The Celestron Advanced VX 8-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain combines a 203mm (8-inch) f/10 Schmidt-Cassegrain optical tube with Celestron’s computerized Advanced VX German equatorial mount. The result is a versatile system designed for both visual astronomy and astrophotography.
The telescope’s 8-inch aperture provides enough light-gathering ability for detailed views of the Moon and planets as well as a wide range of star clusters, nebulae and galaxies. At the same time, its Schmidt-Cassegrain design packs a long 2032mm focal length into an optical tube only about 17 inches long.
The Advanced VX mount is a major part of the package. Unlike a simple manual mount, it provides computerized GoTo object finding and motorized equatorial tracking, together with features including Periodic Error Correction and an autoguider port for astrophotography.
203mm f/10 Schmidt-Cassegrain Optics
The Advanced VX 8 uses a 203.2mm (8-inch) Schmidt-Cassegrain optical tube with a 2032mm focal length, giving it a focal ratio of f/10. Celestron applies its StarBright XLT optical coatings to improve light transmission through the optical system.
The combination of 8-inch aperture and long focal length makes the telescope particularly well suited to the Moon, planets, double stars and other relatively compact targets. Its aperture also provides enough light-gathering ability for substantial deep-sky observing, especially under dark skies.
The optical tube itself weighs approximately 12.5 lb (5.9 kg) and is only about 17 inches long. This compactness is one of the practical advantages of the Schmidt-Cassegrain design compared with many Newtonian reflectors or long-focus refractors of similar capability.
Computerized Advanced VX Equatorial Mount
The optical tube sits on Celestron’s Advanced VX computerized German equatorial mount. After the mount has been set up and aligned, its NexStar+ hand controller can slew automatically to selected objects and track them as they move across the sky.
The NexStar+ database contains more than 40,000 objects, while the mount supports sidereal, solar and lunar tracking rates. This makes it very different from the manual Dobsonian telescopes in the SkyQuest range, where finding and following objects is performed entirely by hand.
Because the AVX is an equatorial rather than an altitude-azimuth mount, its tracking system can follow the apparent rotation of the night sky without introducing the field rotation associated with an altazimuth mount. That is particularly important for long-exposure astrophotography.
What Can You See Through the Advanced VX 8?
The Moon and planets are natural targets for an 8-inch f/10 Schmidt-Cassegrain. Lunar craters, mountain ranges and smaller surface features can show extensive detail, particularly along the terminator where low-angle sunlight produces strong shadows.
Jupiter can reveal its principal cloud belts, four Galilean moons and additional atmospheric detail when seeing conditions allow. Saturn’s rings are prominent, while favorable conditions can reveal finer structure in the ring system and atmosphere. Mars can show surface markings and polar features when it is relatively close to Earth.
Eight inches of aperture also opens up a substantial range of deep-sky objects. Open and globular star clusters, planetary nebulae, brighter emission nebulae and many galaxies are accessible, although faint objects benefit greatly from observing under dark skies.
The telescope’s long 2032mm focal length means it does not naturally provide the expansive low-power fields available from short-focal-length refractors and Newtonian reflectors. Its strengths instead lie with smaller targets and moderate-to-high magnifications.
Astrophotography with the Advanced VX 8
The Advanced VX mount gives this telescope capabilities that go considerably beyond basic visual observing. It includes an autoguider port and Periodic Error Correction (PEC), while its German equatorial design allows it to track across the meridian.
For lunar and planetary imaging, the 8-inch SCT’s aperture and long focal length make it a particularly useful platform. Deep-sky imaging is also possible, although successful long-exposure astrophotography requires accurate polar alignment, careful balancing and a greater understanding of the mount than visual observing alone.
The AVX mount has a stated instrument capacity of 30 lb, while the 8-inch SCT optical tube weighs only 12.5 lb. Imaging equipment adds additional load, however, and mount capacity alone should not be treated as a guarantee of imaging performance with every possible camera, guider and accessory configuration.
Size, Weight and Setup
Although the Schmidt-Cassegrain optical tube is compact, the complete Advanced VX system is substantial. Celestron lists the total kit weight at approximately 59.5 lb (27 kg), including the telescope, equatorial mount, tripod and counterweight.
The individual components are more manageable: the optical tube weighs about 12.5 lb, the mount head about 17 lb, the tripod about 18 lb and the supplied counterweight 12 lb. The telescope can therefore be broken down into separate components for storage and transportation.
Setup is more involved than with a simple manual telescope. The mount must be assembled, the optical tube and counterweight installed and balanced, and the computerized system aligned before its GoTo and tracking capabilities can be used effectively.
Limitations to Consider
The Advanced VX 8 is considerably more complex to set up and operate than a manual Dobsonian or a computerized altazimuth telescope. The German equatorial mount requires counterbalancing and appropriate alignment, while astrophotography introduces an additional learning curve.
The 2032mm focal length is excellent for smaller targets but produces a comparatively narrow field of view, making very large star fields and extended deep-sky objects less natural targets for the telescope.
The complete 59.5 lb system is also significantly heavier than the compact optical tube might suggest. Although it separates into manageable components, observers looking for a telescope they can carry outside and begin using immediately may find a simpler mounting system more convenient.
Finally, the Advanced VX requires an external 12V power source to operate its computerized mount and tracking system.
Who Is the Advanced VX 8 Best For?
The Celestron Advanced VX 8 is best suited to observers who want the versatility of an 8-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain together with computerized equatorial tracking. It offers strong lunar and planetary performance, enough aperture for substantial deep-sky observing and a genuine route into astrophotography, but is a better fit for someone willing to learn equatorial setup and alignment than for an observer prioritizing the simplest possible observing experience.
Specifications
- Optical Design: Schmidt-Cassegrain
- Aperture: 203.2mm (8 inches)
- Focal Length: 2032mm
- Focal Ratio: f/10
- Optical Coatings: StarBright XLT
- Optical Tube Length: 17 inches (432mm)
- Optical Tube Weight: 12.5 lb (5.9 kg)
- Mount: Advanced VX computerized German equatorial
- Mount Capacity: 30 lb (13.6 kg)
- Tracking Rates: Sidereal, Solar and Lunar
- Periodic Error Correction: Yes
- Autoguider Port: Yes
- Hand Controller: NexStar+
- Object Database: 40,000+ objects
- Supplied Eyepiece: 25mm (81×)
- Finder: 6×30
- Star Diagonal: 1.25 inch
- Power Requirement: 12V DC, 3.5A
- Total Kit Weight: approximately 59.5 lb (27 kg)