Best Telescope for Gadget Lovers: Celestron NexStar Evolution Hailed “the coolest app-cessory in the galaxy” by Wired.com, NexStar Evolution isn’t just the
Best Telescope for Gadget Lovers ,
it’s a game-changer for amateur astronomy. This Schmidt-Cassegrain
telescope, available in 6”, 8” and 9.25” apertures, generates its own
WiFi network, so you can control it wirelessly using your smartphone or
tablet. SkyPortal, Celestron’s free app for iOS and Android, provides an
intuitive, user-friendly experience under the stars. In addition to
wireless telescope control, it also includes a full-featured planetarium
with over 120,000 celestial objects and audio descriptions for hundreds
of the most popular planets, galaxies, and nebulae.
As if communicating wirelessly with your phone
wasn’t cool enough, NexStar Evolution offers other enhancements to make
your stargazing experience seamless. It’s the first telescope with a
built-in lithium ion battery with enough juice to power a 10-hour
stargazing marathon. There’s also a USB port so you can tap into the
battery to charge up your mobile device if it’s running low. With
NexStar Evolution on the scene, stargazing will never be the same.
Astronomy Magazine reviewed the Evolution 8" and calls it the closest
thing to a "grab and go" scope with larger aperature. Read
the review here .
Product Highlights 203mm Schmidt-Cassegrain OTA 2032mm Focal Length, f/10 Focal Ratio StarBright XLT Optical Coating System Wireless Control with iOS/Android App NexStar Computer Hand Controller Motorized and Computerized Fork Mount Multiple Automatic Alignment Systems 40mm, 13mm Eyepieces, 90° Diagonal Adjustable Stainless Steel Tripod Rechargeable Battery, up to 10 Hour Runtime The
NexStar Evolution 8 203mm Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope from
Celestron
is a powerful, portable, versatile and user-friendly telescope that can
be used for observing everything from the Moon and planets to deep sky
objects like galaxies and nebulae. Using Celestron's proprietary
StarBright XLT multi-coating system, light transmission is increased
throughout the entire optical path with anti-reflection multicoated
lenses, highly reflective multicoated mirrors, and 4-element rare-earth
glass. While the focal ratio is a slow f/10, the scope's precision
tracking system allows it to be a competent
astrophotography/astroimaging platform for the Moon and planets.
The
Evolution comes with two ways to use and control it. The first is to
simply download Celestron's free Navigator app for Android and iOS
smartphones and tablets. The scope's WiFi provides the connection to the
app and expands the capabilities and functionality, including an
expanded database to over 120,000 objects with detailed information on
more than 200 of those objects. Second is the iconic 4-line 18-character
NexStar computer controller. This is a wired piece of hardware with a
database of over 40000 celestial objects plus several astronomical
catalogs including the Messier and Caldwell. Whether using the
controller or mobile device, the system can assist in properly aligning
the scope, provide tours of the objects and events visible whenever and
wherever the user if viewing, and allows for manual direction and slew
control.
Designed for portability, the Evolution features a long
life lithium-ion phosphate battery providing up to 10 hours of continual
use on a single charge. The scope comes with an AC power supply with
plugs for the US, EU, UK, and AU outlets. The battery powers the servo
motors, auxiliary accessory ports, a USB charging port, and the built-in
WiFi. Manual clutches in both altitude and azimuth enable users to
manually move and point the telescope when it's powered off.
Alignment Procedures
SkyAlign, 3-Star Align, Solar System Align
Aperture
203.2 mm
App Database
Over 120,000 including 220 of the best deep sky and solar system objects
Communication Ports
1 hand control and 3 aux ports for optional accessories
Finderscope
StarPointer
Focal Length
2032 mm
Focal Length of Eyepiece 1
40 mm
Focal Length of Eyepiece 2
13 mm
Focal Ratio
10
HIghest Useful Magnification
480x
Light Gathering Power (Comp...
843x
Limiting Stellar Magnitude
14
Lowest Useful Magnification
29x
Magnification of Eyepiece 1
51x
Magnification of Eyepiece 2
156x
Max Slew Speed
4 degrees per second
Mount Info:
N.A.
Mount Type
Single Fork Arm Altazimuth
Optical Coatings
StarBright XLT
Optical Design
Schmidt Cassegrain
Optical Tube Info:
N.A.
