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Celestron NexStar 8SE


The largest of the NexStar SE family with 78% more light gathering than a 6" model, the NexStar 8 SE will enable you to see deep into the Universe. This is the lightest, most portable, and most popular 8" Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope we sell.


Item #ProductStock StatusPriceShipping
11069Celestron NexStar 8SE
In Stock - Ships Same Day (business days) This is "live" inventory data. If it says in stock, you can believe it.
$1,079.00
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Celestron NexStar 8SE Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope

Celestron NexStar 8SE

The Celestron NexStar 8SE is a serious telescope that is designed to take you well beyond the moon and solar system, revealing hundred of deep space objects. This is a telescope for the serious visual observer who wants to see globular clusters, galaxies and nebulae. The state-of-the-art fully computerized NexStar operating system will automatically locate these objects for you with ease. The SkyAlign go to alingment procedure used by this telescope is arguable one of the fastest and easiest on the market today.

With the NexStar 8SE, you are in the driver's seat. Simply choose an object from the menu and the telescope will find it for you. Using our patented NexStar technology, the SE scopes have the ability to locate nearly 40,000 objects. All you have to do is look through the eyepiece and enjoy the view!

Don't know what object to choose? Let the intelligent NexStar 8SE give you a guided tour of the night sky! The "Tour" feature offers a customized list of the best objects in the sky to view for your exact time and location anywhere in the world!

Not only can your NexStar 8SE find objects, it can teach you about them as well. Information on the most popular objects can be viewed in the LCD screen of your hand control.

Whether you are a seasoned astronomer looking for a portable scope with advanced features, or just starting your astronomy adventure and looking for an easy way to enjoy the night sky, a NexStar 8SE will help you take a closer look.

Celestron's Revolutionary SkyAlign

Using Celestron's patented SkyAlign, simply input the date and time, select the nearest city to your location, then point the telescope at any three bright celestial objects. You do not need to know the names of the objects, the telescope does the rest. You can even pick the moon or bright planets. Follow the instructions given on the NexStar computer keypad, and you will be prepared to begin observing under two minutes. SkyAlign is easy to use, fast, and accurate.

NexStar SE Key Features

  • Computerized hand control unit with nearly 40,000 object database and motorized altazimuth mount
  • Quick release optical tube for easy no-tool setup
  • StarBright XLT enhanced coatings for maximun light transmission and clarity
  • SkyAlign allows you to align on any three bright objects, for a fast and easy alignment process.
  • StarPointer finderscope to help with alignment and accurately locating objects
  • Flash upgradeable hand control; update your telescope's operating software via the internet
  • Internal battery compartment to prevent cord wrap during use
  • Includes NexRemote telescope control software, for advanced control of your telescope via computer
  • THE SKY planetarium software - with 10,000 object database, printable sky maps, and enhanced images

