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Celestron NexStar Evolution 8 8" f/10 wireless go-to SCT

The Celestron NexStar Evolution 8 broken down into its two easily-carried components.

Celestron NexStar Evolution 8 8" f/10 WiFi go-to SCT

16 Review(s) | Add Your Review

$2,199.00

Availability: In stock

Celestron's new NexStar Evolution 8 8" f/10 go-to Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope brings amateur astronomy into the wireless 21st century of smart phones, iPads, and tablets.

Our Product #: NXEV8

Celestron Product #: 12091

Product Description

This NexStar Evolution 8 telescope is an advanced 8" f/10 Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope with integrated WiFi. If you own a smart phone or tablet, that means you are not tethered to your scope by a hand control on a coiled cord. A simple tap on your phone or tablet and you have complete operational control of your Evolution 8 - even if you are standing many feet away from the scope.

Simply connect your smart phone or tablet to your NexStar Evolution's built-in wireless network, and you can explore the universe with Celestron's mobile app for iOS and Android. The app has a database of over 120,000 celestial objects for you to explore, including a specially selected list of 220 of the best deep sky and solar system objects that you will come back to enjoy again and again.

You can use the app's planetarium interface to view the night sky in real time or to display a list of the best celestial objects that are visible to you based on your time and location. You can then have your Evolution 8 slew to the object of your choice at speeds of up to four degrees per second, center it precisely in the eyepiece field, and then track it flawlessly while you observe and enjoy at your leisure. In addition, Celestron's proprietary SkyAlign alignment procedure is built right into the Celestron mobile app, so you can have your scope set up and ready to observe within minutes. (If you don't have a wireless device, or your smart phone or tablet runs out of juice in the field, a conventional hand control is included so you can still enjoy your scope.)

Celestron engineers designed the NexStar Evolution 8 based on years of customer feedback. Its upgraded single fork arm design offers many thoughtful features that combine to provide you the best possible experience out under the stars. For example, forget about buying boxes of AA batteries to power the scope, or a bulky external battery pack. For the first time ever on a consumer telescope, the NexStar Evolution 8 includes its own built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery. You can enjoy stargazing for up to 10 hours on a single charge, then recharge it at home using the supplied AC adapter. You can even use your NexStar Evolution's built-in USB charge port to top off the other devices in your life that need to stay powered on during an observing session.

Large, ergonomic handles make setting up your NexStar Evolution 8 quick and painless. With a total weight of only 40.6 lbs, the Evolution 8 is easy to transport, whether it's out to the backyard for a quick half hour of observing or away on an all-night observing session at a distant dark sky site. The adjustable height stainless steel tripod features lines etched on the legs to help you achieve a level, uniform height for your telescope without guesswork.
Manual clutches in both altitude and azimuth give you the flexibility to manually point the telescope when it is powered off.

You get two quality Plössl eyepieces, a 40mm and 13mm, to give you observing options right out of the box. If you expand your eyepiece collection, you can store up to seven eyepieces in the two accessory trays, one on the tripod and one on the telescope drive base. An adjustable brightness red LED in the fork arm casts a soft red glow onto the accessory tray in the base to make it easier to select a different eyepiece while observing.

If you're interested in astroimaging, the 8" NexStar Evolution 8 is an excellent and very affordable way to get started. It's the only fork-mounted telescope in its price range that offers precision worm gears, along with improved motors, for precise speed control and low periodic error. With the NexStar Evolution's good tracking accuracy, you can capture images of deep-sky objects like the Orion Nebula by simply attaching your DSLR camera. As you progress in the hobby of astroimaging, you can add an optional wedge for longer exposures to bring out faint and hidden details in your astrophotos.

Celestron's time-tested Schmidt-Cassegrain optics and industry-standard StarBright XLT optical coatings give you the bright, sharp views Celestron is famous for - making the Evolution 8 a great choice for visual observers and budding astroimagers alike.

The NexStar Evolution 8 includes built-in WiFi for cordless operation, a StarPointer red dot finderscope, two 1.25" Plössl eyepieces (51x and 156x), a 1.25" prism star diagonal, an AC adapter for powering the scope and recharging the built-in battery, a computer hand control, and a stainless steel adjustable height tripod with accessory tray.

