Celestron CGEM DX 1400 HD Computerized Telescope

The CGEM DX 1400 HD Computerized Telescope from Celestron features an EdgeHD Schmidt-Cassegrain optical system. This compound, or catadioptric, light-path employs a combination of mirrors and lenses that offer a large high-resolution aperture, a shorter tube length, and enhanced portability. This telescope has a 14" aperture, a focal length of 3910mm, and a focal ratio of f/10.98. The EdgeHD optics delivers pinpoint, aberration-free images even with the widest field eyepiece. They are designed to produce an extremely flat focal plane precise enough to match the strict tolerances of large commercial CCD detectors, allowing all stars to be in tight focus to the very edge of the chip. Mirror tension locks hold the primary mirror in place and reduce image shift. There are cooling vents to allow hot air to be released from behind the primary mirror. It is Fastar compatible for fast f/2 imaging.

The optical path consists of a zero power corrector plate, a spherical primary mirror, and a secondary mirror along with a set of field flattening lenses integrated into the baffle tube. The resulting imaging plane is 3 times flatter than the field produced by a standard SCT telescope.

The StarBright XLT coatings are designed to produce fairly flat reflectivity across the spectrum, optimized for both CCD imaging and visual use. This high performance optical system utilizes multi-layer, anti-reflective coatings and high transmission Water White glass for the corrector lens. This results in a peak light transmission for the system of 89% at 520 nm.

The OTA comes with a very useful 9x50 finderscope fitted to its exterior. Due to its wider field of view, this ancillary optic can offer assistance in locating objects to view with the main scope.

Normal image orientation for the EdgeHD design is upside-down and reversed. The 2.0" diagonal inverts this image so it is right-side-up, but reversed. This diagonal directly accepts 2.0" eyepieces, and a 1.25" eyepiece adapter is included. It is packaged with a 23mm eyepiece.

The CGEM DX Mount is fully computerized with a database of over 40,000+ celestial objects, and it offers numerous design advantages. The CGEM DX is a sturdy and reliable mount with an excellent feature set that fills the niche between the advanced and pro series mounts. The software-assisted all-star polar alignment feature allows the viewer to choose any bright star for alignment of the mount's polar axis, even if the North Star isn't visible. Large hand-knobs offer easy altitude and azimuth adjustments. With just a standard hand-control alignment, the CGEM DX is capable of centering a star to within 5 arc minutes. The NexStar program's advanced pointing feature further improves the pointing accuracy to as low as 1 arc minute. Additionally, extended meridian tracking, nine available slew speeds from .5 to 5° per second, and a precision tracking system all combine to provide outstanding tracking and viewing performance

The CGE PRO style, 2.75" tripod legs holds the OTA securely while dampening vibration and steadying both imaging and visual observing.

The All-Star polar alignment procedure allows a user to choose any bright star, after the telescope has been aligned with 2 bright stars, and the software then calculates and assists with the telescope's alignment for more precise accuracy. NexRemote allows control of the computerized telescope from a personal computer. Everything that is usually done with the telescope's hand control can be done remotely from a PC or laptop. Software can be kept current with downloadable upgrades via the internet.