--- product_id: 37125906 title: "Celestron CGEM II 800 EdgeHD 8\" Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope" brand: "celestron" price: "B/.11125" currency: PAB in_stock: false reviews_count: 3 url: https://www.desertcart.com.pa/products/37125906-celestron-cgem-ii-800-edgehd-8-schmidt-cassegrain-telescope store_origin: PA region: Panama --- # 40,000+ celestial objects database 8" EdgeHD aperture CGEM II computerized equatorial mount Celestron CGEM II 800 EdgeHD 8" Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope **Brand:** celestron **Price:** B/.11125 **Availability:** ❌ Out of Stock ## Summary > 🌠 Own the night sky with precision and clarity! ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Celestron CGEM II 800 EdgeHD 8" Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope by celestron - **How much does it cost?** B/.11125 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Currently out of stock - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.com.pa](https://www.desertcart.com.pa/products/37125906-celestron-cgem-ii-800-edgehd-8-schmidt-cassegrain-telescope) ## Best For - celestron enthusiasts ## Why This Product - Trusted celestron brand quality - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Key Features - β€’ **Instant Universe Access:** Explore 40,000+ celestial objects with NexStar hand controller’s extensive database and advanced alignment modes. - β€’ **Astrograph-Grade Imaging:** Flat focal plane optics ensure pinpoint stars edge-to-edge, perfect for serious astrophotography and visual clarity. - β€’ **Future-Proof Connectivity:** Seamlessly control your telescope via USB or WiFi (with adapter), integrating with popular astronomy software for next-level automation. - β€’ **Crystal-Clear Cosmic Views:** 8" EdgeHD optics with StarBright XLT coatings deliver razor-sharp, aberration-free images across a wide field. - β€’ **Precision Tracking Mastery:** CGEM II mount supports up to 40 lbs with ultra-stable, vibration-minimizing computerized equatorial tracking. ## Overview The Celestron CGEM II 800 EdgeHD is a professional-grade 8" Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope featuring advanced StarBright XLT coatings and EdgeHD optics for ultra-sharp, coma-free views. Its rugged CGEM II computerized equatorial mount offers stable tracking with a 40 lb payload capacity, perfect for both visual astronomy and astrophotography. With an extensive 40,000+ object database and multiple alignment options, it’s designed for quick setup and deep sky exploration. Compatible with USB and WiFi control, this telescope blends cutting-edge technology with portability, making it a top choice for serious amateur astronomers and millennial stargazers craving precision and immersive cosmic experiences. ## Description CGEM II 800 HD combines Celestron's newly redesigned CGEM II computerized equatorial mount with its acclaimed EdgeHD optical system. With 8 inches of aperture and our premium StarBright XLT coatings, the CGEM II 800 HD gives you over 800 times the light gathering power than the unaided eye and is the lightest and most portable telescope in its class. OPTICAL TUBE INFO: SEE THE UNIVERSE IN HD EdgeHD is an aplanatic, flat field Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope that produces aberration-free images across a wide visual and photographic field of view. The optical system was designed to reduce more than just off-axis star coma; it also provides an astrograph-quality flat focal plane all the way to the edge of the field of view. TRUE ASTROGRAPH QUALITY Many optical designs that advertise themselves as "astrographs" actually only produce pinpoint stars across a curved focal plane. While this may be acceptable for some visual observing, stars will appear out of focus at the edge when used with the flat chip sensor of a digital camera. EdgeHD optics produce a focal plane more than three-times flatter than a standard Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope and dramatically flatter than competing coma-free designs. This guarantees you visibly sharp stars across some of the largest CCD chips available today. IMPROVED PERFORMANCE Superior edge performance not only creates rounder, more pleasing stars, but actually improves the resolution Review: Telescope optics is really great, CGEM II mount is also very rugged and ... - Telescope optics is really great, CGEM II mount is also very rugged and accurately track stars and planets with 40 lb payload. I am really enjoying this scope and mount on clear nights. This is quite heavy equipment, especially the mount is quite heavy as it has to be lifted to the top of the tripod and then screwed in to be secured. Figure out where to hold the mount so that you can lift it safely and sit it properly on the top of the tripod. Do it few times to get a hang of it and it should be easy there after. This system is all ready for tracking automation. The CGEM II mount has Celestron ASCOM driver. You download it from Celestron site, install it in your laptop. Thereafter you can control the mount movement from any Astronomy software from your laptop by connecting a USB cable through the Nexstar+ hand controller. It is also possible to control the mount by WiFi from laptop or mobile device if you attach Celestron SkyPortal WiFi adapter. The most important addition to your telescope will be high quality eyepieces, just like you add lenses to your DSLR camera. It is