The Celestron NexStar 8SE has long been considered one of the best telescopes on the market, and you can take advantage of this $200 coupon at Amazon making this fantastic GoTo telescope $1,399. The price has already fluctuated over the course of Prime Day — it's now $100 more expensive than it was this morning, so you definitely don't want to miss this deal before the price goes up further. That said, it's still cheaper at $1,399 than the other retailers.
Add a $200 coupon at checkout and get the Celestron NexStar 8SE for $1,399 at Amazon in this Prime Day telescope deal.
We gave it an impressive 4.5/5 stars in our full Celestron NexStar 8SE review, praising its extremely bright views, stunning clarity and sharp views across the entire frame. We found it easy to assemble and disassemble without any fuss, opening it up to beginners with the budget and patience to dive in at the deep end, or anyone who is looking for, in our opinion, the best telescope on the market overall.
It's worth noting that it runs on 8x AA batteries, which can get pretty pricey pretty quickly if you have to keep repurchasing them — we'd recommend picking up some rechargeable AA batteries with a charger in the Prime Day deals to save you money in the long run.
- Read our Amazon Prime Day science deals page for big discounts on the best health and fitness kit and science gear as we enter the summer sales event.
This Celestron NexStar 8SE deal comes with everything you need to get started, including a single fork arm mount, tripod accessory tray, star pointer, finderscope, NexStar+ hand controller, 25mm eyepiece and a star diagonal.
It's quite large in diameter and a little heavier than many other refractors, but it breaks down nicely into the separate components (tube, mount, and tripod), so we would happily recommend it to anyone wanting to observe in their backyard or on location in a dark sky area.
Key features: Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope, Computerized Altitude-Azimuth Single Fork Arm mount, 8-inch (203.2 mm) aperture, 80-inch (2032 mm) focal length, f/10 focal ratio, 180x highest useful magnification, 32 lbs (14.48 kg) total kit weight.
Price history: Before today's deal, the price has fluctuated between around $1100 and $1599 over the last few years, and quite literally earlier today (July 16) it was $100 cheaper than it is now, so they're changing their prices even during Prime Day.
Price comparison: Amazon: $1,299.99 | Walmart: $,1599 | Best Buy: $,1599
Reviews consensus: A simple setup, a huge light-collecting bucket, and crystal clear optical clarity with minimal color fringing and coma make this one of the most loved Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes among astronomers.
Space: ★★★★½ | Live Science: ★★★★½
Featured in guides: Best telescopes
✅ Buy it if: You want a long-term investment in a telescope that will last for years to come.
❌ Don't buy it if: You're a beginner working to a tight budget and aren't sure if you want to keep up with the hobby, or you want something with more tech, like a smart telescope — in that case, check out this Unistellar Odyssey deal.
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