CPC 800 GPS (XLT) Computerized Telescope
Item #11073-XLT

Navigate through this section to get detailed information on how XLT is designed, and how XLT measures up against our current StarBright coatings. We have also used this site as a resource to provide information on our testing methods and we offer a section detailing which models this new coating will be available with and the cost breakdown for each model.

OVERVIEW
COATINGS OVERVIEW
STARBRIGHT XLT SYSTEM
CURRENT STARBRIGHT
OUR MEASUREMENTS

To find a Celestron Dealer near you who carries telescopes with StarBright XLT, please click here for our Dealer Locater.

StarBright XLT & Our Commitment to Quality   TOP

We strive to design and engineer products with quality components using a state of the art manufacturing process that is followed up with uncompromising quality assurance. You can see it in the design and quality of our entire product line. And our new StarBright XLT coating system is no exception.

Design - We design and test our optical coatings with the aid of thin film design software in wide use throughout the optical, semiconductor, aerospace, and telecommunications industries. Using this software we have improved on our multi-layer enhanced mirror coatings, shifting the peak reflectance to the center of the visible spectrum. We have designed a completely new multi-layer anti-reflective coating and have introduced a new low absorption, high transmission glass for our corrector lens. This unequaled combination is standard with every StarBright XLT system.

Quality Components and Process - Our coating process uses state-of-the-art thin film vacuum deposition technology. To ensure consistent optical coatings of the highest quality the process is tightly monitored and controlled by highly trained coating technicians. Prior to coating, each optical element is thoroughly cleaned and inspected to ensure proper adhesion of the films during the coating process. The materials used in our reflective and anti-reflective coatings including Aluminum, Hafnium Oxide, Titanium Dioxide, Silicon Dioxide, and Magnesium Fluoride are the purest available, exceeding 99.99%.

Quality Assurance - Our QA process is designed to prevent any optical element from passing if it does not meet our strict standards of optical quality. Witness plates are included in each coating run, and are subjected to spectrophotometric analysis to determine if the minimum acceptable transmission or reflectance has been achieved.

Optical Elements of the Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope    TOP

A telescope is a group of optical elements that collects light and focuses it for observation by an eyepiece or some other imaging device. There are two types of optical elements: mirrors and lenses. Mirrors reflect light and lenses refract, or bend light. The Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope uses both mirrors and lenses. The diagram below shows a cross-section of a Schmidt-Cassegrain. In this telescope, light first passes through the corrector lens, and then reflects off the primary mirror. Finally, it reflects off the secondary mirror and comes to a focus at the focal plane.

Optical Coatings

The purpose of a telescope is to collect as much light as possible. The amount of light collected affects the brightness of the resulting image. Unfortunately, there are sources of light loss at each optical surface, and within each lens. Fortunately, we can design optical coatings and choose lens materials that minimize the amount of light lost to these sources.

Optical coatings are very thin layers of material that are applied to the glass in a process called 'vacuum deposition '. The physical properties and thickness of each layer in the coating, as well as their orientation with each other and the glass to which they are applied, determine how well they will do their job.

Since the function of a mirror is to collect light by way of reflection, we use highly reflective metallic coatings on these optical elements. A mirror without coatings reflects about 4% of the light that hits its surface. A mirror coated with standard Aluminum coatings reflects about 86 - 88%, and a mirror coated with StarBright XLT reflects 95%.

Light traveling through a lens is a little more complicated. In this case, light is lost to both reflection and absorption. When light first strikes an uncoated lens, about 4% is reflected back and never has the chance to make it through. Some of the remaining 96% will be absorbed on its way through the glass, and then the second lens surface reflects another 4%. To minimize unwanted reflection, dielectric materials are used in pairs of alternating high and low refractive index. A good anti-reflection (A/R) coating for telescope lenses is one that will deliver very low, very 'flat ' reflectance across the entire visible spectrum.

Although A/R coatings can dramatically reduce the amount of light lost to reflection, no optical coating can reduce the amount of light lost to absorption within the glass. To reduce this source of light loss, it is important to choose a glass that absorbs as little light as possible.

