The Schmidt-Cassegrain optics by Celestron:
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. Light first hits an aspherically figured Schmidt corrector plate and is then thrown onto a spherical main mirror. This reflects the light back up, throwing it onto a secondary mirror which subsequently throws it back in the direction of main mirror. The light then passes through a central hole in the main mirror and into the focuser at the bottom of the OTA. Thus the system is closed and hence does not suffer from air turbulence which could degrade the image. Of course this also means that the system is optimally protected from dust. The Schmidt plate is multi-coated, ensuring bright images which do not suffer from stray light reflections.
This telescope provides a very good image, boasting high contrast and definition and provides a lot of pleasure when planetary observing. The Schmidt-Cassegrain design provides a good all-round system suitable for both observing and astrophotography and with an enormous range of optional accessories available. Using the bottom end of the OTA to look through means easy orientation. The system is also optimal for occasional terrestrial observing, e.g. birdwatching at close range. Celestron SC telescopes have an aperture ratio of around 1:10 which, so astrophotography is also very easily possible.
Main mirror focusing means a very large range of focus is made available, which allows virtually any common accessory to be used. Two pre-loaded ball bearings are used in the main mirror focus positioning mechanism in order to prevent 'mirror shift' - a typical problem when using simple bushings. The use of high quality materials such as CNC-milled aluminium components, cast steel and stainless steel guarantees extreme robustness with low weight. This means that a very heavy mount is unnecessary, not always the case for other telescope designs.
Features of the optics:
- long focal length with short OTA
- low weight aluminium OTA
- high quality XLT multi-coating
- closed system
- pre-loaded ball bearings for low mirror shift main mirror focusing
The brand new NexStar SLT series with SkyAlign technology offers computerized GoTo telescopes with a multilingual menu and huge database, as well as being excellent value for money.
The fully assembled ready-to-use tripod and quick-release couplings for connection to the fork mount, as well as the OTA on a fork arm allow setting up in just a few minutes - without the need of any tools!
A huge range of celestial objects are available to observe, and the computer can also select the best objects to observe month by month.
Intelligent design
Operation of precision servo motors and electronic position encoders is possible either via 8 AA batteries, 12V/2A power supply ( 821008), power tank ( 821040 for 7AH or 821043 for 17AH) or with a car battery cable ( 821016). The Internet upgradable NexStar hand controller lets you find up to 4000 objects at the touch of a button.
Celestron's revolutionary SkyAlign *
Thanks to 'SkyAlign', you no longer need to know either the positions or names of any stars. Simply type in the date and the time, select the nearest location from the list provided, do a three star alignment (the Sun, Moon and planets may also be used for this) and confirm with the press of a button.
The processor calculates the position of all visible celestial objects within seconds! With Solar system alignment, you simply select the Sun as a reference object (BUT ONLY USING A SAFE SOLAR FILTER AT THE FRONT OF THE TELESCOPE) and you can then even find the brighter stars and planets in the middle of the day - great for working with children.
Standard equipment and accessories include:
- computerized hand control with over 4,000 objects in the database
- quickly detachable, single-arm fork mount, quick mounting of the OTA and accessory tray without tools
- SkyAlign allows alignment on the basis of any three bright celestial objects, which makes polar alignment a breeze
- 'The Sky' level 1 planetarium software and NSOL telescope control software for the control of your computer are included in delivery
It not only matters which telescope you buy but also where you buy it. Our additional services:
- We are a leading telescope dealer and know the devices we sell. Our customer service team will gladly help you after your purchase if you have problems with assembly or operation.
- We provide a copy of the 80-page Telescope ABC beginners handbook with every telescope.