Optical Tube Length
17 in
Power Requirements
Internal battery included
Resolution (Dawes)
0.57 arc seconds
Resolution (Rayleigh)
0.69 arc seconds
Secondary Mirror Obstructio...
9.77%
Secondary Mirror Obstruction
2.5 in (64 mm)
Star Diagonal
1.25"
Total Telescope Kit Weight
40.6 lbs
Tracking Rates
Sidereal, solar and lunar
Tripod
Stainless Steel
USB Charge Port
Yes
Celestron NexStar Evolution 8 203mm f/10 Schmidt-Cassegrain GoTo Telescope
NexStar+ Hand Control (EQ)
StarPointer Finderscope
13mm Eyepiece
40mm Eyepiece
90° Star Diagonal
Tripod with Accessory Tray
AC Adapter with US, EU, UK, and AU Plugs
Limited 2-Year Warranty
Based on Astronomy magazine’s telescope "report
cards", scopes of this size and Observing terrestrial objects (nature studies, birding, etc.) is
usually possible only with refractor and catadioptric telescopes, and convenient
only when the scope is on an altazimuth mount or photo tripod. Most reflectors
cannot be used for terrestrial observing. Scopes with apertures under 5" to 6"
are generally most useful for terrestrial observing due to atmospheric
conditions (heat waves and mirage, dust, haze, etc.) that degrade the image
quality in larger scopes.
No
Visual observation of the Moon is possible with any telescope.
Larger aperture scopes will provide more detail than smaller scopes, thereby
getting a higher score in this category, but may require an eyepiece filter to
cut down the greater glare from the Moon's sunlit surface so small details can
be seen more easily. Lunar observing is more rewarding when the Moon is waxing
or waning as the changing sun angle casts constantly varying shadows to reveal
craters and surface features by the hundreds.
Great
Good
Very Good
Good
Yes
Photographing terrestrial objects (wildlife, scenery, etc.) is
usually possible only with refractor and catadioptric telescopes, and convenient
only when the scope is on an altazimuth mount or photo tripod. Most reflectors
cannot be used for terrestrial photography. Scopes with focal ratios of f/10 and
faster and apertures under 5" to 6" are generally the most useful for
terrestrial photography due to atmospheric conditions (heat waves and mirage,
dust, haze, etc.) that degrade the image quality in larger scopes.
No
Photography of the Moon is possible with virtually any telescope,
using a 35mm camera, DSLR, or CCD-based webcam (planetary imager). While an
equatorial mount with a motor drive is not strictly essential, as the exposure
times will be very short, such a mount would be helpful to improve image
sharpness, particularly with webcam-type cameras that take a series of exposures
over time and stack them together. Reflectors may require a Barlow lens to let
the camera reach focus.
Yes
Yes
Yes
WiFi Tips for NexStar Evolution
Please note the following for the most reliable WiFi connection to the telescope:
Areas
with high WiFi traffic, such as large star parties or crowded public
spaces, can potentially pose difficulties connecting to the telescope.
Additionally, multiple smart devices and multiple WiFi telescopes in the
same area can generate conflicting traffic. Follow these tips to
maintain the most robust connection to your telescope.
If you experience lag or connection problems in areas with high WiFi traffic -
To minimize possible connection problems in high traffic areas, select a
viewing site with minimal WiFi traffic. Numerous nearby devices with
WiFi enabled can contribute to unwanted WiFi traffic. Disabling WiFi in
nearby devices can improve connectivity to your telescope.
Alternatively, high traffic areas may require the use of the included
NexStar+ hand control instead of the SkyPortal app over WiFi. If you experience conflicts when using multiple devices to control a telescope -
If you have multiple smart devices, and have connected to the same WiFi
telescope previously with them, then be careful of both devices
unintentionally communicating to the telescope at the same time. For
example, if you have previously used your smartphone to control the
telescope and later use a tablet to control the same telescope, the
smartphone may interfere with the telescope connection. We recommend
“forgetting” the telescope WiFi network with any smart devices not
currently in use. If you experience conflicts when multiple WiFi telescopes are in the same area - If
you are using multiple WiFi telescopes and have connected to them with
your smart device previously, we recommend “forgetting” the other
telescopes/devices not currently in use. This way, you won’t
accidentally connect to the other telescopes/devices. This is especially
useful at a star party where more than one WiFi telescope may be in
range.
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