For many A/R coating applications, it is standard to measure the reflection of the coated surface and to ignore the amount of light that is being absorbed by the glass. But for a telescope lens, stating how well an A/R coating suppresses reflection without also revealing how much light is lost to absorption within the glass can be quite misleading. For this application, actual transmission, which accounts for light lost to both sources, should be measured directly. You can learn more about how we did these measurements in the section titled Our Measurements.

Telescope System Transmission

System transmission is the percentage of light that arrives at the focal plane compared to the light that enters the telescope, and is calculated by taking the product of the corrector lens transmission, the primary mirror reflectance, and the secondary mirror reflectance. Here is an example; if the corrector lens transmits 92% of the light, and the primary and secondary each reflect 89% of the light, then:

Total System Transmission = .92 * .89 * .89 = .73 (73%)

StarBright XLT - An Optical System Breakthrough!    TOP

Celestron has brought its renowned StarBright technology to an even higher level of light transmission with the introduction of our new optional StarBright XLT High Performance Optical Coating System.

StarBright XLT Optical System Design - You'll See The Light.

One of the most important factors in the evaluation of a Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope's optical system performance is its transmission - the percentage of incoming light that reaches the focal plane. The design of the XLT System accomplishes two crucial objectives: Develop a coating system that is optimized for visual use and for CCD/Photographic imaging.

The StarBright XLT System - What Makes It Different Makes It Better

There are three major components that make up our StarBright XLT high transmission optical system design:

1. Unique enhanced multi-layer mirror coatings
Our mirror coatings are made from precise layers of Aluminum (Al), SiO2 (quartz), TiO2 (Titanium Dioxide), and Si02. Reflectivity is fairly flat across the spectrum, optimizing it for both CCD imaging and visual use. Click here to see a plot of the reflectivity of XLT's Mirror Coatings.

2. Multi-layer anti-reflective coatings
Made from precise layers of MgF2 (Magnesium Fluoride), and HfO2 (Hafnium Dioxide) A rare element costing nearly $2000 per kilogram, Hafnium gives us a wider band pass than Titanium, used in competing coatings. Click here to see a plot of XLT's corrector transmission.

3. High Transmission Water White glass
Celestron Schmidt-Cassegrain optical systems with optional StarBright XLT coatings use Water White glass instead of Soda Lime glass for the corrector lens. Water White glass transmits about 90.5% without anti-reflective coatings. That is 3.5% better transmission than uncoated Soda Lime glass. When Water White glass is used in conjunction with StarBright XLT 's anti-reflective coatings, the average transmission reaches 97.4% - an 8% improvement! Click here to see a plot of water white glass versus soda lime.*

These three components of our StarBright XLT coatings result in one of the finest coatings available. The peak transmission for the systems is 89% at 520 nm. The overall system transmission is 83.5% averaged over the spectrum from 400 to 750 nm. The plot below shows the entire system transmission over the spectrum.

This plot is obtained by measuring the reflectivity of the secondary mirror and the primary mirror and measuring the amount of light transmitted through the coated corrector lens. Each of those values are multiplied together calculate the system transmission. The overall system transmission peaks at 88.9% while the average transmission is 83.5% over the spectrum from 400 to 750nm.

*Percent differences are calculated by taking the comparison data percentage divided by the baseline data. Example: Measured average system transmission for current StarBright is 72%. XLT average system transmission is 83.5%. 83.5% divided by 72% = 1.16 or 16% improvement. Measurement results are rounded to the nearest whole percentage.

StarBright XLT vs. Current StarBright Coatings   TOP

StarBright XLT system transmission gives a 16% improvement compared to the current StarBright coatings. The average system transmission for the current StarBright coatings is 72% where the average system transmission StarBright XLT is 83.5%. Current StarBright uses soda lime glass correctors where StarBright XLT uses water white glass, which improves the corrector throughput dramatically.

