A long focal length folded into a short tube · review
Celestron's NexStar 8SE: an 8-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain with StarBright XLT coatings on a computerized single-arm GoTo mount, with the NexStar+ hand control, a 40,000-object database and SkyAlign.
A Schmidt-Cassegrain folds a long focal length into a short tube with two mirrors and a thin corrector plate. That is why an 8-inch aperture fits in a tube about the length of a forearm, light enough to lift onto its single-arm mount without help.
The listing carries an Amazon.com review that describes the views plainly: the Cassini Division in Saturn’s rings at about 200x, the Great Red Spot on Jupiter, Mars’s polar caps, and the globular cluster M13 as a snowflake of pinpoint stars. Those are fair expectations for 8 inches on a steady night.
SkyAlign asks for the date, time and nearest town, then any three bright stars centered in turn, with no need to know their names. Solar System Align uses the Moon or a planet alone. The mount then finds and tracks any of its 40,000+ objects.
The same review lists the trade-offs: plastic accessories, short battery life, and a mount too light for serious astrophotography. It comes with a red-dot finder and one 25 mm eyepiece; plan on a second, shorter eyepiece and a power supply.
The figure the specification bullets leave out is the focal length.
On November 7, 2026, Amazon.com sold it directly at $1,499.00. Celestron states a 2-year warranty.
Figures as Keepa reported them on the day this page was last updated. Stock and pricing shift without warning.
Prices quoted in this text were read on November 7, 2026. The live price is at the top of the page.
Same aisle, closest price — what the same spend else shows.
| Aperture | 8 in (203 mm), stated |
|---|---|
| Folded focal length and ratio | Not published in the listing's specification bullets. |
| Corrector design | Schmidt-Cassegrain · StarBright XLT coatings |
| Obstruction | Not published by the maker. |
| Back focus | Not published by the maker. |
| Cool-down guidance | Not published by the maker. |
| Tube weight | Not published separately · the Amazon.com review in the listing gives 24 lb total |
| Mount supplied | Computerized single-arm GoTo mount · NexStar+ hand control with 40,000+ objects · SkyAlign and Solar System Align · red-dot finder · 25 mm eyepiece |
| Amazon reference | B000GUFOC8 |
| EAN | 0050234110693 |
The Cassini Division in Saturn's rings, the Great Red Spot, Mars's polar caps at a good opposition, globular clusters resolved into stars, and the brighter galaxies with structure. The Amazon.com review in the listing describes exactly these views.
It is light for an 8-inch tube, which is what makes the kit portable. At high power the view shakes for a second or two after focusing. Vibration pads or a heavier tripod help.
A second, shorter eyepiece for planets (around 10 to 13 mm) and a power supply. The listing review also recommends better eyepieces to get the most from the optics.
8.4/ 10
Eight inches of aperture in a tube short enough for a car trunk, on a GoTo mount that is easy to use and light for its load.
This model is listed on Amazon.com, at ≈ $1,499 at the last reading. Listed is not the same as in stock: availability changes daily, and the buy box shows the live price.
Details checked on November 7, 2026.
Serious aperture that still fits in a car trunk and sets up in minutes
Listed because the eyepiece or part names this scope.
Amazon reports what buyers took in the month before this page was last checked: at least 100.
The figure is a floor, rounded by Amazon, and read through Keepa — it says what buyers picked, not what a maker claims.
Specifications: the manufacturer sheet for telescopes and observing optics and the matching Amazon product page. Prices and availability: Keepa. Every figure on this page names its source.
100 mm (3.94 in) Maksutov · 1400 mm (55.1 in) focal length · f/14 · EQ3 equatorial mount
A 100/1400 Maksutov-Cassegrain on an EQ3 equatorial mount, supplied with a 25 mm Plössl eyepiece (56x), a 90° star diagonal and a smartphone holder.
Best for: Moon, planets and double stars from a town, on a mount with real slow-motion controls
≈ $734
102 mm (4 in) Maksutov-Cassegrain · 1325 mm at f/13 · GoTo fork with built-in wedge · 21 lb with tripod
Celestron's NexStar 4SE: a 4-inch Maksutov-Cassegrain with StarBright XLT coatings on a computerized single-arm GoTo mount whose tripod has a built-in wedge, 21 lb with tripod.
Best for: A first computerized telescope for the Moon and planets that can also take short-exposure photos
≈ $649
6-inch (150 mm) Schmidt-Cassegrain · computerized GoTo single-arm mount · 40,000+ objects · SkyAlign
Celestron's NexStar 6SE: a 6-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain on a computerized single-arm GoTo mount with the NexStar+ hand control, a 40,000-object database and SkyAlign.
Best for: Six inches of aperture on a mount that finds things, for an observer who will look rather than photograph
≈ $1,039
