Reddit reviews Celestron - NexStar 8SE Telescope - Computerized Telescope for Beginners and Advanced Users - Fully-Automated GoTo Mount - SkyAlign Technology - 40,000+ Celestial Objects - 8-Inch Primary Mirror

Here is a finished version consisting of my favorite images of the objects within the solar system I have taken an image of. Sorry Pluto! Maybe one day I will get around to adding you! :)

Thanks for looking!

If you feel like looking at some of my other images or following me on social media, here is a shameless plug to my Instagram

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Equipment:

• Meade LX80 8" ACF
  
  
• Nexstar 8SE (no longer own this, sold when I got the LX80)
  
  
• ZWO ASI120MC
  
  
  Acquisition varied per target. Essentially the idea for these images is to take video in order to make the final image. I use a program known as PIPP to stabilize the video and discard frames that have no target within the field of view. Following this I use Auto Stakkert 2 to stack the best frames with the best atmospheric disturbance which gives you the most clarity as well as the least amount of noise. Lastly, I use a program known Registax 6 to sharpen and perform some other manipulations to the output of the Auto Stakkert image. All of these programs are available for free online.
  
  If you want to see some other images that didn't quite make the cut:
  
  My first image ever through a telescope
  
  Jupiter double transit of Europa and Io
  
  Jupiter with three moons
  
  Close up of the moon
  
  There are quite a few more, but they tend to just be worst versions of the above image which I think are the best versions of each target I have. The only one I have singles of though are Mercury, Uranus, Neptune, and the ISS. Can't really hope to get much more detail out of the planets, but I would like to retry the ISS one day.

I'm in my mid 20s and I would straight up marry the woman who bought me this.

The problem is that there are no scopes available on the market that would fit all of your points!

• You can get a 8" dobsonian for half the budget, but that means no goto and no photography and is a bit bulky to transport.
  
• Celestron NexStar 8 fits two points: size and transportability, but is over budget and is not suitable for any serious astrophotography (moon and brighter objects ok).
  
• Celestron EdgeHD 8 AVX fits the size, transportability and is suitable for AP, but is typically waaaay over budget.
  
• Celestron CPC 800 XLT -- a compromise between AZ and EQ mounting, can be mounted on a wedge for astrophotography. Also over budget.
  
• A simpler design from Meade should also be capable of being mounted on a wedge for AP.
  
  However, now that you've seen the examples, you can look for them on craigslist. Keep in mind, that the listed telescopes is just a tip of the iceberg, but it's a start and we can help you refine your choice from there.
  
  Or, you can get a mount and a smaller scope for AP separately -- it is not that aperture-dependent, all you need is a sturdy enough mount and you can do AP with just a camera, or a smaller, but higher quality telescope. Many of the astrophotographers I know go with a combination choice: a nice big 10-12" dobsonian for visual observations and 80-100mm (semi)APO refractor or 127-200mm newtonian on computerized EQ mount for astrophotography. Typically it will end up better and cheaper than having a one huge scope for everything.
  
  In the end, imagine a triangle with Aperture (visual), AP and Budget on each of the vertices. You can only have at most two at the same time.

Dobsonian scopes are so popular because the mounts are so cheap to make, and a good (non-dob) mount can cost you more than the scope itself. This one has a bit of extras attached, like what appears to be some sort of goto add on, but it's far from the most expensive scope you'll ever see.

The key to telescopes is aperture. This one looks like a 12"? it could be an 8" (that's the diameter of the mirror inside). This 12" dobsonian with goto is $1,780. 1,179 if you want to manually move it while still having a computer tell you where to point. And only $629 if you want to skip the electronics all together. Now switch to a refracting telescope (what most people imagine when they think of telescopes). This 5" televue (less than half the aperture than the dobsonians, so see less deep space stuff) without any eyepieces, mounts, finder scopes, etc is $7,295. It's still not the most expensive amateur telescope out there, but you get the point. For the exact same price, you can get an 18" dobsonian telescope with a mount.

My first "serious" telescope was an Orion XT8. Just a scope that sits on a wooden box (aka, a dobsonian mount). It came with two eye pieces, a red dot finder, and a higher quality focuser. It costs $349. Later on, I upgraded to a Nexstar 8. They're the same size, will more or less see the same things, but the price jumps to $1,200, and this is still a fairly low end scope if you really want to get into astronomy.

I know that alot will advise dobsons like the Zhumell Z-series, but honestly, if he is a geeky guy and also wants easy of use then consider the Celestron NexStar 8 SE http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000GUFOC8/

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000GUFOC8

Pretty small aperture for that kind of price. Also, it's a refractor, which has inherent optical problems. For more than a thousand dollars, I'd look into something a little more powerful. For instance, a Celestron Nexstar 8. http://www.amazon.com/Celestron-NexStar-8-SE-Telescope/dp/B000GUFOC8/ref=pd_sim_sbs_p_3

This is an 8 inch SCT (Schmidt-Cassegrain; combines mirrors and lenses), which is much better than an 80mm refractor, optically speaking. And it also seems to be a fair bit less expensive.

Is this the scope you are talking about? C8