The average system transmission of StarBright XLT 83.5% compared to current StarBright at 72%. StarBright XLT is a 16% improvement over current StarBright .* The peak transmissions of each being 89% and 80% respectively.

StarBright Mirror Reflectivity Comparison
StarBright XLT mirror reflectivity peaks at 95% and has an average reflectance across the spectrum of 93%. Click on the link above to show how XLT compares to current StarBright and UHTC.

Mirror Reflectivity for StarBright XLT and current StarBright. StarBright XLT reflectivity peaks at 95% and has an average reflectance across the spectrum of 93%. Current StarBright peaks at 94% with an average reflection of 91% across the spectrum.

StarBright Corrector Transmission Comparison
XLT's corrector transmission is 97.4% versus current StarBright with 87% and UHTC with 91% across the spectrum from 450 to 750 nm.

Average XLT transmission of 97.4% versus current StarBright with 87% across the spectrum from 450 to 750 nm. StarBright XLT is a 12% improvement over current StarBright transmission.* StarBright XLT has peak transmission at 99%, while current StarBright peaks at 91%.

*Percent differences are calculated by taking the comparison data percentage divided by the baseline data. Example: Measured average system transmission for current StarBright is 72%. XLT average system transmission is 83.5%. 83.5% divided by 72% = 1.16 or 16% improvement. Measurement results are rounded to the nearest whole percentage.

Testing Methods:   TOP

Total telescope light throughput can be measured in two different ways; either by measurement of the assembled optical system, or by measurement of the reflectance of each mirror (or reflective element), and the transmission of each refractive element in the optical path. In the case of a Schmidt Cassegrain telescope, there are two reflective elements (the primary and secondary mirrors), and one refractive element (the corrector plate, or Schmidt Corrector). See diagram below:

Assembled Telescope vs. Individual Optical Element Analysis:

To measure the throughput of the assembled telescope, a beam of light is passed through the telescope and compared to a beam of equal intensity light passing through air only. Total telescope throughput is then the ratio of light intensity measured through the telescope divided by the light intensity measured through air. This is easily said, but very challenging to execute correctly. Great care must be taken to ensure that the reference beam is of constant intensity, and that its light is collected in a manner which does not bias the results. Errors introduced by beam geometry (f ratio) at the entrance to the detector, less than perfect alignment of the optical elements, including placement and dimensions of internal light baffles, will tend to reduce the intensity of light measured through the telescope.

The second method of measuring total telescope throughput, by spectrophotometric analysis of each element in the optical path, is not susceptible to these sources of error. Furthermore, individual element analysis provides specific information about each optical element, while measuring the throughput of the assembled optical tube does not. Results obtained in this manner represent an upper limit to the actual throughput of the assembled telescope. Total Telescope Throughput (%TT) is less than or equal to Corrector Plate Transmission (%TC) times Primary Mirror Reflectance (%RP) times Secondary Mirror Reflectance (%RS).

Corrector Plate Transmission (%TC):

We use a Shimadzu UV1601 spectrophotometer for analysis of corrector plate transmission. This is a double beam instrument with a spectral range of 190 to 1100nm. Transmission data is typically collected in the visible region from 400 to 750 nm. Small samples of corrector material called witness plates are included in each corrector coating run. In order to minimize handling and the possibility of scratching a full size corrector plate, we use these witness plates to represent the transmission characteristics of our correctors.

Our instrument is capable, however, of measuring the transmission of correctors up to 8" diameter. If this is necessary, the corrector plate is measured at 4 points roughly 90� apart, and the results are averaged. Before and after each measurement, baseline (100%) measurements are made to ensure light source and/or detector drift is negligible.

Primary and Secondary Reflectance (%RP, %RS):

The preferred method of measuring reflectance of primary and secondary mirrors involves the use of witness plates as well. These are small (1" to 2" diameter) flat polished glass substrates, which are coated along with the primary and secondary mirrors. Since the coating process is the same, and the surfaces are equally well polished, the reflectance of the witness plate is the same as that for the primary and secondary mirror. The reasons for using flat witness plates are 1) the primary and secondary mirrors are not themselves subjected to a measurement process which can potentially cause scratches, and 2) very simple test methods and readily available reference standards can be used to measure the reflectance of flat surfaces.

