CGE-800 Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope w/ StarBright XLT coatings 11058-XLT is part of Celestron's "Top-of-the-Line" German Equatorial mounted astronomical telescopes. The CGE800 is the most portable of the four models.CGE - 800 Celestron Telescope is especially at home as a solid platfosrm for long exposure photography with optional CCD cameras or photographic equipment. Using an f/6.3 Focal Reducer or Fastar accessory makes it usable with a wide variety of CCD cameras.

German Equatorial mounts are recognized as being the superior choice for astrophotography because of their rock solid stability, simple balancing and easy accessibility for attaching equipment. This, coupled with the CGE line's GoTo capability, makes it an unbeatable instrument for its size. As a visual instrument you can search for all of the Messier Catalog objects, and you can see hundreds of other, less famous, but equally interesting NGC, IC and Caldwell objects. Turn Celestron CGE 800 Telescope to the planets and see amazing detail on the surface of Jupiter; see Cassini's Division in the rings of Saturn, and resolve details on the surface of Mars. Even the distant Uranus, Neptune and Pluto are within your reach.

With StarBright XLT Optical System Design you'll see the light!

One of the most important factors in the evaluation of a Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope 's optical system performance is its transmission - the percentage of incoming light that reaches the focal plane. The design of the XLT System accomplishes two crucial objectives: Develop a coating system that is optimized for visual use and for CCD/Photographic imaging.

There are three major components that make up Celestron StarBrightXLT high transmission optical system design:

1) Unique enhanced multi-layer mirror coatings: Celestron mirror coatings are made from precise layers of Al (Aluminum), SiO2 (quartz) and TiO2 (Titanium Dioxide). Reflectivity is fairly flat across the spectrum, optimizing it for both CCD imaging and visual use.

2) Multi-layer anti-reflective coatings: Coatings are made from precise layers of MgF2 (Magnesium Fluoride), and HfO2 (Hafnium Dioxide). Hafnium gives a wider band pass than Titanium, used in comparable coatings.

3) High Transmission Water White glass: Celestron Schmidt-Cassegrain optical systems with optional StarBright XLT coatings use Water White glass instead of Soda Lime glass for the corrector lens. Water White glass transmits about 90.5% of light without anti-reflective coatings. That is 3.5% better transmission than uncoated Soda Lime glass. When Water White glass is used in conjunction with StarBright - XLT 's anti-reflective coatings, the average light transmission reaches 97.4% - an 8% improvement!

These three components of Celestron StarBright XLT coatings result in one of the finest coatings available. The peak light transmission for the systems is 89% at 520 nm. The overall system transmission is 83.5% averaged over the spectrum from 400 to 750 nm.

Click here to see details about StarBright XLT.

Specifications for Celestron Schmidt-Cassegrain CGE 800 Telescopes 11058-XLT :

Optical Design:		8" Schmidt-Cassegrain
Focal Length:		2032mm F/10
Finderscope:		6x30
Mount:		Computerized Equatorial Mount
Optical Tube:		Carbon Fiber
Fastar Compatible:		Yes
Eyepiece:		25mm Ploss l- 1.25" (81x)
Star Diagonal:		1.25"
Highest Useful Magnication:		480x
Lowest Useful Magnification:		29x
Limiting Stellar Magnitude:		14
Resolution: Rayleigh:		.68 arc seconds
Dawes Limit:		.57 arc seconds
Photographic Resolution:		200 line/mm
Light Gathering Power:		843x unaided eye
Field of View :standard eyepiece:		.62°
Linear FOV (@1000 yds):		32 ft.
Secondary Mirror Obstruction:		2.7"
Motor Drive:		DC Servo motors with encoders, both axes
Computer Hand Control:		Double line, 16 character Liquid Crystal Display; 19 fiber optic backlit LED buttons
Slew Speeds:		Nine slew speeds: 4° /sec, 2° /sec, .5°/sec, 64x, 16x, 8x, 4x, 1x, .5x
Tracking Rates:		Sidereal, Solar and Lunar
Tracking Modes:		EQ North & EQ South
Alignment Procedures:		AutoAlign, 2-Star Align, Quick Align, 1-Star Align, Recall Last Alignment, 3-Star Align
Software Precision:		24bit, 0.08 arcsec calculation
Database:		40,000+ objects, 400 user defined programmable objects.Enhanced information on over 200 objects
Power Requirements:		12 VDC 1.5A
Idle Current:		215mA
Slew one axis:		600mA
Slew both axes:		850mA (with 1A spikes)
Internal clock:		Yes
GPS Compatible:		CN-16 GPS Accessory
Optical Tube Weight:		12.5 lb.
Tripod/Mount Weight:		100 lb.

Features of Celestron CGE-800 Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope 11058-XLT:

• Starbright Optical Coating
• Computerized Equatorial Mount
• Super HD Tripod
• Carbon Fiber Optical Tube
• Fastar Compatible for f/2 CCD Imaging
• Double line, 16 character Liquid Crystal Display
• 19 fiber optic backlit Computerized Hand Control
• RS-232 communication port on hand control

Electronic and Software Features:

• GPS Compatible with optional CN 16 GPS Accessory
• GoTo system is precision accurate to 1.5 arcminutes
• 40,000+ object database with 400 user-defined objects. Features include: Compass Calibration, Polar Alignment routine, Database Filter Limits, Hibernate, Auto North and Level, Quick Align, and user-defined slew limits.
• Hibernate - maintains alignment even while powered down.
• Polar alignment routines for Northern and Southern hemispheres.
• Filter limits - displays only objects above the horizon.
• Permanent programmable periodic error correction (PEC) - corrects for periodic tracking errors inherent to all worm drives.
• Smooth ramping of slew motors to reduce wear on the drive train.
• Home sensors on R.A. and Dec axes.
• Fail-safe slew limit switches in R.A.
• Real-time clock - maintains time even when powered down.
• 12VDC Servo Motors with integrated optical encoders with 0.11 arcsecond resolution.

Package Contents:

• Celestron CGE 800 Telescope Schmidt Cassegrain w/ StarBright XLT coatings 11058-XLT
• 1-1/4" 25mm Plössl Eyepiece (81x)
• 1-1/4" Star Diagonal
• 6x30 Finderscope and Mounting Bracket
• 1-1/4" Visual Back
• Car Battery Adapter
• NexRemote Telescope Control Software