You don't have to know Albireo from Aldebaran to find more than 40,000 different objects in the sky with the surprisingly affordable Celestron CPC 9¼ XLT. Just point at three bright stars - any three! - and this talented go-to XLT-multicoated Schmidt-Cassegrain will do the finding for you . . .
If you can see three bright stars, or two bright stars and a planet (you don't even have to know which stars and planet you're looking at), the Celestron CPC 9¼ XLT with state-of-the-art XLT multicoatings will line itself up on the sky and show you over 40,000 stars, deep space objects, and solar system objects - all automatically! The CPC 9¼ XLT is an easily-portable fully computerized go-to Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope with a built-in 16-channel GPS (satellite-based Global Positioning System) receiver. The GPS system and Celestron's revolutionary new SkyAlign technology take the guesswork and effort out of aligning the scope on the sky to find deep space and solar system objects.
Many observers consider Celestron's 9.25" optics to be the best currently available in a Schmidt-Cassegrain design. Contrast is above average for its optical type, and its resolution is 15% better than an 8" scope, for more detailed lunar, planetary, and globular cluster images. With a light grasp about 1127 times that of even the sharpest dark-adapted eye (a third greater than an 8" scope), the CPC 9¼ XLT can reveal to you star clusters, nebulas, planets, and galaxies in amazing detail. The CPC 9¼ XLT is a significant step up from an 8" scope in performance, without any significant penalty in cost, size, or weight. Its light weight, easy assembly, and intuitive computer control make using it a pleasure - either in your back yard or at a distant dark sky site.
This Telescope's Optical System . . .
Schmidt-Cassegrain optical tube: 9.25" aperture (2350mm focal length f/10). Guaranteed diffraction-limited optical performance. The 9.25" aperture gathers 33% more light than an 8" scope, providing brighter images of faint deep space objects. The CPC 9¼ XLT has an optimized baffle system that improves astrophotography by minimizing vignetting at the corners of a 35mm negative. Its longer primary focal length and lower magnification secondary mirror produce a flatter field of view at the focal plane. This helps to reduce optical aberrations during photography and when using wide field long focal length 2" eyepieces. Aluminum tube construction.
Starbright XLT fully-multicoated optics: This state-of-the-art coatings package includes high reflectivity multilayer aluminum mirror coatings, plus a unique combination of high transmission antireflection coatings on both sides of the Schmidt corrector lens. Starbright XLT multicoatings give you higher light transmission for brighter visual deep space images and shorter exposure times during photography. They also visibly increase the contrast on subtle lunar, planetary, and nebula details when compared with a scope with standard coatings or multicoatings. For more information on the XLT multicoatings, click on the "optics" link in the support tab above.
A review of Celestron's 9.25" optics in Astronomy magazine said the optics were "a real winner . . . (Jupiter's) belts were simply dazzling, with subtle colors and the most tenuous detail seen steadily . . . (Saturn's) rings were very impressive, and both Cassini's Division and the C ring were easily visible . . . Deep sky objects were no less appealing . . . the Orion Nebula was wonderful, showing its gossamer clouds in all sorts of intricate contortions. Buried within the clouds, all four stars of the Trapezium sparkled, and even the more challenging E and F Trapezium members shown through . . . The telescope delivered consistently good images of these celestial gems - a sign of superb optical quality."
Finderscope: 8 x 50mm straight-through achromatic design, in a quick release bracket with an easy spring-loaded X-Y axis adjustment. Focuses by loosening the trim ring behind the objective lens cell, screwing the lens cell in or out to focus, and tightening the trim ring to lock in the correct focus.
Focuser: The use of pre-loaded ball-bearings to support the focuser mechanism, rather than the bushings used on some competitive scopes, minimizes image shift during focusing.
Visual back: Removable 1.25" visual back holds visual and photographic accessories such as a star diagonal, tele-extender, off-axis guider, etc.
Star diagonal: 1.25" multicoated prism type.
Eyepiece: 1.25" 40mm Plössl (59x). The eyepiece field of view is 0.7° wide, almost one and a half times the diameter of the full moon, for bright wide-angle deep space views.
This Telescope's Mount . . .
Fork mount/drive system: The heavy-duty die-cast aluminum dual fork arms are rigid and damp vibrations quickly. Carrying handles are built into the fork arms. There's a convenient detachable mounting bracket for the NexStar computer hand control that lets you use the hand control and view information on the two-line display hands-free while using the scope.
The mount includes slewing/tracking motors in both altitude and azimuth. A large 9.8" azimuth bearing provides ultra-stable and smooth polar axis motion. The 5.625" diameter 180-tooth hard-anodized altitude and azimuth drive gears are driven by brass worms to provide smooth slewing and tracking, with 9 user-selectable speeds from 3° per second slewing down to a precise 0.5x sidereal rate for photographic drive correction. The drives work in the altazimuth mode (right/left up/down) to locate and track objects for visual use and casual solar system photography. If long exposure deep space photography is planned, the scope can be converted to equatorial operation by adding an optional wedge.