Typically, the reflectance of a surface is measured against a standard reference of known reflectance. Our standard reference is an enhanced aluminum coated quartz flat, calibrated against a NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) specular reflectance standard. To measure the reflectance of a flat sample, the baseline measurement is made using this standard, and the reflectance of the sample is compared to this baseline. The sample reflectance factor (%RS) is equal to its reflectance relative to the reference standard (%RSR) times the reference standard's known reflectance (%RR):

However, if the sample to be measured has a curved surface like a secondary or a primary mirror, and there is no witness plate available, then special care must be taken to ensure that the method used to measure reflectance is insensitive to this curvature. If we compared the reflectance of a curved surface directly to that of a flat reflectance standard, our results would not be accurate, since the converging or diverging beam generated by a curved surface would direct either less light (in the case of a secondary mirror), or more light (in the case of a primary mirror) onto the detector than was directed by the flat reference standard.

The most widely used tool for measuring the reflectance of curved surfaces is called an integrating sphere. This device collects and then measures the intensity of light in a manner which is insensitive to beam geometry, hence, insensitive to surface curvature of a reflective sample being measured. However, integrating spheres can be quite expensive, and they are time-consuming to set up and calibrate. We developed a method which is equally insensitive to surface curvature, but much less costly and time consuming to perform. We made our own reference standards from secondary and primary mirrors with the same surface curvature as those we wished to test.

We obtained samples of the secondary and primary mirrors which we wished to test, stripped the existing coating, and replaced it with one for which we also obtained flat witness plates. These flat witness plates were calibrated against a NIST specular reflectance standard. Since the flat witness plates were coated along with the curved samples, and since we have adequate data to show that our coatings are very uniform from part to part in any given coating run, we can apply this reflectance data to our curved samples. Using these curved surface reflectance standards we are able to measure other mirrors of the same curvature just as we use our flat reflectance standard to measure the reflectance of flat samples.

To perform these measurements, we use an Ocean Optics USB2000 Spectrometer with an LS-1 Tungsten Halogen Light Source. This is a single-beam instrument with a 0.3nm resolution, a scanning range from 340nm to 1024nm, and is equipped with a fiber optic curved-surface reflectance measuring probe.

Reporting the Data:

Collecting the data and reducing it to yield total telescope throughput (%TT) (system transmission) is simply a matter of multiplication. We find the average of each data set (%TC, %RP, and %RS) for each wavelength measured, and multiply them together.

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NexRemote Control Software
for Celestron Computerized Telescopes

OVERVIEW
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
NEXREMOTE KIT
DOWNLOADS

Celestron has been in the forefront of computerized telescope technology for over two decades. We have taken this expertise in telescope technology one step further by introducing the NexRemote™ Telescope Control Software. NexRemote allows the user to control their Celestron computerized telescope from their personal computer. Everything that is done using the telescope’s hand control can now be done remotely from a PC or laptop. This software was developed for Celestron’s high-end telescopes that use the NexStar control system including the NexStar "i" Series, Advanced Series, NexStar GPS Series and CGE Series.

NexRemote provides full emulation of every aspect of the Celestron Computerized Hand Control including:

• Alignment in any tracking mode
• Database of objects
• User objects
• Hibernation
• Connect to popular planetarium programs

NexRemote began shipping in March 2005 with select high-end computerized Celestron telescopes including NexStar i Series models, NexStar GPS models and CGE models. Contact your Celestron dealer to find out availability of upgraded models that include NexRemote. Software will also come with an RS-232 cable to connect your Celestron telescope to a PC. For those who already own a compatible Celestron computerized telescope and want to take it to the next level of convenience and enjoyment, the software can be purchased separately as a kit through an authorized Celestron dealer (item# 93710). Kit includes the NexRemote software & license, RS-232 cable and a Serial-to-USB adapter.

