Celestron NexStar 8 SE Telescope

Celestron NexStar Telescope

Celestron NexStar 8 SE Telescope

Celestron NexStar 8 SE Telescope

by Celestron
See all reviews (15 customer reviews)

Technical Details

-8-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope, StarBright XLT high transmission coatings come standard
-StarPointer finderscope to help with alignment and accurately locating objects
-Quick-release fork arm mount, optical tube and accessory tray for no-tool setup
-SkyAlign allows you to align on any three bright celestial objects, making for a fast and easy alignment process
-Nearly 40,000-object database with 200 user-definable objects and expanded information on over 200 objects

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Review

Excellent Telescope at a Great Price!

In brief I was thoroughly satisfied with the quality of the telescope. I havent yet used it much, but in about 2 weeks or so that I have owned the telescope, I have used it each night irrespective of the seeing conditions.

I will divide the entire review into two parts, likes and dislike/want.

Things that I dislike or would want.
Power consumption is really high... I learnt that the very first night. I had to terminate my viewing session in about two hours. I was using brand new Duracell AA battries with a lot of moving. I would have really like if Celestron was a little more direct about the fact that power comsumption is really high, but then again I could have missed it! I would really recommend buying the power tank.

Levelling the telescope is really important and Celestron has even provided with a bubble level. I would have really liked if the bubble was built into the mount.

Things that Celestron NexStar 8 SE Telescope I like...
In one word... everything else. The optics are really good and I get clear crisp images. The GoTo system, called SkyAlign here, is easy enough to use. I had a little trouble getting it up and running but found a good thread on Cloudynights by MarvinTheMartian and followed everything there to get a really good alignment.

SAVE 15% on Celestron NexStar 8 SE Telescope.

First light Report:
Saw Jupiter with the four moons and it was spectacular. I could even see the clouds of Jupiter. Moon is probably the best target to view, however dont make the mistake I made, see moon on a full moon night without any filter! Its just too bright!
I see from suburban areas, and have a lot of light pollution. Even with all that I was able to see some of the deep sky objects. I have seen M31 and am hoping for some more time and some clear skies to continue viewing.

Celestron NexStar 8 SE Telescope Portability: Though people may say this is portable, I would not necessarily agree with them. Its not as portable as I would call portable. If you are like me, carrying it around like me, I would recommend buying a carrying case at least for the OTA.

Final Verdict on Celestron NexStar 8 SE Telescope : If money is not the concern, go ahead and buy this telescope. I really loved everything about this telescope and the dislikes are trivial (and hence the 5 star rating). Big aperture will keep me occupied for quiet some time before I move to my next, a 14"!