A wider (lower magnification) eyepiece will make the SkyAlgin process easier because the alignment star will be easier to locate in a larger area of the sky.

Celestron SC telescopes have an aperture ratio of around 1:10 which, so astrophotography is also very easily possible. When you play back the video, the arrow is perfectly centered in frame, but it rotates, initially pointing up, flattening, then pointing down. If you are willing to give up the GoTo functionality and portability of this computerized telescope, you can purchase a Dobsonian telescope with more light-gathering power than the NexStar 8SE. Bright objects, such as the moon and planets, only need short exposures, so you can still produce great astropics of them with the 8SE.The Nexstar 8SE will perfectly track Saturn across the sky, keeping it centered in frame, but, like the arrow, Saturn’s rings will start pointing up at 45 degrees, flatten, and then point down over time. During sub-freezing January nights, you will appreciate turning it on, going inside and getting a cup of tea, and coming back out to have the telescope all setup and ready to go. This is a great telescope package for beginners because it includes everything you need to start observing the night sky. 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.

We are using the very latest Zygo MX software to provide a more detailed report compared to other standard reports. That’s exactly what I did in this picture, using a piggyback mount with my Canon T5i DSLR with a 200 mm lens. This process makes alignment easy: just centre three bright objects in your eyepiece and press ALIGN. Celestron’s patented StarSense® Technology makes it easier than ever to locate objects in the night sky, even if you’ve never used a telescope before.The use of high quality materials such as CNC-milled aluminium components, cast steel and stainless steel guarantees extreme robustness with low weight. I recommend picking up a portable 12-volt DC power supply to run the telescope for an entire night, especially if you are doing any astrophotography. Our founder, Tom Johnson, invented Celestron’s proprietary method of producing Schmidt corrector plates for superior views and maximum portability. Happily, this is a great telescope to part with a significant chunk of cash for, which is why we declared it one of our best telescopes for seeing galaxies and DSOs.

Today, our world-class team of optical and electronic engineers continues to push the boundaries of technology. This article gives you much more detail about what you should expect to see with 8″ of aperture, compared to just 6 inches. A second arm attached at the other side would give a more robust mounting and, without it, you do see some minor vibration at the eyepiece when you touch the scope, such as when adjusting focus.Despite the long focal length of these telescopes, the OTA itself has a very short length, making the system a compact telescope which is extremely easy to transport. The NexStar 8 SE has all the same features as Celestron’s most advanced computerized GoTo telescopes, including our revolutionary SkyAlign™ alignment technology, a sky tour feature, a database of over 40,000 celestial objects and easy to use hand control.