surprising that Celestron has decided to bundle a mediocre 40mm Plossl and a cheap 1.25" star diagonal with this fine astrograph quality telescope. Anyone who has no experience in telescope will be very dissapointed after looking through that 40mm eyepiece. Why Jupiter and Saturn are looking like tiny specs? To see what this scope is capable of, you need to invest in few quality eyepieces. I cannot stress enough on the word quality. I have purchase a wide FOV 2" 18mm, and 1.25" 8.8mm Explore Scientific and a 5mm Pentax eyepiece to cover all my viewing interests. These are expensive eyepieces, but you will get what you have paid for. It impossible to get nice crisp high magnification view with an inexpensive eyepiece. Do some research and buy the very best eyepiece you can afford. You may find this resource very useful to determine which eyepiece you may need http: // astronomy.tools/calculators/field_of_view Here are few other accessories I have found essential for this scope: A Celestron red dot finder. This is whole lot easier to use than the stock finder scope. A Husky 15 gallon job site cart to carry the mount safely to star party. Celestron Starsense auto align system. You plug it in with CGEM II mount and it automatically aligns the mount for you. This is a real time saver and a very good investment for this scope. If you want to do astrophotography, then you will need to add an additional focuser. The in-built focusing system suffers the dreaded mirror flop, which plagues every SCT. Mirror flop is a nuisance with high power eyepieces as the stars or planets visible in the eyepiece will jump from one location to another as soon as you reverse the focusing knob turning direction. This is not a defect as this happens in every SCT where focus is achieved by moving the mirror. This in-built focuser also lacks precision and it is quite useless to achieve critical focus with CCD camera. I have added a Baader Steeltrack Crayford focuser, which I have found excellent. I hope this may help someone who is new to astronomy and planning to make an investment in this telescope. Review: Well done! - Thank you ## Features - SUPERIOR OPTICS - Experience unparalleled clarity with the 8" Schmidt-Cassegrain, featuring Starbright XLT coatings for exceptional light transmission and brighter, sharper views. - HIGH MAGNIFICATION POWER - Observe celestial objects in stunning detail with a highest useful magnification of 480x, revealing intricate features of planets, stars, and galaxies. - ULTIMATE STABILITY - The CGEM II computerized equatorial mount provides a stable platform, minimizing vibrations for steady viewing and precise tracking, supporting up to 40 lbs payload. - ADVANCED ALIGNMENT - Achieve quick and accurate alignment with multiple procedures including AutoAlign, 2-Star Align, and Solar System Align, making setup easy for both beginners and experts. - EXTENSIVE DATABASE - Explore over 40,000 celestial objects with the NexStar hand controller, offering enhanced information on over 200 objects and 100 user-defined programmable objects. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | ASIN | B01LWSZVNS | | Additional Features | EdgeHD optical system, CGEM II computerized equatorial mount | | Best Sellers Rank | #6,924 in Camera & Photo Products ( See Top 100 in Camera & Photo Products ) #61 in Catadioptric Telescopes | | Brand | Celestron | | Coating | StarBright XLT | | Compatible Devices | Camera, Electronic Device | | Customer Reviews | 3.4 out of 5 stars 5 Reviews | | Eye Piece Lens Description | Barlow | | Field Of View | 2030 Degrees | | Finderscope | Reflex | | Focal Length Description | 4320 millimeters | | Focus Type | Manual Focus | | Global Trade Identification Number | 00050234120173 | | Item Weight | 2.5 Kilograms | | Manufacturer | Celestron | | Manufacturer Part Number | 12017 | | Model Number | 12017 | | Mount | Equatorial Mount | | Number of Batteries | 1 CR2032 batteries required. | | Objective Lens Diameter | 203 Millimeters | | Optical Tube Length | 13.5 Inches | | Optical-Tube Length | 13.5 Inches | | Power Source | Battery Powered | | Telescope Mount Description | Equatorial Mount | | UPC | 050234120173 | | Zoom Ratio | 16.55 | ## Product Details - **Brand:** Celestron - **Optical Tube Length:** 13.5 Inches - **Eye Piece Lens Description:** Barlow - **Objective Lens Diameter:** 203 Millimeters - **Telescope Mount Description:** Equatorial Mount - **Focus Type:** Manual Focus - **Power Source:** Battery Powered - **Finderscope:** Reflex - **Item Weight:** 2.5 Kilograms - **Lens Coating Description:** StarBright XLT ## Images ![Celestron CGEM II 800 EdgeHD 8" Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61ZM4GBs28L.jpg) ![Celestron CGEM II 800 EdgeHD 8" Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope - Image 2](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61uuO+K5qoL.jpg) ![Celestron CGEM II 800 EdgeHD 8" Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope - Image 3](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61UVAtRwd0L.jpg) ![Celestron CGEM II 800 EdgeHD 8" Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope - Image 4](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71w-wjU01bL.jpg) ![Celestron CGEM II 800 EdgeHD 8" Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope - Image 5](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71+T19KyWnL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Telescope