Celestron 279/2800 Newton Advanced VX GoTo

11-inch aperture on a portable mount

The Celestron SC 279/2800 Advanced VX brings observatory-class optics to a system you can still take in the car. The 279 mm Schmidt-Cassegrain gathers 1589 times more light than the naked eye: globular clusters down to their cores, structure in planetary nebulae, and surface detail on Mars during oppositions. The 2800 mm focal length is made for the highest magnifications the sky allows.

Maximum opening, closed system

On paper, magnification up to about 558x is meaningful; in Dutch practice, the atmosphere limits planetary viewing to around 300x, but the gain from an 11-inch aperture is in brightness and resolution at any magnification. The StarBright XLT coating and the closed tube maintain a high-contrast and stable image. Note the balance: this 12.5 kg tube is at the maximum load capacity of the AVX; for long, unattended photo sessions, a heavier mount like the CGEM II is the safer choice. Visually and for planetary video, the combination is excellent.

The Advanced VX: Built for Photography

The Advanced VX is a German equatorial GoTo mount with a 30 lb payload capacity, NexStar+ hand controller with over 40,000 objects, All-Star Polar Alignment for polar alignment without a view of Polaris, permanent periodic error correction (PPEC), and an autoguider port. The mount operates on 12V; a power tank is the logical addition.

What's in the box?

• Optical tube SC 279/2800 with StarBright XLT coating
• Advanced VX GoTo Mount with NexStar+ Hand Controller
• Steel tripod with accessory tray
• Eyepiece and diagonal mirror (1.25 inch)
• Seeker
• Counterweights

Featured accessories

• The Celestron PowerTank Lithium LT The mount feeds all night in the field.
• The Armor transport case for SC 11 tubes protects the large optics on the go.

Still unsure about the right model? Our Buyer's guide for beginners and the telescope selection aid help you step by step. Also check out all the catadioptric telescopes or the full range on the Celestron merk Page. You can read more background information about the merk in the Celestron merk Guide.