Celestron NexStar Evolution 8 EdgeHD Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope -with StarSense

After more than 15 years without a telescope, I wanted to go back into the hobby. I have an old Meade SCT 8" but left it in Germany when moving to the US. Living in NM now with dark skies and mostly good weather, I always wanted to buy one and also try more astrophotography once familiar with it all again. After looking around for a few weeks and reading online reviews and watching videos, I came across this Anniversary Edition and thought it was a great start since it had so many extras included and was computerized - something which did not exist back then. I was excited and my partner ordered it for me. First, it was back ordered and we were crossing our fingers that we will get one. It arrived last week and is amazing. Though - of course - the skies are not ... MoreAfter more than 15 years without a telescope, I wanted to go back into the hobby. I have an old Meade SCT 8" but left it in Germany when moving to the US. Living in NM now with dark skies and mostly good weather, I always wanted to buy one and also try more astrophotography once familiar with it all again. After looking around for a few weeks and reading online reviews and watching videos, I came across this Anniversary Edition and thought it was a great start since it had so many extras included and was computerized - something which did not exist back then. I was excited and my partner ordered it for me. First, it was back ordered and we were crossing our fingers that we will get one. It arrived last week and is amazing. Though - of course - the skies are not clear lately, we could try it briefly for some planets and the views were great so far. I can't wait for the skies to go back to normal here (= no wildfires), so I can check out dark sky objects and do some simple photography. I ordered a few little accessories to start with that but so far, I really love it with what it came with. Much lighter than they used to be, this one even more with the special edition optical tube, the electronics are great and work perfect, aligning is a breeze and using it is very simple once you have it all figured out in the dark. I love the app connection since it makes everything so much easier and finding objects is super quick. Especially the suggested objects for the night is a good mix and it shows if they are visible yet or rise later. Super cool. I have not tried anything yet with the software packages or hooking it up to the computer, but I can only imagine this makes it even more convenient. Now, we only have to wait for the clear skies and I am more than happy with my purchase.

I am just getting back into astronomy and didnt want to buy a telescope that I would need to upgrade in another year. Also since I was new to the computerized telescopes I wanted one that was simple to operate so I could spend my time viewing the sky versus cussing at the electronics. I did a ton of research on line and decided on the NexStar Evolution 8HD with Star Sense. Here are some pros and cons to this set up:ProsThe Quality of the telescope build, looks and feels solid. It is simple to put together especially if you have watched a youtube video or two ahead of time. The included eye pieces are good for a start. The tripod, mounts and overall configuration seem to be well thought out and in the dark I have little issue with them. The star finder is really ... MoreI am just getting back into astronomy and didnt want to buy a telescope that I would need to upgrade in another year. Also since I was new to the computerized telescopes I wanted one that was simple to operate so I could spend my time viewing the sky versus cussing at the electronics. I did a ton of research on line and decided on the NexStar Evolution 8HD with Star Sense. Here are some pros and cons to this set up:ProsThe Quality of the telescope build, looks and feels solid. It is simple to put together especially if you have watched a youtube video or two ahead of time. The included eye pieces are good for a start. The tripod, mounts and overall configuration seem to be well thought out and in the dark I have little issue with them. The star finder is really nice and I found it to be quite accurate once you have calibrated it. Star Sense is really amazing - once you take the camera cap off! My first attempt failed until I realized I didnt pull the cover off the Star Sense camera. I would guess that it takes less than 5 minutes to have the telescope fully aligned using Star Sense. Once its aligned you are set for an evening of viewing with little or no additional calibrations, at that point the telescope does everything so you can concentrate on the viewing the sky. The wireless connectivity can be a little problematic but if you use a tablet, I use an ipad mini, and keep it close to the scope it works fine. Now its as simple as open the app on the ipad, align the telescope and then just touch the items in the ipad display that you want to view next. I cant image it being any simpler.Cons: The scope when fully built out can be slightly difficult to manage due to the weight. Where this becomes an issue is when you have to move the telescope to another location to get a better view. Due to trees and surrounding houses I have to move my scope depending on which direction I want to observe, if you have this issue make sure you are ok with moving this much weight around.Second issue is Celestron's lack of documentation. I didnt see anything in any of the manuals that told me what the battery charging status lights meant. There is little documentation on the features of the scope so you are forced to ask friends, High Point or Google or YouTube to get an answer. Third the clamps on the tripod leg can slip even if you tighten them. There are notches on the legs but in the dark when are adjusting the legs this can be difficult to align. Not a major issue but something that has nagged me.Bottom line is that I love the telescope so far. The visual quality is fantastic! It seems to be worth the money and allows me to concentrate on what I want to see next. It makes even a newbee like myself feel confident in my ability to explore the stars.Why did I chose High Point? I spent time researching the recommended dealers on Celestron's web page and then compared what the dealers offered and what value they added to the purchase. There are several very good discounters that were interested in selling boxes and several very good astronomy based dealers interested in helping you figure out what telescope best fit your needs. I found that High Point was the best mix at least for me. They were extremely knowledgeable and pointed me in the right direction never trying to over sell me or steer me in a direction that was in their best interest versus mine. I highly recommend them and this telescope.

This is my first telescope, and I have been impressed. It was easy to set up, and the skyalign three bright star alignment procedure is very easy. You just point the telescope at any three bright stars (you don't have to know what they are) and the telescope will figure it out and give you a good alignment for the rest of the night. I can put the system together and get aligned in less than 15 minutes. It is easy to use the hand-held controller to find objects in the sky. I was able to have a good time looking at the moon and deep sky objects on my first night of use. My one complaint is about the red dot starfinder. It was so far off line when I mounted it that it couldn't be aligned with the scope within the limits of the adjustment screws. I had to make shims ... MoreThis is my first telescope, and I have been impressed. It was easy to set up, and the skyalign three bright star alignment procedure is very easy. You just point the telescope at any three bright stars (you don't have to know what they are) and the telescope will figure it out and give you a good alignment for the rest of the night. I can put the system together and get aligned in less than 15 minutes. It is easy to use the hand-held controller to find objects in the sky. I was able to have a good time looking at the moon and deep sky objects on my first night of use. My one complaint is about the red dot starfinder. It was so far off line when I mounted it that it couldn't be aligned with the scope within the limits of the adjustment screws. I had to make shims with toothpicks to get the starfinder in close enough alignment that I could then use the alignment screws to achieve good alignment. Everything about this scope seems first rate except for the starfinder and its mount. I am very happy with my purchase.