CENSE8

12091

Celestron

The NexStar Evolution 8 203mm Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope from Celestron is a powerful, portable, versatile, and user-friendly telescope that can be used for observing everything from the Moon and planets to deep-sky objects like galaxies and nebulae. Using Celestron's proprietary StarBright XLT multicoating system, light transmission is increased throughout the entire optical path with antireflection multicoated lenses, highly reflective multicoated mirrors, and four-element rare-earth glass. While the focal ratio is a slow f/10, the scope's precision tracking system allows it to be a competent astrophotography/astroimaging platform for the Moon and planets.The Evolution comes with two ways to use and control it. The first is to simply download Celestron's free Navigator app for Android and iOS smartphones and tablets. The scope's Wi-Fi provides the connection to the app and expands the capabilities and functionality, including an expanded database of over 120,000 objects with detailed information on more than 200 of those objects. Second is the iconic 2-line 16-character NexStar computer controller. This is a wired piece of hardware with a database of over 40,000 celestial objects plus several astronomical catalogs including the Messier and Caldwell. Whether using the controller or mobile device, the system can assist in properly aligning the scope, provide tours of the objects and events visible whenever and wherever you're viewing, and allow for manual direction and slew control.Designed for portability, the Evolution features a long-life lithium-iron phosphate battery providing up to 10 hours of continual use on a single charge. The scope comes with an AC power supply with plugs for the US, EU, UK, and AU outlets. The battery powers the servo motors, auxiliary accessory ports, a USB charging port, and the built-in Wi-Fi. Manual clutches in both altitude and azimuth enable you to manually move and point the telescope when it's powered off.Optical Performance 203mm (8") aperturef/10 focal ratio2032mm focal lengthCrown optical glass primary mirrorStarBright XLT optical coatings: Multilayer aluminum/SiO2 (quartz)/TiO2 (titanium dioxide) mirror coatings with flat reflectivity across the light spectrum for both astrophotography/astroimaging and visual observationMultilayer MgF2 (magnesium fluoride) and HfO2 (hafnium dioxide) anti-reflective lens coatingsHigh-transmission water white glass corrector lens with 97.4% light transmissionInternal focusing mechanismResolution: 0.69 arcsec (Rayleigh); 0.57 arcsec (Dawes)Secondary mirror obstruction: 2.5"; 9.77% by areaFastar capability: Secondary mirror can be removed and a DSLR or imaging rig mounted in its place for fast wide-field astrophotographyNexStar Controller 2-line, 16-character LCD display19 fiber optic backlit red LED buttonsDatabase of over 40,000 celestial objects plus 100 user definedAutomatically slew to planets, stars, constellations, and a variety of catalogsCamera control: For piggyback wide field or conventional astrophotography through the OTA, the controller can automatically trigger the shutter release to capture the imageAnti-backlash compensation programs-out play between gears for more precise trackingTour Mode: Shows a selection of the most popular objects for the time and date you are observingConstellation Tour: Allows the user to take a tour of all the best objects within a particular constellationAlignment procedures: SkyAlign, Auto 2-Star, 1-Star, 2-Star, and Solar SystemSkyAlign alignment: Takes minutes, with minimal effort or experience point the telescope at three bright objects in the sky, and the telescope does the restNine slew speeds: 4 /sec, 2 /sec, 1 /sec, 0.5 /sec, 2x, 4x, 8x,16x, and 32xSidereal, Solar, and Lunar tracking rates for observing the fast-moving Moon, to slower-moving deep space subjectsRS-232 communication port allows for computer controlFlash updates via the Celestron websiteDatabase Details:Solar system objects including the Su