Celestron NexStar 8SE

Celestron NexStar 8SE
The Celestron NexStar 8SE telescope is part of the Celestron NexStar SE (special edition) series which is known for the high-quality finish of the telescopes and the use of very good hand-picked optics. The Celestron NexStar 8SE is the flagship of the NexStar SE series and is ideal for the avid amateur astronomer. The tracking motor and GoTo function work on 8 AA batteries (not included) so the telescope is perfect for use on location as you do not need an external power source for the telescope. This Celestron telescope is intended for people who want nothing but the best.

Mirror and construction
The Celestron NexStar 8SE telescope has a primary mirror with an impressive 203mm diameter (8 inches). The telescope has a Schmidt Cassegrain design; the telescope has a secondary mirror with a 63.5mm diameter. Due to the use of large mirrors, much light is captured and along the way very little light is lost. This makes this telescope ideal for viewing deep-sky objects.
The primary mirror is fitted with Celestron's Starbright XLT coatings. Thanks to the coating used, the absorbed light is more evenly distributed, making the light output higher and the image sharper. The coating consists of several layers; Celestron have used aluminium, titanium and magnesium to make a coating as strong and effective as possible.

Focal length
Due to its catadioptric construction the telescope has a focal length of 2032mm, which is longer than the focal length of the Nexstar 6SE. The telescope will thus magnify the image more, making faraway objects more visible. In addition, the large telescope mirror renders an incredibly clear picture. A StarPointer Red Dot finderscope is mounted on the telescope which serves to quickly retrieve celestial bodies.

Eyepiece
The telescope comes with a 25mm eyepiece, which is suitable for any eyepiece fitting with a 1.25 inch diameter. In combination with the focal length of this telescope it is possible to get a magnification of 81 times. An erecting eyepiece (star diagonal) is also included which turns the image upright. This way, you can even use the telescope as a spotting scope for terrestrial observations.

Legendary orange
As experts will undoubtedly know, the striking orange NexStar SE telescopes are inspired by the legendary ''Orange'' telescopes of Celestron. The orange of Celestron is the most well-known colour in the astronomy world. The new orange NexStar telescopes are a tribute to the orange Celestron C8 telescopes which were produced from the 1960s up to the 1980s. During the 1980s Celestron switched to a "cool" glossy black colour leading to the disappearance of the famous orange telescopes. 25 years later Celestron bring the new orange NexStar telescopes on the market to revive the good old days and continue the Celestron tradition. Hail to the colour orange!

An original Celestron C8 "Orange" telescope

GoTo functionality
The telescope and mount are equipped with a full GoTo system. With this very useful system, the telescope will automatically find celestial objects for you. The system features 40.000 pre-programmed celestial objects which makes watching with this telescope easier and a lot of fun. The GoTo system features Celestron SkyAlign alignment technology which will align the telescope in seconds. It is also possible to find celestial bodies yourself and save them for next time so you can focus on these objects. The GoTo system provides detailed information on the 200 most-viewed celestial bodies and is easy to operate by a remote control with LED display.

Sturdy steel stand with tracking motors
The tripod that comes with the NexStar SE has an altazimuth mount on very strong stainless steel legs. This tripod is very easy to collapse or to set up. The stand has a motor that is fully computer-controlled. With this convenient tracking motor one can simply continue to follow objects in the universe. For astrophotographers such a tripod is highly recommended. The tracking motor of the tripod is powered by AA batteries (not included).

The Celestron NexStar 8SE telescope in a nutshell

• Schmidt-Cassegrain design
  
• The famous Celestron orange colour
• Full GoTo functionality with nearly 40.000 pre-programmed objects
• Alt-azimuth stand with tracking motors
  
• GoTo and tracking motors are powered by 8 AA batteries
• Easy operation with LED display
  
• Expandable with GPS
  
• Includes erecting eyepiece (StarDiagonal)
  
• Telescope tube is made of quality aluminium
  
• Supplied with NextRemote "The Sky" Level 1 Software
  
• Great for astrophotography
  

Astrophotography
As previously mentioned, the telescope is also suitable for astrophotography. You will need to have a camera adapter and the right T2 ring, though. The telescope comes with a camera shutter cable which connects to the camera port. Below you will find some photographs which were taken using the Celestron NexStar 8SE.

Close-up of the lunar surface

Detailed image of Saturn and its rings