Tech Details

Aperture	8"
Focal Length	2032
Focal Ratio	f/10
Heaviest Single Component	30.6 lbs
Highest Useful Magnification	406x
Motorized Controls	WiFi computer GoTo
Weight	40.6 lbs
Optical Coatings	StarBright XLT
Resolution	0.57 arc seconds
Supplied Eyepiece	40mm and 13mm 1.25" Plossls
Telescope Type	Schmidt-Cassegrain
View Finder	StarPointer Red Dot
Visual Limiting Magnitude	14.0
Warranty	2 years

Reviews

Review by: Steven

This is a great setup. I got this for my wife as she hated having to "chase" objects with our 8" dob. She absolutely loves the ease of use with the scope. She can set it up and have it aligned in under 5 minutes and enjoys the ability to run the scope from her phone. A perfect scope for outreach events and sidewalk astronomy, especially when paired with TeleVue lenses. (Posted on 10/31/2019)

Review by: Robert

I just recently purchased my NextStar Evolution and having a lot of fun with it. I would recommend it for anyone wishing to step up from a smaller scope. (Posted on 9/9/2019)

Review by: Theodore

This is my 3rd SCT and second GOTO scope and can't be happier. The optics are great and stay in collimation ( at least for me). The EVO mount is rock solid. I used to own a Mead 8" with dual fork mount and was concerned that the single fork wouldn't be adequate, but no worries here. I have a 9x50 RACI , telrad and camera attached and there is minimal vibration and it settles out in a second. It is easy to set up and align. I find the Sky align works best for me. Another great feature is the WIFI. I use it to control the scope with SkySafari Pro on my iPad and works like a charm.The hand controller works great when I just want to star hop and not use GOTO. This is an all around great scope and a great value , can't go wrong here ! (Posted on 9/9/2019)

Review by: Jim

I'm a long time SCT user, and I think the Evo mount is just about perfect for a C8 OTA. While the 8SE feels like a compromise between aperture and portability/budget, the Evo feels solid. To me, the extra stability is worth the price of admission. The battery and integrated wifi are bonuses. The single arm alt-az mount works intuitively and has great ergonomics. Almost everything seems very well thought-out (e.g., inclusion and placement of the handle).

I do have a a couple of minor complaints. The clutches are wonderfully smooth, but since the encoders are coupled to the motors, using the clutches after alignment results in a loss of alignment and inaccurate tracking. I suppose this was a cost saving measure, but greatly reduces the value of the clutches. I wish the internal battery were easily removable and had a separate charger: when I'm done observing, I'd like to just put the scope in its case, but take the battery in for recharging (the scope stays in the garage where it can be closer to ambient outdoor temps).

Outside of those two little niggles, the Evo is just about everything I'd want it to be. (Posted on 8/23/2019)

Review by: Damien

I had wanted an SCT since I was a child. When I finally had the means in 2016, I pulled the trigger on the 8" Evolution. The mount is rock-solid, the go-to's are perfect, and the views are "stellar"! I use it for planetary imaging, and I'm very happy with the results. (Posted on 8/22/2019)

Review by: Matthew

I mostly do astrophoto work but I bought this for my older parents to make visual observations. Setup is fairly foolproof so getting up and running was no problem for them. Optical quality is solid. The goto is great. Awesome value for the price! (Posted on 1/13/2019)

Review by: Michael

Since I was in high school I always wanted a C8. A few years later and I saw this scope. Easy to use and the computerized system is wonderful. Wifi is unreliable so I use the mount control. Added Starsense auto-alignment and touring the night sky is easy! (Posted on 1/1/2019)

Review by: Alexa

This is my first goto scope. I have a 6” and 8” dobs which I learned the sky on. It is a joy not to have to continually move the scope to keep the object in view. Have been able to observe so faint DSOs that I couldn’t find in the dobs. May have been on it but object was faint. With good go to you can spend some time looking and have confidence it is in view and eventually resolve it.
(Posted on 1/1/2019)

