The CGEM II 700 Mak telescope (CGEM II 700 Mak) is a specialized instrument designed for providing detailed, high-contrast views of smaller celestial objects, particularly planets. This telescope, featuring a Maksutov-Cassegrain optical tube and a sturdy equatorial mount with a tripod, offers exceptional planetary observations and close-up lunar views, revealing craters and maria in great detail. Maksutov-Cassegrain telescopes like this one are also well-suited for spotting smaller, fainter deep sky objects such as globular clusters and planetary nebulae. Additionally, astronomers in urban areas will appreciate the Mak's ability to enhance contrast in celestial objects.

Transporting the entire system to a dark observing site is made easy as well. The optical tube, mount head, tripod, counterweight bar, and counterweight can all be disassembled into separate, manageable pieces without the need for tools.

Maksutov-Cassegrain Optical Design:

The Mak is a catadioptric telescope, incorporating both a lens and a mirror in its optical design. Light entering the Mak passes through a corrector lens to the primary mirror, then reflects off a spherical secondary mirror before reaching the eyepiece. This optical arrangement results in bright, sharp, and nearly chromatic aberration-free images.

The Maksutov-Cassegrain design offers several advantages. Unlike Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes, the Mak uses a "secondary spot" of reflective coating directly applied to the inside of the corrector plate, eliminating the need for frequent collimation. Moreover, the secondary spot is notably smaller than the secondary mirror found in traditional Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes, contributing to the Mak's characteristic high-contrast views.

It's important to note that Maksutov-Cassegrain telescopes, due to their larger and heavier corrector plates, require more time to cool down and adapt to ambient air temperature compared to same-aperture Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes.

CGEM II Mount & Tripod:

The CGEM II is a robust equatorial mount capable of securely supporting the 700 Mak telescope. With a load capacity of 40 lbs, it effortlessly handles the 19 lbs optical tube, leaving ample capacity for additional accessories and a camera. The tripod, featuring adjustable height and sturdy 2" diameter steel legs with graduated markings, makes it easy to extend the legs to the same height. The 700 Mak directly attaches to the CGEM II using its CGE dovetail mounting bar.

The mount is equipped with various functionalities that simplify imaging with the 700 Mak. The fully computerized mount performs automatic "GoTo" slews to over 40,000 astronomical objects from the NexStar+ hand controller's extensive database, tracking them as they move across the night sky.

Designed with imaging in mind, the CGEM II's motor drive system ensures accurate tracking during exposures. It employs low cog DC servo motors with integrated optical encoders, delivering smooth motor operation with high precision. Steel worm gears turn against brass worm wheels, further enhancing the motor drive system's smooth and accurate operation.

To track celestial objects, polar alignment is essential. Celestron simplifies this process with the innovative All-Star Polar Alignment procedure, which eliminates the need for additional equipment like a polar finder scope (though an optional one is available). Typically, alignment can be completed in about 15 minutes, even without a clear view of Polaris.

All mounts exhibit some level of "periodic tracking error" caused by minor gear imperfections. To address this, the CGEM II features Permanent Periodic Error Correction (PPEC), allowing users to record periodic errors once, which are then stored in memory and used to correct for any tracking errors during use. For even greater tracking accuracy, the CGEM II offers a dedicated autoguider port to connect an autoguiding camera directly to the mount, correcting any remaining tracking errors.

When imaging, cable management can be challenging due to multiple cables from the camera, power source, computer connection, and autoguider. To minimize cable-related issues and prevent unwanted snags, all mount cabling is internal, eliminating the need to connect or disconnect an external Dec. motor cable when setting up or breaking down the mount.

Accessories Included:

The CGEM II 700 Mak telescope package comes complete with a 2" Visual Back, a 2" Star Diagonal with a 1.25" adapter, a 28 mm wide-field 2" eyepiece, and a large 8x50 straight-through finderscope. The optical tube accommodates larger 2" accessories such as 2" Barlow lenses, a 2" eyepiece and filter kit, and wider field-of-view eyepieces.

StarBright XLT Technology:

Celestron's StarBright XLT optical coating system is a revolutionary advancement, outperforming other coatings in the commercial telescope market. It comprises three major components:

Enhanced multi-layer mirror coatings composed of precise layers of aluminum, SiO2 (quartz), TiO2 (titanium dioxide), and SiO2 (silicon dioxide). These coatings ensure high reflectivity across the spectrum, benefiting both imaging and visual observation.
Multi-layer anti-reflective coatings consisting of precise layers of MgF2 (magnesium fluoride) and HfO2 (hafnium dioxide). The use of hafnium in these coatings, despite its high cost, results in a wider bandpass compared to the titanium-based coatings found in competitors' telescopes.
High-transmission water white glass for the corrector lens instead of soda lime glass. Water white glass transmits about 90.5% of light without anti-reflective coatings, an improvement of 3.5% compared to uncoated soda lime glass. When combined with StarBright XLT's anti-reflective coatings, the average transmission reaches 97.4%, an 8% enhancement.