System Requirements

Compatible Telescopes:

• NexStar SLT
• NexStar 8i SE
• Advanced Computerized Series
• CPC GPS Series
• CGE Series
• Discontinued Celestron NexStar 8/9.25/11 GPS
• Discontinued Celestron NexStar 5i/ 8i

Computer:

• PC compatible (Note: 233MHz Pentium II or better is required)
• Windows 98SE or better is required for basic operation
• Windows NT, 2000, or XP is required for Virtual Port operation
• NexRemote will not work with 64 bit version of Windows Vista
• DirectX 7 or later must be installed. (DirectX can be obtained for free by clicking here.)
• SAPI 5.1 or later is required for speech support. ( This is free to download and can be obtained here.)
• MDAC 2.5 or later is required for tour editing. (If no database entries are displayed when you launch NexTour, you can download this update for free by clicking here.)

Port:

• RS232 Serial Port (or USB-to-Serial / PCMCIA-to-Serial adapter)

Cable:

• PC Port (programming) or HC Serial cable (Note: An additional device is required when using the GT telescopes. Please contact technical support for more details.)

Gamepad:

• Logitech Wingman Cordless Rumblepad
• Logitech Cordless Rumblepad 2
• Logitech Wingman Rumblepad USB
• Saitek P3000 Wireless Pad

NOTE: Virtually any gamepad can be configured to work with NexRemote. Read the help files for details.

NexRemote Kit

Now Celestron Advanced Series GT, NexStar “i” Series, GPS, and CGE Series telescopes can be set up and operated remotely from a PC or laptop! NexRemote duplicates all of the functions and features of our NexStar software on the standard NexStar Hand Control plus much more! See our section on NexRemote for more information.

Kit Includes:

NexRemote Software CD with license
RS-232 Cable to connect telescope to PC or Laptop
Serial-To-USB Adapter

Features include:

• Use your favorite planetarium software at the same time as NexRemote
• Custom tour creation
• Use speech support to hear NexRemote say everything out loud
• Wireless operation with compatible gamepad

*NexRemote is included with select NexStar "i" Series, GPS, and CGE Series telescopes beginning in March, 2005 (contact your Celestron Dealer for availability of models with NexRemote).

Internal GPS
The CPC Series' internal GPS receiver automatically downloads the date and time from orbiting satellites and pinpoints its exact location on Earth. This eliminates the need for you to manually enter the date, time, longitude and latitude.

GPS Compatible
Our NexStar SLT, Advanced Series GT and the CGE Series computerized telescopes are all GPS compatible. With an optional GPS accessory, these telescopes can automatically download the date and time from orbiting GPS satellites and pinpoint their exact location on Earth. This eliminates the need for you to manually enter the date, time, longitude and latitude which not only saves time, but is also very helpful for providing the most accurate alignments.

For the telescopes that have this technology feature, users can upgrade their telescope's operating software via the Internet.

The following products have this feature:

• CPC GPS Series
• NexStar SLT Series
• CGE Series
• Advanced GT Series
• NexStar 8i SE

Current upgrades can be found through our downloads section and on each telescope's product page. To receive an announcement when upgrades have been added, make sure you are subscribed to our mailing list.

With SkyAlign, setting up and using a computerized telescope is faster and easier than ever before.

US Patent No. 7,382,448

Point the telescope at three bright objects in the sky and the telescope tells YOU what the objects are. You do not need to know the names of the stars – you can even pick the moon or bright planets! SkyAlign is the easiest method to align a computerized telescope; it's perfect for beginners and provides the convenience and accuracy demanded by experienced users.

Input the date, time and your location (GPS models obtain all this information automatically) and then point the telescope at three bright stars of your choosing. There is no need to point the telescope north or to level the optical tube as in previous alignment methods. The initial position of the telescope is irrelevant. This makes for a fast and very easy method for aligning the telescope.

