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

Product Information

If deep space galaxies and faint nebulae are your things, then that’s more of a challenge, although this guy seems to be doing just fine, judging from his pictures.

Focuser Utility software for Windows provides a simple user interface. Also compatible with Celestron PWI. For 6” Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes only, the Off-Axis Guider (#93648) cannot be used when the focus motor is installed due to mechanical interferences. The NexStar SE is compatible with all the high-tech accessories advanced users love. Control your telescope using your iPhone or iPad with our SkyQ Link, or add GPS functionality with SkySync. Slide the focus motor onto the focuser knob until the two attachment posts on the face of the motor are flat against the cover plate The Sky-Watcher 8” or 10” FlexTube GoTo are significantly steadier than the 8SE and their shorter focal length allows for a wider possible field of view. Either model can also be aimed manually without upsetting the alignment of the GoTo system, and the Dobsonian mount is free of the obnoxious jitters of the undersized and wobbly 8SE mount and tripod.

Celestron NexStar 8SE Review

Before StarSense, using a computerized telescope required a lengthy alignment process of finding and centering at least two bright stars in the telescope’s eyepiece. But StarSense automatically aligns itself with minimal user input. Just enter your time, date, and location and let StarSense do the rest! 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. Once you’ve got the box open and ready to go, let’s look at how easy the NexStar 8SE is to set up and get operational. Setting Up and Using the NexStar 8SE

The NexStar SE is compatible with all the high-tech accessories advanced users love. Control your telescope using your iPhone or iPad with our SkyPortal WiFi Adapter, or add GPS functionality with SkySync. The first task when reviewing this telescope was getting it aligned. Plug the telescope in and turn it on. The hand controller asks you to select your desired language. After that, use the up and down arrows to choose the method of alignment. Select your city and country, enter your time (in 24hr format) and select whether your locale is on daylight savings or not and finally enter the date. I found right ascension, declination, altitude and azimuth thoroughly confusing, but the arm exercise helped me understand it. So, why on earth would you want to use the complicated equatorial mount? The answer is because you are on Earth, and Earth has this inconvenient feature of constantly rotating. Because of the Earth’s rotation, stars travel in arcs across the sky. Like an archer’s arrow, they rise, peak, then fall below the horizon. If you remember your geometry days, trying to draw a circle using (x, y) coordinates is complicated. But drawing it in polar coordinates is mindlessly easy. Alt-az is x,y and equatorial is polar.

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The NexStar 8SE is a reimagining of the classic Celestron 8 which revolutionized amateur astronomy in the 1970’s. The 8SE features the same iconic “orange tube” design but has been updated with all of the latest features to ensure that the user receives the best stargazing experience whether they be an amateur or experienced observer.