ABOUT THE TELESCOPE

During your Night Sky Tour you will be peering across our galaxy and universe through an 11-inch diameter Schmidt-Cassegrain reflector telescope which will transport you back many centuries or millennia to glimpse distant and ancient celestial objects—some appearing as they were long before humans walked the Earth.

The 11-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain

The 11-inch diameter (0.28-meter) f/10 Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope is made by Celestron, a leader in astronomical and optical technology for more than 50 years. This instrument is the larger model of that currently flying onboard the International Space Station. Its revolutionary EdgeHD optical system produces sharp views free of optical defects, and all optical surfaces are coated with Celestron’s StarBright XLT coatings to produce brighter images and increased light transmission. The telescope's primary mirror is made of low-thermal- expansion glass which, when cooled by three attached mag-lev fans, can maintain a stable temperature (with no vibrations) to produce crisp views of the heavens. It can capture light more than 1,400 times fainter than the average dark-adapted human eye, enabling observers to view objects as near as the moon (240,000 miles / 386,000 kilometers away) and as far as 2.4 billion light years (14 billion trillion miles / 22 billion trillion kilometers). It can resolve detail as fine as the width of a U.S. dime seen from a distance of more than six miles (10.3 kilometers). With 40,000+ objects in its computer database, this electronically-controlled instrument will robotically find, center and track fascinating objects around the heavens, allowing you to sit comfortably at the eyepiece for extended views of your favorite celestial bodies.