A few years ago, I went ahead and bought my first decent telescope. While the $4000 price tag of the Celestron CPC 1100 might seem intimidating, it’s worth it for what you get.
However, we need to address something first: It’s heavy. The telescope itself weights about 65 pounds, and the tripod an additional 19 pounds. Thankfully, you can take it apart bring each part outside separately.
Now let’s talk about the specifications of the Celestron CPC 1100 – It’s got a 11 inch mirror, which lets you see loads of stars, and decent views of planets such as Saturn and Jupiter. It’s also got a 9×50 finder scope, which can help you center objects within the telescope.
What really makes this telescope powerful is that it’s computerized – It uses a NexStar system, which can help you find anything in it’s database of 40,000+ objects. I’ve personally used this feature to find galaxies, planets, and nebulae. It also tracks your location, and keeps objects within your view as they move through space. The NexStar controller also has directional buttons to move the telescope itself.
It’s important to note the system has to be aligned each time. Thanks to the SkyAlign system, this can be as easy as finding an object such as the Moon. You can also buy a GPS module, which can make it easier.
Through my years with this telescope, I’ve seen lots of stuff. Everything from great views of Jupiter and Saturn, as well as stunning views of moon craters. I’ve even seen the space station a few times.
The biggest issue seems to be getting over that price. However, once you buy it, it will serve you for years.