Review by: Adam

My first "real" telescope. Loved the integrated battery and goto functions. Wish the wifi connection was more stable and less finicky when slewing by phone. The hand controller is much much better for alignment and slewing. (Posted on 12/16/2018)

Review by: Oyster74

I used the Wifi connection right away. Was able to aligned after two tries after I figured out that it works better with stars that are far apart. Using the app was so much fun because I used the feature "Tonight's best". It found nebula that I would ha never been able to find by myself. I am hooked... (Posted on 12/10/2018)

Review by: Michael

I treated myself to the Celestron Nexstar Evolution 8 and have never regretted it. I have used everything from 40mm binoculars to a dome-mounted 14" scope, and the C8 Evo is my favorite scope to set up and use. The classic optics are flawless and have never needed collimation or other corrections, and the WiFi enabled go to mount handles the scope without much vibration or other problems. Add a Telrad, a good 2" diagonal, and a couple of quality eyepieces, and I can spend an entire public viewing event moving from object to object without effort. I have managed to run out of power a couple of times, and the electronic hand control doesn't like cold weather, but then neither do I. I would recommend this system to anybody. (Posted on 12/5/2018)

Review by: Gary

Having the this combination for astronomy viewing and imaging has enhanced my efforts tremendously. This is a much better platform than the SE Mounts. The tripods are significantly heavier, especially for the 9.25" Version. The six and eight inch versions have a smaller tripod, but when you carry this tripod around you'll know it is better. The mount head is the same from the 6 inch to the 9.25". This means you can have a 22 lb payload which is what the 9.25" SCT weighs. Additionally, if you still use your SE Mount, it will fit on the smaller tripod and I am pretty sure it will also fit on the tripod for the 9.25" SCT. Celestron goto hand control routines make setting up pure joy. Additionally, with this mount, you can balance your payload with the clutches. Yes, Clutches! For you wifi enthusiast, you can control your mount using a phone or tablet using Celestron's free Skyportal app. Personally, I just use the hand controller. Having the internal lithium battery is one less thing to have to take with you. It is a great portable system and I have enjoyed using this so much. (Posted on 11/11/2018)

Review by: Greg

For years I've wanted a telescope that was truly portable and easy to use. The Evolution 8 is both of those and has seen more use in the last few months than my previous scope has in years. The built in battery and wifi are particularly nice and made my first trip to a dark site simple and fun. Looking up objects to view by using a star map on my phone makes exploring new objects a joy. The fact that I can quickly set up in my back yard is great as well. Ease of use means this gets used more frequently. Also, the optics are quite good. I find that I use the supplied 40 mm eyepiece more than I expected and the 13 mm eyepiece not much at all. I get a wider field of view with my 26mm and 2X barlow.
I have actually found the red dot finder quite simple to use It's definitely different but once I got used to it, I find that it's very convenient. With the goto technology, it's easy to forget where you're looking since it's so automated. The red dot finder makes it a little easier to see exactly where I'm looking at a quick glance. I want to learn the sky while the goto gets me there quickly. All in all, this telescope has been all that I hoped it would be and then some. I highly recommend it! (Posted on 10/31/2018)

Review by: Jim

Bought this for my son as his first scope. Super easy to use and that got him hooked, he is now going to collage for Astro Engineering, we think the scope moved him in that direction. (Posted on 10/7/2018)

Review by: Len

The Evolution is a great scope. I have had mine for three years. The combination of price, features, and quality are hard to beat. You get hooked on the internal battery and wifi very quickly! (Posted on 10/6/2018)

Review by: Marshall McClung

Celestron really got this one right! They listened to suggestions for improvement of the SE series, and made great improvements, On board rechargeable batteries mean no cord wrap. There is a handy receiver for the controller when not needed. The tripod has a level built in. Mating the fork mount to the tripod is a snap. Wi-Fi connection to phone or tablet is cool, though aligning the scope with either is much easier with the keypad. The only weak link is the same old red dot finder. Adding the Celestron right angle finder made a world of difference. The fork and tube fit nicely in the case for the 8SE, which has wheels and a pull-up handle.

The Celestron RACI fonder comes without instructions, but it mounts easily where the supplied finder was mounted, Using it makes a great telescope phenomenal. (Posted on 8/4/2017)

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