Celestron C8 203/2032 Schmidt-Cassegrain Advanced VX GoTo

The classic eight-inch SCT: the golden mean

The Celestron SC 203/2032 Advanced VX is the combination that made Celestron famous: the C8 optical system on a photography-ready equatorial GoTo. The 203 mm Schmidt-Cassegrain collects 841 times more light than the naked eye, and the 2032 mm focal length delivers the magnification that planets and compact deep-sky objects demand, in a tube of less than fifty centimeters.

Forty years of proven optics

For decades, the C8 has been the benchmark among Schmidt-Cassegrains: closed tube, StarBright XLT coating, and a massive accessory market. Realistically usable up to about 400x; the Dutch atmosphere usually limits planetary work in practice to around 300x. Globular clusters resolve, planetary nebulae show form, and surface details appear on Mars during oppositions.

The Advanced VX: Built for Photography

The Advanced VX is a German equatorial GoTo mount with a 13.6 kg payload capacity, NexStar+ hand controller with over 40,000 objects, All-Star Polar Alignment for polar alignment without view of Polaris, permanent periodic error correction (PPEC), and an autoguider port. Precisely the foundation serious astrophotography requires. The mount operates on 12V; a powertank is the logical addition.

For whom yes, for whom no

Well: the serious observer looking for a single system for top-tier visual work and planetary photography, with maximum expandability. Not: anyone who primarily wants to photograph large nebula fields; an f/6.3 reducer helps, but a Newtonian or RASA is born for that.

What's in the box?

• Optical tube SC 203/2032 with StarBright XLT coating
• Advanced VX GoTo Mount with NexStar+ Hand Controller
• Steel tripod with accessory tray
• Eyepiece and diagonal mirror (1.25 inch)
• Red dot viewfinder
• Counterweight

Featured accessories

• The Celestron PowerTank Lithium LT The mount feeds all night in the field.
• A moon filter (1.25 inch) the bright moonlight reflects off this eight-inch optic.

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.