The optical tube
The Celestron 8-inch tube houses a 203/2030 Schmidt-Cassegrain optic. The tube is small (length only 50 cm, weight 6 kg) but powerful, making itan extremely good compromise for the mobility-minded amateur. Although the central masking is around 32%, the precision-machined optics compensate for this.
The standard accessory is the company's proprietary StarBright XLT coating, which increases the light-harvesting capabilities of telescopes. When in use, the transmittance of the corrective lens reaches 98%, while the reflectance of the main and secondary mirrors reaches 95%. In addition, the contrast of the image is increased. The basic package also includes a zenith prism, a 6x30 finder scope and a 25 mm Plössl eyepiece with a magnification of 80x.
The optics of Celestron tubes are hand-figured and hand-matched, which means that they consistently outperform the optical quality of competing SC tubes, according to various tests.
Advanced XV mount
Celestron's flagship Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes are now available with a truly advanced technology mount optimized for astrophotography. Celestron's AVX series opens up new possibilities in astrophotography. The Advance VX mounts offer the features of Celestron's most advanced German equatorial mounts at a significantly lower price.
The new AVX mounts are specifically designed for mid-size astrophotographic telescopes. This means that owners of smaller telescopes can access the features of premium mounts (such as all-star method polar alignment or autoguider support). Long exposure time guiding is greatly assisted by the permanently programmable periodic error correction. Thanks to the AVX mount, you can even shoot through the meridian without having to perform a meridian flip. So you can photograph celestial bodies when their visibility is at its best. Compared to previous solutions, the AVX offers significantly increased stability. The improved motors have higher torque and guide the telescope accurately even with minor imbalance.
Compared to large, observatory-class mounts, the AVX series also stands out among equatorial mounts for its portability. If you are new to astrophotography, the ease of use and advanced technology of the AVX Series make it an excellent choice. Celestron's AVX Series will satisfy the needs of amateur astronomers interested in both astrophotography and visual observation.
The mounts are supplied with 1 5.44 kg counterweight base accessory, and the complete kit weighs 27 kg.
