Amazon Prime Day Big Deals Day is soon, running October 8-9, but if you've outgrown your beginner telescope and want to invest in better quality now that your skills and experience have progressed, we've spotted an early Prime Day telescope deal, at competing store Adorama.
The Celestron Advanced VX 8-inch EdgeHD telescope is a fantastic telescope for intermediate to advanced amateurs, and it's now $400 off at Adorama ahead of Prime Day.
Get the Celestron Advanced VX 8-inch EdgeHD for $2,399 at Adorama right now.
We've also spotted it for the same price in this Amazon deal, but at the time of writing, there's only one left in stock.
The 8-inch aperture allows it to gather enough light to observe faint deep-sky subjects, such as distant galaxies, nebulas and star clusters, and it also delivers sharp views of planets, the Moon and bright stars. Thanks to its versatility, reliable tracking and impressive optics, our sister site Space.com gave it a maximum 5/5 stars when they reviewed the Celestron Advanced VX 8-inch EdgeHD making it one of the best telescopes out there, particularly for astrophotography — although we'd recommend investing in a heftier mount if you want to shoot very long exposures.
The EdgeHD optical system, combined with the Advanced VX equatorial mount, provides sharp, distortion-free images from edge to edge and precise tracking for long exposure times, making it ideal to pair with one of the best astrophotography cameras to capture stunning images of the cosmos.
- Read our Amazon Prime Day deals page for big discounts on the best health and fitness kit and science gear as we enter the summer sales event.
It comes with a 9x50 Finderscope, 40mm eyepiece, 90-degree mirror diagonal, tripod, NexStar+ Hand Control (EQ) and a 2-year USA warranty. The 40mm eyepiece is great for viewing star clusters, galaxies and nebulas, but we'd recommend also picking up a 20mm for general purpose and 10mm for viewing the moon and planets.
It's certainly an investment, but its advanced optics and robust mount make it worth the money for serious amateur astronomers or budding astrophotographers who want a long-lasting telescope that will grow with their skills.
Key features: Schmidt-Cassegrain, 8-inch aperture, 80-inch focal length, f/10 focal ratio, 61 lbs / 27.67kg (breaks into 3 major components for transport), German equatorial computerized mount with servo motors.
Product launched: 2013.
Price history: It was slightly cheaper (by $50) throughout July for the previous Prime Day, but it's been pretty solidly $2,799 before and since then.
Price comparison: Amazon: $2,399 | B&H Photo: $2,399 | Walmart: $2,399
Reviews consensus: A fantastic telescope for astrophotography with the means to observe and photograph deep-sky subjects such as nebulas, galaxies and star clusters and closer objects like planets and the Moon. You'll need a heftier mount if you want to do very long exposures, but with its impressive optics and lightweight but sturdy construction, we can't fault it.
Space: ★★★★★
Featured in guides: Best telescopes
✅ Buy it if: You want a lightweight telescope that's easy to transport and works well for astrophotography of a wide variety of subjects.
❌ Don't buy it if: You're a beginner or aren't familiar with the night sky. It's quite an investment even with the saving, so try something like the Celestron Inspire 100AZ if you're just starting out.
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