"We decided to test the alignment [SkyAlign] by having the telescope slew to Jupiter. It hit Jupiter DEAD center in the 40mm eyepiece. Not center third of the field of view, not close to center, DEAD center. We were all amazed."
     Ben Hauck, Oceanside Photo & Telescope

What is Alignment?
You have to know where you are in order to find your destination – that is what aligning a computerized telescope is all about. The software for the telescope needs to know the exact orientation of the telescope in relation to the night sky in order to find the tens of thousands of celestial objects programmed in the hand control.

Taking the Guesswork out of Alignment
Other methods for aligning a computerized telescope require the user to confirm what star the telescope is pointing at in order to align. If you don't know where Arcturus or Sirius is, how can you confirm that information? The best you can do is guess. SkyAlign is the only alignment method where you truly do not have to know the night sky – and it's only available from Celestron.

How does it work?
Click on the box below to see a demonstration video of SkyAlign (requires Real Player)
The NexStar® software with SkyAlign measures the distance in each axis between the objects you selected. Given the current time and location, the software then compares the data to the expected distances of objects in the hand control's internal database . Once matches are found, the hand control displays the names of the three objects you selected to help you learn the night sky.
FAQ: What telescopes feature SkyAlign? Will SkyAlign work with equatorial scopes or if my alt/az scope is on a wedge? Will SkyAlign work with my older Celestron computerized telescope? What steps can I take to ensure successful alignment with SkyAlign? What are the steps of the SkyAlign procedure? What telescopes feature SkyAlign? SkyAlign technology is standard in the CPC, NexStar SLT, NexStar 80 GTL and NexStar 8i Special Edition (available only with 11022-XLT-SE-SA models). Will SkyAlign work with equatorial scopes or if my alt/az scope is on a wedge? SkyAlign is not currently available for telescopes mounted equatorially (or on a wedge). Will SkyAlign work with my older Celestron computerized telescope? SkyAlign will work with alt/az Celestron telescopes that use the NexStar software (excluding the original NexStar 5 and NexStar 8 models). A new hand control will be required for this purpose. Please contact Celestron Technical Support for more information on obtaining an upgraded hand control. Upgraded hand controls that feature SkyAlign are also flash-upgradeable, allowing you to download software updates from the Celestron website. What steps can I take to ensure successful alignment with SkyAlign? Level the tripod Be sure to level the tripod before you start. Assumptions about the available bright stars and planets rely on a level tripod. Once the alignment is complete, GoTo and tracking are not dependent upon the accuracy with which you leveled the tripod, so do not spend time seeking perfect level - close is good enough. The CPC and NexStar SLT telescopes feature bubble levels on the tripod to assist with this. Set correct time If you do not have a GPS-equipped telescope, be accurate to within a couple of minutes when entering the time. Also, either select a city within 50 miles or enter your longitude and latitude to within one degree. Pick bright stars Only stars of magnitude 2.5 or brighter are included in the SkyAlign procedure, so it is best to take a look around and select three of the brightest stars in the sky. No need to worry about confusing planets for stars - SkyAlign works with the four brightest planets as well (Venus, Jupiter, Saturn and Mars). Also, you can even use the Moon as one of your alignment objects - though due to the speed with which it moves across the sky and the size, you would need to switch to a low power eyepiece to center it. Pick stars that are far apart from each other. It is helpful to select widely placed objects for alignment. When scanning the sky before you begin, keep this in mind. Only two of the objects (the two with widest separation) will actually be used for calculating the model of the sky. The third object is needed to provide a positive identification of the other two. So, be sure at least two of the three are widely spaced. What are the steps of the SkyAlign procedure? Level the tripod. Setup the scope in alt-az mode - mounted right on top of the tripod. SkyAlign is not currently available when mounted equatorially on a wedge. Power up the scope. Press ENTER to begin and then ENTER again when the display reads SkyAlign. The hand control will show either the current time or the time when you last used the scope. The top line of the display will cycle through the messages, "Enter if OK", and "UNDO to edit". * If your scope has a GPS module, the GPS receiver will shortly lock onto 3 GPS satellites and update the date, time, and location (skip to step 6). If you become impatient waiting for a GPS link, or if you don't have a GPS module in your scope, use the Up and Down buttons (6 and 9 on the keypad) to scroll through the date, time, and location settings. If they are all correct, press Enter to accept and proceed with the alignment. If they need to be adjusted, press Undo and make any necessary corrections. Then you will see a short message about what will happen next - press ENTER to continue. The display will now prompt to Center Object 1. Prior to beginning, you should scan across the sky looking for three bright points. Two of them should have wide separation, the third should not be close to the line connecting the other two. Use the arrow buttons to slew (move) to the first of your bright objects. Center the object in the finderscope and press ENTER. Then center the object in the eyepiece and press ALIGN. Repeat Step 7 for two additional objects and you are finished The hand control displays "Match Confirmed" and then asks you if you'd like to see the matches (hit Enter) or just carry on (hit Undo). If you hit Enter to see the matches, it brings up a list of the matches that you can scroll through. * entering the time will vary depending on the mount type

