Celestron

CGEM II 700 Maksutov-Cassegrain

SKU: 12016


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  • Regular price $3,499.00

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$79 Economy shipping for Large Telescopes Due to their size and bulk, we are not able to offer free shipping on large Telescopes and Mounts, but offer a steep discount off the actual cost.

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  • 700 Maksutov-Cassegrain telescope with f/15 focal ratio provides high contrast views of the planets and lunar landscapes, perfect for serious planetary imagers and visual observers.
  • Celestron’s premium StarBright XLT coatings ensure maximum light transmission.
  • The CGEM II, with its 40 lbs load capacity, is the latest update to the venerable CGEM mount and provides a sturdy and rigid platform.
  • The drive system, consisting of low cog DC Servo motors with integrated optical encoders, steel worm gears supported by precision sealed bearings, and brass worm wheels, ensures smooth and accurate slewing and tracking.
  • Accessories included: 2” Visual Back, 2” Star Diagonal with 1.25” adapter, 28mm eyepiece (2”), 8x50 finderscope

The 700 Maksutov-Cassegrain CGEM II telescope (CGEM II 700 Mak) is a specialized instrument designed for detailed, high contrast views of smaller celestial objects like the planets. With the Maksutov-Cassegrain optical tube and sturdy equatorial mount and tripod, this kit will provide unparalleled views of the planets and up-close views of the lunar surface. Maks are also well suited to hunting smaller, fainter, deep sky objects such as globular clusters and planetary nebulae.  Astronomers located in urban astronomers will appreciate the Mak’s ability to bring out more contrast in celestial objects. 

Maksutov-Cassegrain Optical Design

The Mak is a catadioptric telescope, which means the optical design includes both a lens and a mirror. The light coming through a Mak passes through the corrector lens to the primary mirror and back to a spherical secondary mirror before it hits your eyepiece. Images are bright, sharp, and virtually free of chromatic aberration.

The Maksutov-Cassegrain’s optical design offers several unique benefits. Instead of a secondary mirror, the Mak features a “secondary spot” of reflective coating applied directly to the inside of the corrector plate. Because of this, the telescope does not require frequent collimation like a Schmidt-Cassegrain. Also, the secondary spot is significantly smaller than a traditional Schmidt-Cassegrain secondary mirror, giving the Mak its signature high-contrast views.

One important thing to note about Maksutov-Cassegrain telescopes is that the larger, heavier Maksutov corrector plate takes longer to cool down and adjust to ambient air temperature compared to a Schmidt-Cassegrain of the same aperture.

 

CGEM II Mount & Tripod

CGEM II is a sturdy equatorial mount capable of rigidly supporting the 700 Mak. Its 40 lbs load capacity can handle the 19 lbs optical tube with ease, leaving lots of capacity to spare for your camera and any accessories. The 700 Mak connects directly to the CGEM II with its CGE dovetail mounting bar.

The fully computerized mount will automatically “GoTo” any of the 40,000+ astronomical objects selected from the NexStar+ hand controller’s database and automatically track the object as it appears to move across the night sky.

CGEM II can image past the meridian with ease and not requiring a meridian flip until the object is a full 20° past the meridian.

The NexStar+ also has dozens of other functions to control every aspect of the mount’s behavior. These include:

  • Multiple ways to align the mount to the night sky
  • Adjustable slew rates up to 5°/second
  • Northern or Southern hemisphere compatibility
  • Adjustable autoguiding rates
  • Hibernate mode so the mount can be powered down without loss of alignment
  • Continual firmware development, with new features added regularly

Accessories Included
The CGEM II 700 Mak comes complete with a 2” Visual Back, a 2” Star Diagonal with 1.25” adapter, a 28 mm wide-field 2” eyepiece, and a large 8x50 straight-through finderscope. The optical tube accommodates the larger 2” accessories, such as 2” Barlows and larger wide-field eyepieces.

 

OPTICAL TUBE INFO:
Optical Design: Maksutov-Cassegrain
Aperture: 180mm (7.08")
Focal Length: 2700mm (106.3")
Focal Ratio: f/15
Focal Length of Eyepiece 1: 28mm (1.1") 2" eyepiece
Magnification of Eyepiece 1: 96x
Finderscope: 8x50 Straight Through
Star Diagonal: 2" with 1.25" adapter
Optical Tube: Aluminum
Highest Useful Magnification: 420x
Lowest Useful Magnification: 67x
Limiting Stellar Magnitude: 13.9
Resolution (Rayleigh): 0.64 arc seconds
Resolution (Dawes): 0.52 arc seconds
Light Gathering Power (Compared to human eye): 661x
Secondary Mirror Obstruction: 40mm (1.57")
Secondary Mirror Obstruction by Diameter: 22%
Secondary Mirror Obstruction by Area: 5%
Optical Coatings: StarBright XLT
Optical Tube Length: 571.5mm (22.5")
Optical Tube Diameter: 222.25mm (8.75")
Optical Tube Weight: 19 lbs (8.6 kg)
Dovetail: CGE Dovetail Bar
MOUNT INFO:
Mount Type: Computerized Equatorial
Instrument load capacity: 40 lbs (18 kg)
Height adjustment range (includes mount and tripod): 1346mm - 1651mm (53" – 65")
Tripod Leg Diameter: 50.8mm (2") Steel tripod with graduated markings on lower section
Latitude adjustment range: 15° - 70°
Mount Head Weight: 40 lbs (18.14 kg)
Accessory Tray: Yes
Tripod Weight: 20 lbs (9 kg)
Weight of Counterweights: 1 x 17 lbs | 1 x 12 lbs
Slew Speeds: 9 slew speeds - max speed 4.5°/second
Tracking Rates: Sidereal, Solar and Lunar
Tracking Modes: EQ North & EQ South
GPS: N/A
Dovetail Compatibility: Dual saddle plates (CG-5 and CGE saddle)
Number of Auxiliary ports: 2 Aux ports (1x Hand control port and 1x AUX Port for optional accessories)
Autoguide port: Yes
USB Port: Yes, input on Hand Control
Power Requirements: 12V DC, 3.2 amps
Motor Drive: DC servo motors
Alignment Procedures: 2-Star Align, 1-Star Align, Solar System Align, Last Alignment, Quick Align
Periodic Error Correction: Yes
Computerized Hand Control: 2 line x 18 character backlit Liquid Crystal Display, 19 LED backlit buttons, USB 2.0 port for PC connection
NexStar+ Database: 40,000+ objects, 100 user defined programmable objects Enhanced information on over 200 objects
Software: Celestron's Starry Night Special Edition Software, SkyPortal App
Total Kit Weight: 90.5 lbs (41 kg)

Ships in 4 boxes.

  • 700 Maksutov Cassegrain OTA
  • CGEM II Equatorial Head
  • Tripod with Accessory Tray
  • 1 x 17 lbs counterweight
  • 1 x 11 lbs CGEM counterweight
  • NexStar+ Hand Control
  • DC Power Cable (plugs into cigarette lighter socket)
  • 8mm Allen wrench (contained in rear carry handle)
  • 2” Visual Back
  • 2” Star Diagonal with 1.25” adapter
  • 28mm wide-field 2” eyepiece
  • large 8x50 straight-through finderscope
Barcode: 050234120166