The Celestron Advanced VX 8-inch EdgeHD is a versatile telescope system for medium and advanced amateur astronomers, but it is still small and light enough to carry easily for in-country observations. The 8-inch aperture is enough to look at and photograph all kinds of celestial bodies, and a computerized equator makes it easy to find and track them.
CELESTRON ADVANCED VX 8 EDGE HD MAIN FEATURES
Optical design: EdgeHD (improved Schmidt-Cassegrain with additional lens elements)
Opening: 203.2 mm (8 inches)
Focusing distance: 2032 mm (80 inches)
Focus ratio: f / 10
Focal length of eyelid: 40 mm (50 ×)
Total weight of the set: 61 pounds (27.67 kg) (divided into 3 main components for transport)
Mounting type: German equator, computerized, with servo motors
Optically, the EdgeHD system is excellent and compatible with all types of cameras with compatible accessories. The landscapes of Saturn and Jupiter are dramatic; globular clusters turn into stars; all Messier Objects are clearly visible; and galaxies with a trained eye and a dark country sky appear up to 12 magnitudes. This is a telescope that you can’t grow.
Since this telescope is designed for relatively advanced users, we consider it from this point of view. The author has been using Celestron Advanced VX 8 Edge HD as the main equipment since 2014 and knows them well. As a long-time member of the user community, the author also knows that they are reliable.
Celestron Advanced VX 8 Edge HD: Design
- The EdgeHD optical design is superior to the Schmidt-Cassegrain
- Lightweight, robust computerized assembly
- Ability to work together – other telescopes, other devices, standard accessories
The EdgeHD optical system is a jewel in Celestron’s crown, an Schmidt-Cassegrain enhanced with additional objective elements, and although the enhancement is primarily intended for photography, we can see it visually with the eyelid.
The computerized assembly combines Celestron’s NexStar software with a German-style equator at the main axis. This allows for directional tracking for photography and the use of different telescopes in the same montage. For example, our Advanced VX mounting device easily carries a camera with a telephoto lens instead of the EdgeHD. The current version accepts both Vixen (narrow) and Losmandy (wide) decks.
Compared to competitors, the Advanced VX mounting head is both lightweight and relatively sturdy, not easily damaged or thrown out of adjustment. Easily separated for telescope, mounting head and tripod transport.
Installation requires 12-14V DC power, often about 0.5 amps, up to 3 or 4 amps instantly when the telescope is moving rapidly. We use a portable battery pack.
Celestron Advanced VX 8 Edge HD: Performance
- Excellent optics
- Finds and tracks celestial bodies reliably
- Serious deep sky photography requires better editing
All good telescopes in the same size class give similar views, so it’s not much different from other well-designed 6-10-inch telescopes. Compared to conventional Schmidt-Cassegrains, we think that EdgeHD is sharper, especially away from the center of the field.
The supplied 40 mm eyelid gives 50 power, which, although small, is ideal for star clusters, nebulae and galaxies. Celestron is supposed to get you more eyelids, so we recommend two more, about 20mm (100x total target) and 10mm (200x for the moon and planets). In extremely stable weather, we were able to use a 5 mm eyepiece (400x) on nearby twin stars. High-quality eyelids show the best in this beautiful telescope, so do not skimp.
After proper installation, the assembly finds the celestial bodies in an acceptable way (good enough to insert the object into the 20 mm eyelid area) and tracks them very well. You can select objects in the manual controller, on a computer running Celestron’s PWI software, or in many other sky map packages. Stellarium. Astrophotographers will want to perform PEC training as described in the manual for smoother tracking.
However, for long-term exposure to fog and galaxies, the Advanced VX, which sent constant adjustments to the mounting with an automatic guide and guide, forced me to ask for (and eventually switch to) a heavier mount with more precise gears and less clearance. This is only a problem when the Advanced VX carries such a large telescope. It works very well with a smaller telescope.
Celestron Advanced VX 8 Edge HD: Functionality
- Computer-assisted installation process
- Beautiful views of all kinds of celestial bodies
- Need more eyelids (about 20mm and 10mm)
Because the Advanced VX is an equatorial mount, the installation is more than just the usual process of centering a few stars that the telescope automatically points to. You should also target its polar axis Polaris, then specify the alignment by seeing the stars and allowing the editing computer to tell you the errors. This process, which Celestro calls the “All-Star Polar Alignment,” is affordable and impressively accurate, but you have to identify the brightest stars. If the computer tells you to centralize Enif and you centralize Alpheratz, you will get wrong results. This is the main difference between the equatorial mountains and those that are more suitable for beginners.
This is a beautiful telescope to see all kinds of celestial bodies. You can also add a camera (smartphone, DSLR, without mirroror astrocamera) for descriptions of the moon and planets and deep celestial objects with care and skill. One of the most satisfying things we do is take thousands of videos of Jupiter, Saturn, or Mars with an astronomical video camera, and then stack and sharpen them for a better view than the human eye can get with the same telescope. .
It is an expandable system, takes many standard accessories, and you will immediately need one or two higher power (shorter focal length) eyelids.
Should I buy a Celestron Advanced VX 8 Edge HD telescope?
If you are a serious amateur astronomer who develops a deep understanding of both the sky and the telescope, this is an attractive product. The telescope is as good as you want in the measuring range. The installation works well for everything except photography taken in a long exposure in the deep sky, and there is enough space to grow with standard accessories and even heavier mounting when needed.
If this product is not for you
If your main interest is long-exposure astrophotography, skip the Advanced VX and get the same telescope in the Celestron CGX or Losmandy GM8 (at a fairly high price).
If you are new to astronomy and not yet good at recognizing stars, this may be a little too much; You can get very similar views with the Celestron 6 or 8-inch NexStar telescope on the fork, which is also easier to carry and install.