TORRANCE, CA – (October 13, 2009) – Celestron® the world’s leading telescope maker and global sponsor of the International Year of Astronomy 2009, applauds the White House and President Barack Obama for their support of astronomy and science education. On Wednesday, October 8, 2009, President Barack Obama and the first lady Michelle Obama hosted what is believed to be the first star party ever to be held at the White House.

President Obama kicked-off the event with a brief address that was streamed live on the whitehouse.gov website. The program at the White House included more than 20 telescopes set up on the White House lawn focused on Jupiter, the Moon and select stars. President Obama, under the direction of his science advisor John Holdren, viewed a double-star in the constellation Lyra through a Celestron CPC 800 computerized telescope. “Celestron commends President Obama for his commitment to science education and support of astronomy. It is imperative that we all work together to bring awareness to our next generation about our place in the universe and the contributions that amateur astronomers can make to modern astronomy.” said Joseph A. Lupica Jr, President and CEO of Celestron.

This star party was held to mark the International Year of Astronomy (IYA2009), which celebrates the 400th anniversary of Galileo's first use of a telescope. "What will your great discovery be?" Obama asked the students before viewing through the telescope. "Galileo changed the world when he pointed his telescope to the sky. Now it's your turn. We need your restless curiosity," the president said. Obama, his wife Michelle, and a group of 150 local middle-school students attended. Also in attendance were two 15-year-old amateur astronomers, Caroline Moore, who at age 14 became the youngest person to discover a supernova, and Lucas Bolyard, who discovered a rare type of ultra-dense star known as a pulsar. Former astronauts Buzz Aldrin, Sally Ride and Mae Jemison, and current astronaut John Grunsfeld joined the historical event as well.

Visit the websites below for information on other notable IYA events happening in 2009:

• October 9-23 -- Great World Wide Star Count www.starcount.org
• October 19-25 -- Fall Astronomy Week, including Fall Astronomy Day on Saturday, October 24, with the Astronomical League www.astroleague.org
• October 22-24 -- IYA Galilean Nights global star party www.galileannights.org
• November 10-30 -- NASA’s Image Unveiling hubblesource.stsci.edu/events/iyafinale
• IAU International Year of Astronomy website: www.astronomy2009.org

The editors at Sky & Telescope Magazine have named Celestron's SkyAlign alignment technology as a Hot Product for 2006 saying our revolutionary product has "redefined and simplified" the computerized telescope setup process.

SkyAlign comes standard on the following Celestron telescope families:

SLT Series
8i Special Edition
CPC Series

As the holiday season swings into high gear, there has never been a better time to consider purchasing a computerized telescope -- especially now that Celestron has pioneered a way to make them easier to use than ever! Contact your local Celestron dealer to find the SkyAlign telescope that is right for you.

For more information about SkyAlign click here.

• Microsoft Windows - ALL 32 and 64bit versions

• Microsoft Windows - ALL 32 and 64bit versions

• Microsoft Windows - ALL 32 and 64bit versions

• Microsoft Windows - ALL 32 and 64bit versions