The scope includes three preprogrammed drive speeds - sidereal, solar, and lunar. It operates in an altazimuth mode, as well as northern hemisphere equatorial and southern hemisphere equatorial (using an optional equatorial wedge).
The scope is powered by external 12 Volt 1.5 Amp DC power (a car battery or optional rechargeable 12V battery #4512V or #4517V). The scope cannot be powered by short-lived flashlight batteries. The standard equipment car battery cord and optional AC adapter plug into the drive base. Power and command signals to the declination motor are routed through cordless internal slip ring signal paths. There's no separate external declination cable to connect the drive base to the dec motor as with other scopes, so you don't have to worry about losing a cable or breaking it by tangling the cable around the scope inadvertently while observing.
NexStar Computer: The scope's NexStar computer can show you the planets and thousands of deep space objects the very first night you use your scope - even if you've never used a telescope before! The computer's memory contains the following objects:
the entire RNGC (Revised New General Catalog) of 7840 nebulas, galaxies, and star clusters
the IC (Index Catalog) of 5386 nebulas, galaxies, and star clusters
the Messier Catalog of the 110 best known deep sky objects
the Caldwell Catalog of 109 fascinating objects that Messier missed
20 famous asterisms
the Abell Catalog of 2712 galaxy clusters
25 selected CCD imaging objects
29,500 selected SAO stars, including variable stars and multiple star systems.
Also included are the eight major planets out to Pluto, as well as the Moon, for a total database more than 45,000 stars and objects. It's enough fascinating objects to keep you busy observing for the rest of your life.
You can also store and edit the right ascension and declination of many objects of your own choosing, such as the comet and asteroid coordinates published monthly in Astronomy and Sky & Telescope magazines.
Built-in programmable permanent periodic error correction allows sharper astrophotographic images, with fewer guiding corrections needed during the shorter exposures needed due to the high transmission XLT coatings. Built-in adjustable backlash compensation permits precise corrections during astrophotography and when observing visually at high powers. A CCD autoguider port is standard equipment. The NexStar computer hand control includes an RS-232 port for communication with a PC to operate the scope remotely.
GPS/NexStar Computer/SkyAlign operation: The operation of the NexStar computer with SkyAlign is simplicity itself. Simply mount the scope on its tripod and turn on the power. The built-in 16-channel GPS system uses signals from government satellites to calculate the scope's location on earth with an accuracy measured in meters. The system also calculates the current time based on the split second accuracy of the GPS time signals. After quickly doing all these calculations for you automatically (you don't have to enter any information manually), the SkyAlign software in the scope's hand control signals you to point the scope at any three bright stars (you don't have to point at specific known stars). Using the scope's hand control, center the stars in the finderscope crosshairs. You can even point at two stars and a planet or the Moon, if you prefer. The scope will then be ready to find and track over 45,000 objects for you at your command.
If you're using an optional equatorial wedge to polar align the scope for long exposure astrophotography, a polar alignment program in the scope's computer makes quick work of accurate alignment on the north celestial pole. For much more information on the NexStar computer and the unique SkyAlign software, click on the "NexStar computer" link in the support tab above.
NexRemote software: NexRemote telescope control software allows you to control the CPC 9¼ XLT from your personal computer or laptop. NexRemote provides full emulation of every aspect of the Celestron computerized hand control. It lets you align in any tracking mode; go to any database object; setup user objects; put the scope in hibernation; connect to popular planetarium programs; etc.
In addition to emulating the NexStar hand control, NexRemote adds powerful new features that let you keep your eyes on the stars instead of the LCD by enabling talking computer speech support using your computer's built-in speaker. You can control the objects you want to see and the order that you see them; create and save custom tours by launching NexTour; take wireless control of the telescope with optional gamepad support; connect your personal GPS device to NexRemote using NexGPS; download NexRemote updates online to add the latest features; and more. The NexRemote software includes an RS-232 cable to connect the CPC 9¼ XLT to a PC.
Adjustable height tripod: The new heavy duty tripod has 2" diameter steel legs. It has a metal lower tensioning spider and a molded upper center leg brace for rigidity and rapid vibration dampening. The leg brace also doubles as an accessory tray with holes to safely hold three 1.25" eyepieces up out of the dew-soaked grass and close at hand. A locating pin on the top of the tripod automatically centers the scope on the tripod for easy assembly in the dark. A single hand-tighten lever per leg locks in the tripod height adjustment. The levers are on the insides of the legs, to avoid snagging on clothing in the dark. The tripod adjusts in height over a 30" to 45" range.
Two-year warranty: All Celestron go-to telescopes have a two-year warranty.
