Celestron 8" EdgeHD Optical Tube Assembly with Starbright XLT Coatings - CGE Dovetail slide bar

Before you embark on your next stargazing adventure, consider the 8" EdgeHD Optical Tube Assembly with Starbright XLT Coatings and CGE Dovetail slide bar. This advanced Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope offers an aplanatic, flat field design that ensures aberration-free images across a wide visual and photographic field of view.

Unlike many optical designs that claim to be "astrographs", the EdgeHD Optical Tube Assembly goes beyond producing pinpoint stars across a curved focal plane. It provides an astrograph-quality flat focal plane right to the edge of the field of view. This feature guarantees visibly sharp stars across some of the largest CCD chips available today, making it an ideal choice for digital camera use.

The EdgeHD optics produce a focal plane that is more than three times flatter than a standard Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope and dramatically flatter than competing coma-free designs. This superior edge performance not only creates rounder, more pleasing stars but also improves the resolution and limiting magnitude when compared to telescopes of equal aperture.

The telescope tube has been redesigned with mechanical features to optimize your viewing experience. It includes mirror clutches with flexible tension that hold the mirror in place and reduce image shift during long exposure astro-images. The tube also features cooling vents on the rear cell, allowing hot air to be released from behind the primary mirror. Each vent has an integrated 50-mesh filter to ensure that warm air can escape without letting dust in.

The EdgeHD Optical Tube Assembly is the most versatile imaging telescope available today. It is Fastar-compatible, allowing the secondary mirror to be removed and replaced with a third-party lens accessory for ultra-fast f/2 wide field imaging.

Every EdgeHD that ships has been individually tested for the surface quality of each optical component, as well as with a camera and artificial star to ensure the imaging system meets our rigid quality assurance. This final acceptance test confirms that the EdgeHD will perform in the field and deliver high-quality astro-images.

Whether you're an amateur astronomer or a seasoned professional, the 8" EdgeHD Optical Tube Assembly with Starbright XLT Coatings and CGE Dovetail slide bar is a high-quality, durable, and sophisticated tool for viewing and observing celestial objects in the night sky.