification and field

What the Celestron Omni 4mm Plossl does in the Celestron NexStar 4SE, worked from the published focal lengths and apparent field.

Field of view

ring = 0.15 degrees true
dot = 0.3 mm exit pupil

Computed optics

Magnification
331x1325 mm / 4 mm
True field
0.15 degrees50 deg / 331x
Exit pupil
0.3 mm102 mm / 331x
Max useful mag
241xpublished
Barrel match
1.25 in eyepiece in a 1.25 in focuser
No fit

Over-powered. At 331x this pair exceeds the published highest useful magnification of about 241x for the Celestron NexStar 4SE, so the image dims and softens without showing more real detail. Use a longer eyepiece.


Magnification is the telescope focal length divided by the eyepiece focal length: 1325 mm divided by 4 mm is 331x. The true field of view is the eyepiece's 50 degree apparent field divided by that magnification, 0.15 degrees.

The exit pupil, the width of the light beam leaving the eyepiece, is the aperture divided by the magnification, 102 mm over 331x, which is 0.3 mm. That makes this a high-power lunar, planetary and double-star setting.