Celestron 8" f/2 Rowe-Ackermann Schmidt Astrograph RASA Telescope, OTA Only, Bundle with Astronomy Chair

Explore the cosmos with the 8" f/2.0 Rowe-Ackermann Schmidt Astrograph (RASA) Telescope, a cutting-edge portable astrograph from Celestron. This state-of-the-art telescope is designed to capture breathtaking wide-field deep sky images in mere seconds, making it an ideal companion for today's advanced color astronomical CMOS cameras, compact CCD cameras, and mirrorless cameras.

The 8" RASA Telescope boasts a fast f/2.0 system, a patented optical design, and a lightweight build of just 17 pounds, making it an easy-to-transport tool for your astronomical adventures. Its fast focal ratio allows you to produce sharp, detailed images, often eliminating the need for an autoguider.

This imaging telescope is engineered to deliver a flat field without optical aberrations, ensuring razor-sharp stars across a wide field of view. It's capable of capturing stunning deep-sky astronomical images without the challenges typically associated with longer focal length instruments, and at a fraction of the cost.

The 8" RASA is the latest addition to the RASA family, offering a more portable and affordable alternative to the highly acclaimed RASA 11. Despite its smaller size, it shares many of the same innovative features as the RASA 11, including an integrated air-cooling system, internal filter mount, and sturdy CGE dovetail mounting bar.

Designed purely for imaging, the 8" RASA does not accommodate traditional eyepieces as the prime focus focal plane is located at the front of the optical system. However, its F/2.0 optical system allows for shorter exposure times, capturing detail in faint objects. When paired with sensitive cameras and the right "live stacking" software, the 8" RASA can provide an almost real-time observing experience, displaying images on a computer that are brighter and more detailed than what can be seen through larger telescopes with the naked eye.

The 8" RASA also introduces a new Ultra-Stable Focus System, designed to minimize lateral movement of the primary mirror when focusing, slewing, or tracking. This new design makes focusing easier, more accurate, and more stable than ever before.

Unlike larger RASAs, the 8" model is optimized for color astronomical CMOS cameras, smaller CCD cameras, and mirrorless cameras. It is not compatible with standard DSLR cameras. It performs best with sensors up to a 22mm diagonal, but can also work well with sensors up to 32mm diagonal.

The 8" RASA's unique optical design, which is patented (US 2016/0299331 A1), consists of a Schmidt corrector, primary mirror, lens group, and optical window. The lens group contains four elements and utilizes rare-earth elements. The telescope's optics are designed to perform over a wider spectral range, from 390-800nm, allowing more of the light emitted from the astronomical object to be sharply focused in the image.

Celestron's 8" RASA Telescope is a powerful tool for any astroimager, offering superior optical performance, field illumination, and a unique design that sets it apart from other telescopes in its class.