Celestron Evolution 8" EdgeHD With StarSense Auto Align

The NexStar Evolution keeps evolving. We’ve paired our best optics with our best technology to make an incredible versatile and portable telescope system. Now, enjoy EdgeHD 8” optics and StarSense AutoAlign on the renowned Evolution mount, all controlled from your favorite tablet or phone.

With the innovative NexStar Evolution 8 HD, enjoy EdgeHD optics and controlling the telescope wirelessly with the SkyPortal app. Now equipped with StarSense AutoAlign, go-to alignment is done automatically once you tap “Connect and Align”! Observing, astro-imaging, and automatic wireless alignment are all bundled into a compact yet mechanically solid setup.This the most capable, easy-to-use and ready-for-action system we’ve ever offered.

When NexStar Evolution was introduced, it paired two of Celestron’s most acclaimed innovations, Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes and computerized go-to optics, in a compact single fork arm mount. The technology and optics continued to evolve over the years. On the technology side, we added StarSense AutoAlign for our go-to telescopes, as well as WiFi telescope control with over our new SkyPortal app. With optics, EdgeHD flat-field and coma-free astro-imaging systems were made to accommodate modern imaging with cameras of all types, especially larger format CCD and DSLR cameras. Now all of these innovations have come together in one telescope package: The NexStar Evolution 8HD. The NexStar Evolution 8HD covers all bases for compact and easy to use, and is perfectly capable for any observing to astro-imaging pursuit.

STARSENSE AUTOALIGN IN SKYPORTAL APP

We’ve added our StarSense AutoAlign technology to the SkyPortal app, making SkyPortal the most advanced telescope control app offered. StarSense not only automatically aligns itself from your smartdevice, it also has advanced mount modelling, allowing you enter up to 10 alignment points for the most precision pointing accuracy possible. Even the most advanced telescope users will love using StarSense AutoAlign through the app. This affordable accessory replaces the expensive software usually used for advanced mount modeling.

With built-in mount modeling, you'll get superior pointing accuracy from horizon to horizon. When your alignment needs to be perfect, add up to 10 additional calibration stars to achieve a new level of accuracy, great for locating objects in the camera’s field of view for astroimaging.

SUPERIOR FIT FOR ASTROIMAGING AND VISUAL ASTRONOMY

If you’re interested in astroimaging, the 8-inch NexStar Evolution HD is an excellent way to jump in.. It’s the only fork-mounted telescope in its price range that offers brass worm gears, along with improved motors. Tracking is great, and so too is the flat-field, coma-free EdgeHD optical system.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 our Wedge for NexStar Evolution (hyperlink this to the 93665 product page) to achieve longer exposures for more detailed astrophotos.

Of course, the EdgeHD optical system offers bright, sharp views with StarBright XLT optical coatings—a great choice for visual observers and budding astroimagers alike.

NexStar Evolution is equipped with 4 auxiliary ports--2 on top of the fork and 2 on the bottom. A StarSense hand control is still included, but is not necessary when using NexStar Evolution with the app. The telescope also includes a StarPointer Pro finderscope, two 1.25” Plossl eyepieces, a 1.25” star diagonal, and an international AC adapter.

FREE SKYPORTAL APP

Access the sky and control your telescope from an interactive planetarium on your smart device – provides the best star gazing experience for you and your friends and family – know when Jupiter’s Great Red Spot will be visible, including shadow transits, planetary occultations, conjunctions, or pick the best deep sky objects to view such as galaxies and nebulae. Learn about these objects with informative backstories and beautiful image galleries, then see them for yourself through the telescope!
Controls everything, including StarSense. Tap Connect and Align and let StarSense automatically align the telescope for you.
Upgradable to SkySafari Plus 4 and SkySafari Pro 4

GENERAL DETAILS

8” EdgeHD Optics: Provides superb visual and astro-imaging performance, free of coma and field curvature.
Rechargeable lithium-ion battery with enough power for 10 hours of continuous observing
Built-in WiFi: No Hand controller required! Just use your smartphone or tablet which connects to the telescope via WiFi.
StarSense Auto Align: Automatically aligns your telescope and works with the SkyPortal app for complete wireless control.
Fastar/HyperStar compatible: Image deep sky objects in seconds at f/2, often eliminating the need to autoguide or track on a wedge.
NexStar Evolution Mount: Packed with convenient features, including manual release clutches and precision machined worm gears for both axes, tray lighting, USB charge port, tray lighting for your accessories, and more.
Fully motorized computer go-to: After automatically aligning with StarSense, select and go to objects with a tap on your smartphone.

SPECIFICATIONS:

OPTICAL DESIGN: Schmidt Cassegrain
APERTURE: 203.2mm
FOCAL LENGTH: 2032mm
FOCAL RATIO: 10
FOCAL LENGTH OF EYEPIECE 1: 40mm
FOCAL LENGTH OF EYEPIECE 2: 12.5mm
MAGNIFICATION OF EYEPIECE 1: 38x
MAGNIFICATION OF EYEPIECE 2: 150x
FINDERSCOPE: StarPointer Pro
STAR DIAGONAL: 1.25"
MOUNT TYPE: Single Fork Arm Altazimuth
TRIPOD: Stainless Steel
POWER REQUIREMENTS: Internal battery included
HIGHEST USEFUL MAGNIFICATION: 480x
LOWEST USEFUL MAGNIFICATION: 29x
LIMITING STELLAR MAGNITUDE: 14
RESOLUTION (RAYLEIGH): 0.59 arc seconds
RESOLUTION (DAWES): 0.57 arc seconds
LIGHT GATHERING POWER (Compared to human eye): 843x
OPTICAL COATINGS: StarBright XLT
OPTICAL TUBE LENGTH: 16in
TOTAL TELESCOPE KIT WEIGHT: 40.6lbs
MAX SLEW SPEED: 4 degrees per second
TRACKING RATES: Sidereal, solar and lunar
ALIGNMENT PROCEDURES: SkyAlign, 3-Star Align, Solar System Align
COMMUNICATION PORTS: 1 hand control and 3 aux ports for optional accessories
INTERNATIONAL PLUGS WITH AC ADAPTOR: US, UK, EU, AU
APP DATABASE: Over 120,000 including 220 of the best deep sky and solar system objects
USB CHARGE PORT: Yes

Some items that are showing as in stock are in stock at our holding warehouses, not at the shop. To double check the stock levels at the shop, please contact us on 01909774369 or sales@rothervalleyoptics.co.uk.