optics is really great, CGEM II mount is also very rugged and ... *by M***A on August 24, 2018* Telescope optics is really great, CGEM II mount is also very rugged and accurately track stars and planets with 40 lb payload. I am really enjoying this scope and mount on clear nights. This is quite heavy equipment, especially the mount is quite heavy as it has to be lifted to the top of the tripod and then screwed in to be secured. Figure out where to hold the mount so that you can lift it safely and sit it properly on the top of the tripod. Do it few times to get a hang of it and it should be easy there after. This system is all ready for tracking automation. The CGEM II mount has Celestron ASCOM driver. You download it from Celestron site, install it in your laptop. Thereafter you can control the mount movement from any Astronomy software from your laptop by connecting a USB cable through the Nexstar+ hand controller. It is also possible to control the mount by WiFi from laptop or mobile device if you attach Celestron SkyPortal WiFi adapter. The most important addition to your telescope will be high quality eyepieces, just like you add lenses to your DSLR camera. It is surprising that Celestron has decided to bundle a mediocre 40mm Plossl and a cheap 1.25" star diagonal with this fine astrograph quality telescope. Anyone who has no experience in telescope will be very dissapointed after looking through that 40mm eyepiece. Why Jupiter and Saturn are looking like tiny specs? To see what this scope is capable of, you need to invest in few quality eyepieces. I cannot stress enough on the word quality. I have purchase a wide FOV 2" 18mm, and 1.25" 8.8mm Explore Scientific and a 5mm Pentax eyepiece to cover all my viewing interests. These are expensive eyepieces, but you will get what you have paid for. It impossible to get nice crisp high magnification view with an inexpensive eyepiece. Do some research and buy the very best eyepiece you can afford. You may find this resource very useful to determine which eyepiece you may need http: // astronomy.tools/calculators/field_of_view Here are few other accessories I have found essential for this scope: A Celestron red dot finder. This is whole lot easier to use than the stock finder scope. A Husky 15 gallon job site cart to carry the mount safely to star party. Celestron Starsense auto align system. You plug it in with CGEM II mount and it automatically aligns the mount for you. This is a real time saver and a very good investment for this scope. If you want to do astrophotography, then you will need to add an additional focuser. The in-built focusing system suffers the dreaded mirror flop, which plagues every SCT. Mirror flop is a nuisance with high power eyepieces as the stars or planets visible in the eyepiece will jump from one location to another as soon as you reverse the focusing knob turning direction. This is not a defect as this happens in every SCT where focus is achieved by moving the mirror. This in-built focuser also lacks precision and it is quite useless to achieve critical focus with CCD camera. I have added a Baader Steeltrack Crayford focuser, which I have found excellent. I hope this may help someone who is new to astronomy and planning to make an investment in this telescope. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Best you can get for this price range. *by R***B on May 21, 2020* In this combo the CGEM II mount is the most pricey piece. The whole setup is fairly easy to put together but mind you it is heavy. Altogether it is a little over 70lbs when fully assembled. The operation of the unit is fairly straight forward but I think they should have elaborated more on proper alignment or made the process easier. The hind controller is from a different era, I do not quite understand why they do not update this to something more modern. On the plus side, the unit can be controlled by both Mobile phones and computers as long as proper connections are made (Wifi or USB). The optical tube is of decent quality however one has to be careful about picking the right eyepieces. My being new to this, had to go through some trial end error before I found a set that I can live with for now. I hope this helps any one looking to purchase this. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Well done! *by A***R on September 6, 2024* Thank you ## Frequently Bought Together - Celestron CGEM II 800 EdgeHD 8" Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope - Celestron - SkyPortal WiFi Module - Control Your Celestron Computerized Telescope via Smartphone - Telescope Wi-Fi Accessory --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - πŸ›’ **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** β€” Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** β€” Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - πŸ’° **No Hidden Fees** β€” All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - πŸ”„ **15-Day Free Returns** β€” Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - πŸ”’ **Secure Payments** β€” Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** β€” Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.com.pa/products/37125906-celestron-cgem-ii-800-edgehd-8-schmidt-cassegrain-telescope](https://www.desertcart.com.pa/products/37125906-celestron-cgem-ii-800-edgehd-8-schmidt-cassegrain-telescope) --- *Product available on Desertcart Panama* *Store origin: PA* *Last updated: 2026-07-06*