Celestron 11069 NexStar 8SE Computerised Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope with Advanced GPS, Astroimaging and AutoAlign Features, Black/Orange

Product Information

Although the included NexStar 8SE finderscope looks very basic, it's actually surprisingly effective. (Image credit: Jason Parnell-Brookes) I included the Celestron NexStar 8SE on my list of best astrophotography telescopes because it is a great way to get started in moon photography, with an OTA worthy of being re-mounted to an EQ mount in the future. Best Objects to See in the NexStar 8SE

The NexStar computerised hand controller has been designed to slot into the single arm and provides a database of 40,000 objects to choose from. It was easy to use and the star alignments worked well every time, placing the desired objects within the inner half of the view. Tripod TheNexStar 8SE Computerized Telescopeis the perfect choice for your first serious telescope. Known affectionately as the “orange tube”, it features an 8 inch Schmidt-Cassegrain optical tube with StarBright XLT optical coating, SkyAlign alignment technology and a smooth, computerised alt-azimuth mount making it perfect for beginners and more experienced astronomers alike at an economical price. I was loaned this telescope from OPT for testing purposes, and was under no obligation to provide a positive review, nor was I compensated in any way for this article (or video). Where to Buy:

GENERAL FEATURES

When you open the box, you’ll see that this telescope is supplied with a robust metal tripod. Its legs are made of 1.5″ (38mm) stainless steel tubes which feel very robust and weigh in at 9 lbs (4 kg). As you’d expect, an eyepiece tray is included that sits in between the legs. You can mount the 8SE on an equatorial mount and the Celestron C90 T-adapter and T-mount let you attach your DSLR camera to the 8SE. Alternatively, buy the expensive but dedicated wedge for the NexStar which effectively converts the mount into an equatorial one. Put the local time in the go-to controller. You also need to give your timezone and say whether daylight savings is in force or not. I tested an old Celestron 32mm Plossl eyepiece on the 8SE, and it provided a slightly wider, brighter view through the telescope.

The mirror surfaces have Celestron StarBright XLT coatings, which now come as standard, but this wasn’t the case with the very first C8s. A 1.25″ 25mm Plossl eyepiece was included with the telescope. This is a useful magnification for a variety of objects in the night sky from planets, to bright galaxies. An altazimuth mount can simply be moved up/down and left/right. This means you can point your scope at any part of the sky but, unlike an equatorial mount, altazimuth mounts are not aligned to Earth’s angle of rotation. Four decades later, we've improved upon this design by adding cutting-edge features, while staying true to our founder's intent. The self-alignment technology behind our award-winning SkyProdigy series is now available for most of Celestron's current computerized telescopes and compatible with many older models as well. (See compatibility list below.)We strongly recommend acquiring a 2″ star diagonal for your NexStar 8SE, as it enables the ability to get a significantly wider field of view at low magnifications with the 8SE’s optical tube compared to using only 1.25″ eyepieces. Additionally, a screw-on dielectric mirror diagonal provides a slightly crisper image than the supplied 1.25″ prism unit, while also offering a more secure connection between your telescope and eyepieces.

At Rother Valley Optics, one thing we pride ourselves on is customer service and quality of our equipment. When we test your telescope, we will ensure that it is of the highest quality otherwise, we will reject the scope under our strict quality control and test another model for your peace of mind. One of the main values to look at when testing a refractor is the Strehl ratio. The higher this number, the higher quality lens you have. At Rother Valley Optics, we will guarantee the highest possible Strehl ratio for your telescope. We will aim to provide 0.95 Strehl or higher on Takahashi, RVO Horizon, William Optics and many more! Generally, the higher the Strehl ratio, the lower the Astigmatism and Coma meaning a better image quality from your instrument. The 8SE mount has a Vixen saddle, so it can take other optical tubes in theory. However, only a Schmidt-Cassegrain or Maksutov-Cassegrain of the same size or smaller will be able to clear the base. Should I buy a Used Celestron NexStar 8SE? Never use your optic to project an image of the Sun onto any surface. Internal heat build-up can damage the optic and any accessories attached to it. Using this method (eyepiece projection astrophotography), you can capture impressive images of the Moon, Jupiter, Saturn, and even Mars.This telescope collects light at an f-ratio of F10, which is much “slower” than a typical reflector or refractor telescope. The 8-inch, f/10 Schmidt-Cassegrain optics have Celestron’s StarBright XLT coatings, improving light transmission, and gave great views with the supplied 25mm E-Lux Plössl eyepiece. Stars were sharp across 85 per cent of the view and even very close faint double stars could be split using high magnification. Single arm mount Saturn shows a spectacular amount of detail within its rings. The Cassini Division is, and a few of its moons are observable. Titan, the largest one, is the easiest one to catch a glimpse of. The 8″ NexStar is more popular than both the 4” and 5” models and collects 77% more light than the 6″ model. In this review, we’ll break down why it such a desirable scope and, more importantly, whether it’s the right one for you. Features and Benefits

Too many beginners have had a frustrating experience on their first night under the stars, and many of them do not return to the hobby. So, I think my biggest misconception about astrophotography was that all of those amazing internet photos were taken with giant telescopes. Bigger must be better for astrophotography, right? Well, I think I was surprised to learn that most photos I viewed were taken with relatively small (80 mm - 100 mm aperture) telescopes. The Nexstar 8SE has an 8” (203 mm) aperture. Many of these smaller scopes had modest focal lengths in the 250 mm - 450 mm range, compared to the Nextstar 8SE’s 2032 mm. So what gives?When deciding if the 8SE is the best telescope for you, there are several key factors you need to consider. With that in mind, the rest of this review is broken down into the following sections: With a full 8 inches of aperture, the 8SE reveals details in even the faintest celestial objects. With this much light-gathering ability, you’ll clearly observe Cassini’s Division in Saturn’s rings, the cloud bands on Jupiter, and the Great Red Spot. Beyond the solar system, your 8SE will show you hundreds of pinpoint stars in the Hercules Globular Cluster, the spiral arms of the Whirlpool Galaxy, and more. And don’t forget the Moon you’ll see craters and geographic features like never before.