The delivery times for most items is 1 - 2 days but again, please double check stock levels on important orders before placing an order via the website.

The delivery costs for courier next day are for mainland UK only. If you live in the Scottish Highlands/Islands, Channel Islands or Northern Ireland, then a shipping surchage will apply. please contact us for prices. Smaller items can still go 1st class via Royal Mail.

Please note that if you are wanting to take advantage of our Saturday and Sunday timed services or next day pre 12 or pre 10:30 services, you MUST check that the stock is here at the shop before placing orders. Also, orders using the Saturday and Sunday services must be placed before 1pm the previous working day. Also, please remember to check that the stock is here at the shop before placing orders. If the stock is not at the shop, we won't be able to ship on any of the timed services. 

Please note International customers will need to contact us for a shipping price prior to ordering via the website. We don't ship all items internationally. It is at our discretion what we ship outside of the UK. This all depends on the size and weight of the items. Please get in touch with us for any postage costs. Please note we do NOT ship telescopes or heavy items outside of the UK. This is due to massive postage costs and problems regarding returns.

If you have any questions regarding stock levels or delivery, please get in touch.

Zygo Interferometer Testing For ED Refractor Telescopes!

We are extremely pleased to announce our Zygo Interferometer is now installed and ready for use! Our experienced staff can test refractor lenses up to 120mm aperture and provide a comprehensive 2 page report showing the optical quality and Strehl ratio, plus much more information. We are using the very latest Zygo MX software to provide a more detailed report compared to other standard reports.

The interferometer is essentially a measuring instrument. Within the interferometer is a calibrated laser that is pointed through the optical test surface, then onto a high quality reference sphere, then back through the test subject then to an internal camera which gives us the measurement on the screen. From this, we can adjust the position of the test optic and the reference sphere to obtain a perfectly calibrated system. The more central the laser to the test optic and then on return, the better and more accurate reading and measurement we can take. This takes a lot of adjustment to get the best results from the optical surface. Once the measurement has been taken, we are provided with a series of results that show the optical quality of the surface plus other information. Continue reading for an explanation of the individual values and you can also see a test report that was done on one of our RVO Horizon 60 OTAs. 

We are offering certain telescopes with a Zygo test at an extra cost. Mainly ED doublets and triplets. All available telescopes with a Zygo test report are listed here. Just select Zygo Test Report from the drop down box at the top of the listing and we will test the optics in house and provide a full 2 page report with your scope. This will show you the optical quality of your telescope optics. We can also offer this service on your refractor telescope. Please get in touch for more details about this. 

At Rother Valley Optics, one thing we pride ourselves on is customer service and quality of our equipment. When we test your telescope, we will ensure that it is of the highest quality otherwise, we will reject the scope under our strict quality control and test another model for your peace of mind. One of the main values to look at when testing a refractor is the Strehl ratio. The higher this number, the higher quality lens you have. At Rother Valley Optics, we will guarantee the highest possible Strehl ratio for your telescope.  We will aim to provide 0.95 Strehl or higher on Takahashi, RVO Horizon, William Optics and many more! Generally, the higher the Strehl ratio, the lower the Astigmatism and Coma meaning a better image quality from your instrument. 

Other measurements such as the PV and RMS are important too. With these measurements, the lower the number the better as it shows less curvature on the lens. The flatter an optical lens, the better it will perform. The PV rating (Peak To Valley) is a measurement from the highest point (Peak) to the lowest point (Valley). From this we get the RMS (Root, Mean, Square). This is a similar figure to the PV and measured exactly the same way. The RMS is basically an average height difference from the PV so again, the lower the better. As you can see form the example below, we measured an RMS of just 0.027 wave which is a very good value.

We also measure the Power with our systems which is essentially the error from the reference sphere to the test optic. The reference sphere we use on our system is a very high quality sphere so the closer to zero the Power, the less error between the 2 elements thus ensuring a higher quality optical surface. 

You will also see some more values such as Astigmatism and Coma. Again, these are measured by the interferometer when we take measurements of the optical surface after adjustment. These are values which ideally would be at 0 but as our test optics are all curved lenses, there will always be astigmatism and coma present. The lower the number, the less of these aberations you will effectively see but with most refractors, you can buy field flatteners which will compensate for the coma anyway. The astigmatisms value is explaining the error between the symmetrical curvature of the lens. Basically, no lens will be perfectly symmetrical, the lower the astigmatism, the more symmetrical the lens surface is. 

Once the Zygo test report has been completed, the optical alignment is thoroughly tested and tuned to ensure they are spot on before they leave us. 

All available telescopes are on the website at the link below and ones we've tested already that are available straight away are also listed.

https://www.rothervalleyoptics.co.uk/zygo-tested-refractors.html

Here is an example of the test what we provide. This was a test on one of our Horizon 60 ED OTA's.

For any questions about this amazing new service, please either call 01909774369 or email sales@rothervalleyoptics.co.uk.

Are you interested in this product but would like to speak to someone with some more information? Simply fill in the form below and we will get back to you as soon as we can!

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