These components collectively make StarBright XLT one of the most advanced optical coatings available.

Celestron's Starry Night Special Edition Software:

Starry Night is a planetarium software package offering easy-to-understand explanations and stunning visual representations of various night sky phenomena. It provides information on extrasolar planets imagery, 3D star rendering, observation planning, telescope control, multi-panel printing, and more. Starry Night is compatible with macOS and Microsoft Windows.

Specifications

OPTICAL TUBE INFO:
Optical Design:	Maksutov-Cassegrain
Aperture:	180mm (7.08")
Focal Length:	2700mm (106.3")
Focal Ratio:	f/15
Focal Length of Eyepiece 1:	28mm (1.1") 2" eyepiece
Magnification of Eyepiece 1:	96x
Finderscope:	8x50 Straight Through
Star Diagonal:	2" with 1.25" adapter
Optical Tube:	Aluminum
Highest Useful Magnification:	420x
Lowest Useful Magnification:	67x
Limiting Stellar Magnitude:	13.9
Resolution (Rayleigh):	0.64 arc seconds
Resolution (Dawes):	0.52 arc seconds
Light Gathering Power (Compared to human eye):	661x
Secondary Mirror Obstruction:	40mm (1.57")
Secondary Mirror Obstruction by Diameter:	22%
Secondary Mirror Obstruction by Area:	5%
Optical Coatings:	StarBright XLT
Optical Tube Length:	571.5mm (22.5")
Optical Tube Diameter:	222.25mm (8.75")
Optical Tube Weight:	19 lbs (8.6 kg)
Dovetail:	CGE Dovetail Bar
MOUNT INFO:
Mount Type:	Computerized Equatorial
Instrument load capacity:	40 lbs (18 kg)
Height adjustment range (includes mount and tripod):	1346mm - 1651mm (53" – 65")
Tripod Leg Diameter:	50.8mm (2") Steel tripod with graduated markings on lower section
Latitude adjustment range:	15° - 70°
Mount Head Weight:	40 lbs (18.14 kg)
Accessory Tray:	Yes
Tripod Weight:	20 lbs (9 kg)
Weight of Counterweights:	1 x 17 lbs and 1 x 12 lbs
Slew Speeds:	9 slew speeds - max speed 4.5°/second
Tracking Rates:	Sidereal, Solar and Lunar
Tracking Modes:	EQ North and EQ South
GPS:	N/A
Dovetail Compatibility:	Dual saddle plates (CG-5 and CGE saddle)
Number of Auxiliary Ports:	2 AUX Ports (1x Hand control Port and 1x AUX Port for optional accessories)
Autoguide Port:	Yes
USB Port:	Yes, input on Hand Control
Power Requirements:	12V DC, 3.2 amps
Motor Drive:	DC servo motors
Alignment Procedures:	2-Star Align, 1-Star Align, Solar System Align, Last Alignment, Quick Align
Periodic Error Correction:	Yes
Computerized Hand Control:	2 line x 18 character backlit Liquid Crystal Display, 19 LED backlit buttons, USB 2.0 Port for PC connection
NexStar+ Database:	40,000+ objects, 100 user defined programmable objects Enhanced information on over 200 objects
Software:	Celestron Starry Night Special Edition Software and SkyPortal App
Total Kit Weight:	90.5 lbs (41 kg)
Included Items:	Optical tube CGEM II Equatorial Head Tripod Accessory Tray 1 x 17 lbs and 1 x 12 lbs counterweight NexStar+ Hand Control DC Power Cable (plugs into cigarette lighter socket) 8mm Allen wrench (contained in rear carry handle) 2" Visual Back 2" Star Diagonal with 1.25" adapter 28mm wide-field 2" eyepiece large 8x50 straight-through finderscope
Solar Warning	Never look directly at the Sun with the naked eye or with an optic (unless you have the proper solar filter). Permanent and irreversible eye damage may result. Never use your optic to project an image of the Sun onto any surface. Internal heat build-up can damage the optic and any accessories attached to it. Never leave your optic unsupervised. Make sure an adult who is familiar with the correct operating procedures is with your optic at all times, especially when children are present.
California Residents	WARNING: Cancer and Reproductive Harm - www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.

Software and Documentation

MANUALS:
CGEM II EQ Mount Manual
NexStar Plus Hand Control Manual
7" Maksutov-Cassegrain Optical Tube Manual
SOFTWARE & FIRMWARE:
CPWI Software
Celestron Firmware Manager (CFM) Software
NexRemote Telescope Control Software
Periodic Error Correction Tool (PECTool)
OTHER PRODUCT FILES:
How to Align a Red Dot Finder to Your Telescope Video
Solar Safety Warning
Celestron NexStar+ Hand Control Troubleshooting Guide

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Celestron CGEM II 700 Maksutov Cassegrain

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