Celestron

The CGE computerized series is Celestron’s newest line of observatory class Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes. Offered in 8", 91/4", 11" and 14" apertures, they all come mounted on the state of the art CGE GoTo German Equatorial mount. The German Equatorial mount has long been the favored choice of astronomy buffs and astrophotographers because of its stability and portability. More stable because the center of gravity is directly over the center of its base, more portable because it can be broken down into smaller component parts for easy storage and transportation. For astrophotography, the German Equatorial mount offers easier balancing, unlimited space at the rear of the telescope tube to mount a camera, and whole sky access. Now you can enjoy all of the NexStar software and database features with the extra stability and portability of a German Equatorial mount.

The Celestron CGE telescopes use the same optical tube assembly (OTA) as the 8GPS, C91/4-S and 11GPS telescopes while the CGE 1400 uses the classic C14" optical tube assembly. All include high efficiency StarBright™ coatings. The 8", 11" and 14" all have Fastar compatible optics for wide field f/2 CCD imaging.

In addition to being fully computerized with a database of over 40,000 celestial objects, the CGE German Equatorial mount offers numerous design advantages:

Portability – Set up and transportation of the CGE telescopes is made easy by separating the CGE instruments into smaller, easy-to-carry components. Unlike fork arm mounted telescopes, the CGE’s optical tubes can be quickly removed from their mounts making even the CGE 1400 easily assembled by only one person.

Stability – Recognized for superior stability, German Equatorial mounts place the center of gravity directly over the tripod legs and can be easily polar aligned without the use of an optional equatorial wedge. This proven design reduces the “tuning fork” vibration that can be associated with undersized fork mounts. An improved Super HD Tripod supports the CGE mount. This fully extendable tripod is made from the finest cold rolled carbon steel and can be raised to a height of 50". The tripod uses a dual leg support for maximum rigidity with an upper leg brace to provide an outward preload and a lower leg brace providing inward tension.

Balance – CGE equatorial mounts can easily be balanced in both axes. Simply simply sliding the counterweight for Right Ascension and moving the optical tube along its dovetail mounting for Declination accomplish balancing the weight of camera equipment and other visual accessories. This means that no additional weight needs to be added to balance the telescope when additional accessories are added.

Clearance – CGE mounts support their tubes at a single contact point allowing the tube to move freely around its polar axis without making contact with the telescope’s mount. This is particularly useful when adding photographic and CCD instruments that extend from the rear of the telescopes.

All CGE mounted telescopes are compatible with Celestron’s CN-16 GPS accessory. Combine the GPS and built-in Hibernate mode and these telescopes will keep track and remember their exact location and time without having to enter the information into the hand control.