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Product Specifications: Celestron NexStar 8 SE
New Item This is a test
New Item This is a test
Optical Specifications
Type Schmidt-Cassegrain
Aperture (mm) 203.2 mm
Aperture (in.) 8 inches
Focal Length 2032 mm
Focal Ratio f/10
Magnification (w/supplied eyepiece) 81X
Test This is a test
Test This is a test
Accessories and Features
Included Eyepiece(s) 25mm Plossl
Finder Unit Power Red Dot
Go-To System Celestron NexStar system with 40,000+ object library. Flash upgradeable via the Internet.
Star Diagonal 1.25-inch prism type
Accepts 2" Eyepieces <p><b>Telescope Eyepiece Formats</b><br /> Virtually all telescope eyepieces available today conform to one of two barrel diameter standards: 1.25 or 2 inches. Most amateur astronomers will be perfectly content with 1.25" eyepieces. Two-inch eyepieces have only one inherent advantage. That advantage is a potentially larger field of view, but not every telescope can take advantage of that potential. </p> <p>A Telescope and eyepiece work together to collect parallel light rays over a large area, compress those light rays down into a smaller area, and the re-orient them so that they are nearly parallel once again. Essentially light arriving at a telescope with any given aperture is compressed into a smaller aperture or exit pupil. The ratio of the telescope aperture to eyepiece exit pupil determines the magnification.</p> <p>There are cases at very low magnifications where the eyepiece barrel diameter becomes the constraint on maximum field of view. The eyepiece barrel itself actually blocks some of the available light that the telescope is collecting, thus limiting the field of view. Two-inch eyepieces overcome this constrain by allowing a larger light cone to enter the eyepiece. We must conclude this discussion by restating that 2" eyepieces have no inherent advantage over 1.25" eyepieces other than the potential for a larger field of view when used with a telescope capable of benefiting from that advantage. </p> No
Adaptable for 2" Eyepieces <p><b>Two-inch Eyepiece Upgrade</b><br /> Some telescopes that are factory configured for 1.25" eyepieces can be upgraded to accommodate 2" eyepieces. Other telescopes are designed to handle only 1.25" eyepieces and cannot be upgraded due to their focuser size or other constraints. </p> <p>Sometimes this upgrade is possible but not recommended. This could be due to clearance issues caused by the addition of a larger 2" star diagonal,which in some cases will bottom out on the base of a fork mounted go-to telescope. This is potentially damaging the drive mechanism. In other cases the light cone exiting the telescope may not be large enough to derive any benefit from a 2" eyepiece.</p> Not recommended; insufficient clearance
Series This is another test
Series This is another test
Physical Parameters
Telescope Weight 24 Pounds
Tripod Weight 9 Pounds
Weight, Fully Assembled 33 Pounds
Suggested Accessories
Item #NameDescriptionPrice 
18774Celestron 7 AH Power Tank
Celestron 7 AH Power Tank
Now you can take your telescope anywhere with this portable rechargeable power supply. Whether you have a computerized telescope or operate your telescope using motors, Celestron specially designed this product with the amateur astronomer in mind$69.95
05662Orion 1.25" Moon Filter, 13% Tranmission
Orion 1.25
The Moon's disk, even at partial phases, is intensely bright with reflected sunlight. The glare washes out most of the craters, rilles, and other surface details from view.$19.95
DFB-14258s-008Sirius Tech. Nexstar 8i/8SE Soft Case Orange
Sirius Tech. Nexstar 8i/8SE Soft Case Orange
The DFB-14258i-008 soft carry case by Sirius Technologies is designed for Celestron NexStar 8i and NexStar 8 SE telescopes. Now available in Celestron orange, this case will allow you to carry your telescope in style.$239.95
CASEX8JMI Multi-use Telescope Carrying Case for 8" SCTs
JMI Multi-use Telescope Carrying Case for 8
This case will fit the following telescopes: Celestron (Single Fork Arm) NexStar 8 / 8i / 8 SE / 8i SE (Special Edition) (may include optional GPS accessory); Meade LX50 8", LX90 8", LX90-ACF 8", LX90GPS 8", LX100 8", LX200 8"...........$439.00
AZ-118Dew Shield for 8SE w Notch for Dovetail
Dew Shield for 8SE w Notch for Dovetail
Astrozap flexible dew shields are the ultimate flexible dew shield made of lightweight durable ABS plastic with a felt lined interior. These shields will delay the formation of dew for several hours under average conditions.$39.00

The NexStar 8SE is supplied with one eyepiece that produces 81X magnification and a 0.6 degree true field. The full moon is 1/2 degree wide, so it will just fit within this eyepiece. If you are interested in observing the planets, we would recommend an eyepiece in the 11 to 12.5mm range. An eyepiece falling within this range of focal lengths should be useful from most locations on most nights. Such an eyepiece would also be useful for observing globular clusters and small planetary neulae, such as the Ring Nebula. See a list of these eyepieces by clicking here.

Eyepiece Calculator
Enter your eyepiece's specifications:
Focal Length (mm):
Apparent Field (deg.):
 
Magnification:
 
True Field:
 
Exit Pupil: <p>Exit pupil represents the diameter of the column of light exiting the eyepiece. Magnification is simply the ratio of telescope aperture to exit pupil. Fox example, using a telescope with 100mm aperture and an exit pupil of 2mm yields a magnification of 50X.</p> <p>There are both upper and lower limits to the useful range of exit pupils. The typical human eye pupil dilates to a maximum of 7mm when fully dark adapted. This figure decreases with age. Using an exit pupil that is larger than this upper limit simply spills the light onto an area of the eye not capable of receiving data. At the opposite end of the range, a smaller exit pupil means less area on the eye is collecting data. Images brightness decreases with decreasing exit pupil. Deep space objects grow dimmer rapidly as the exit pupil falls below 1 mm. The planets also start to become noticeably dimmer when the exit pupil falls much below 0.5 mm.</p> <p>Our eyepiece calculator provides warnings and error messages based upon the value of the exit pupil. These are intended to be guidelines as opposed to hard rules. There is no harm in violating these gidelines, but your enjoyment of the telescope may be diminished if you do. </p>