This Celestron telescope is a serious telescope for the serious astronomer with the aperture we all look for. First I will give you a rundown on what you get with this telescope. Firstly the software which has a 50,000+ object database and flash memory allows you to upgrade the software over the internet. There is also a search engine database to create your own custom tours plus storage for user-defined objects.
Next is the electronics – Computerized hand control, a permanent error correction which permanently saves and plays back corrections to reduce periodic error to a minimum. Auxiliary ports for add-on Nexstar accessories and RS-232 port so you can communicate with your PC.
The mechanics on this Celestron telescope is 5,625″ precision worm gear on both axes, 9.5″ friction roller bearings, faster compatible optical tube for f/2 CCD imaging and lastly 9 available slew speeds. The Celestron telescope when set up weighs 90lbs, so please take that into consideration if you plan to buy this scope.
My first night out and I found how advanced this Celestron telescope. With its integrated Global Positioning system and the electronic compass the telescope automatically pinpoints your exact location and goes directly to the first alignment star. The next thing I noticed was how quiet it was when slewing, unlike the meade systems which could wake the neighbors each time the telescope moved.
I looked at Jupiter first and the view was sharp with excellent detail. The color and swirls in the cloud bands were also excellent. Saturn’s ring systems had a great amount of detail to them and you could count Saturn’s moons in and around the rings. I also viewed the greenish blue planet of Uranus.
Deep sky viewing is where this Celestron telescope excels. I took the tour of some of my favorite objects, the Andromeda Galaxy (M31) was breathtaking and I could see a marvelous disk shape of the Galaxy. I viewed M20 (Trifid nebula), M16 (Eagle Nebula), M81 (Bode’s Galaxy), and M101 (Pinwheel Galaxy) all had excellent detail and sharpness.
I then viewed some of my favorite Star Clusters such as M6 (Butterfly Cluster) and M13 (Hercules Cluster) with excellent results. The optics on this Celestron telescope are superb and the best I have seen on a Schmidt-Cassegrain. The star test showed near perfect collimation.
Product Description
Optical:
Celestron telescope aperture – 279mm (11″) Schmidt-Cassegrain
Focal Length of 2800mm
Focal Ratio of f/10
Software:
Celestron Telescope Computer Hand Control for Go-To Tracking with over 40,000 Object Database
Storage for Numerous User-Defined Objects
Database Filter Limits for Creating Custom Object Lists
Electronics:
Computerized Hand Control with Backlit, Dual Line Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)
Permanent Periodic Error Correction – permanently saves and plays back corrections to reduce periodic error to a minimum
Celestron Telescope Designated Autoguider Port
RS-232 Port to Communicate with a PC
Auxiliary Ports for Add-on NexStar Accessories
Mechanical:
Dual aluminum fork arms with carrying handles and hand control receptacle
Celestron Telescope 5.625″ Precision Bronze Gear on Both Axes
9.5″ Friction Roller Bearing
16 bit, 20 arc second Resolution
Nine Available Slew Speeds
Fastar Compatible Optical Tube for F/2 CCD Imaging
Adjustable Height Tripod
Telescope Weight: 65 lbs.
Tripod Weight: 26 lbs.
Made in the U.S.A.
Recommendation
I cannot recommend this Celestron telescope enough. Superior viewing, superior optics, this is a telescope you will love to own. Even though this is a big Celestron telescope with a lot of weight, I could pick it up and move it in one piece, but it is quite awkward.
You can buy this Celestron telescope at the Binocular Center and Telescopes.com at a good price. But the best price I found was at Adorama with the heavy duty tripod.
