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The NexStar Evolution 8 is an 8-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope on a motorized single-arm alt-az mount with built-in WiFi. It broadcasts its own network, so a phone or tablet running Celestron's SkyPortal app becomes the hand controller: align, slew and track from a 120,000-object database. A built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery sets it apart from the NexStar 8SE and most rivals, which need AA packs or an external supply. It suits visual observers who want GoTo tracking without cables and are willing to carry a substantial mount and tripod.
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Owners praise the optics and the convenience of the internal battery and WiFi control. Many say the mount is solid for visual use and the SkyPortal app makes finding objects easy once alignment works. Complaints center on WiFi dropouts, the app as the only control, and the weight of the assembled scope.
The Celestron NexStar Evolution 8 is a computerized telescope with a built-in WiFi network and an 8-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain optical tube. When it is turned on, it broadcasts its own WiFi network. A smartphone or tablet connects to it and works as a wireless remote control. You can slew the telescope with on-screen directional buttons, or align it and let it locate and track objects automatically.
The telescope is controlled through Celestron's free SkyPortal app for iOS and Android. The app is a planetarium with a 120,000-object database and a Tonight's Best list based on your observing time and location. Hundreds of audio descriptions of popular objects can play while you look through the eyepiece.
A rechargeable internal lithium-iron-phosphate battery powers up to 10 hours of observing. It charges through the fork arm with the included AC adapter in under three hours. An integrated USB port can charge a phone or other USB-powered gadgets from the battery.
