Celestron · Schmidt-Cassegrain · 5 to 8 inches
The NexStar 8SE is the 8-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain most beginners meet first. It puts an orange 8-inch f/10 tube on a single fork arm that finds and tracks objects on its own once you've aligned it on a few bright stars. Everything packs into one 32 lb kit with the tripod, and it runs on eight AA batteries or a 12 volt supply, which is why it shows up at so many star parties. Current units come with the NexStar+ hand controller. The trade-off is the alt-azimuth fork, which is great for looking but limits long-exposure photography unless you add a wedge. A complete 8SE with its hand controller, finder and diagonal is one of the easiest ways into a big scope that does the finding for you.
The full kit
Check the listing photos against this list, and ask the seller about anything you can’t see. Plenty of listings are the tube alone or the mount alone, and a missing hand controller, power supply or counterweight should come off the price.
Batteries left in the base can leak and corrode the contacts. Hand controllers and their cables go missing from used kits, and the GoTo can't be tested from photos alone. The corrector can haze or grow fungus in damp storage.
New to used telescopes? How to check a used telescope covers optics, mounts, power and shipping, and what a complete kit looks like helps with tube-only and mount-only listings.
Buying guide
We'd buy the open-box 8SE at $1,350 with free shipping, shown complete on its tripod with the hand controller, from a 99.8% seller. There are at least 29 listed, but new dealer kits at $1,699 to $1,900 set most of the $1,375 to $1,875 band, while used and open-box ones ask $950 to $1,350 delivered and kits with WiFi, StarSense or a PowerTank added ask $1,675 to $1,725. Check the photos for the hand controller and its cable, ask for a photo inside the battery compartment to rule out corrosion from old AA cells, and ask for a short video of it slewing on both axes with its own hand controller. Skip the $3,200 listing at about 1.9 times the median and the zero-feedback seller using a stock photo.
$950.00est. delivered
The lowest delivered complete 8SE at $950, titled used three times with seven eyepieces and eight filters, and the photo shows the hand controller on the arm. Ask what power supply comes with it and for a short video of it slewing.
Celestron NexStar 8SE Computerized Telescope + 7 Lenses 8 Filters - Used 3x Only
$1,349.99delivered
An open-box 8SE shown complete on its tripod with the hand controller, at $1,350 with free shipping, under the band and about $350 below new dealer kits. Ask what power supply is in the box.
Celestron NexStar 8 SE Schmidt-Cassegrain Computerized Telescope
Delivered prices include shipping as eBay quoted it to a US address on Oct 14, 2026. Many sellers charge by distance, so your total may differ. eBay shows yours before you pay.
Snapshot
Checked . Some may have sold.
Delivered prices include shipping as eBay quoted it to a US address on Oct 14, 2026. Many sellers charge by distance, so your total may differ. eBay shows yours before you pay.
Used$950.00est. delivered
$900.00 + $50.00 shipping
Buy It Now$900.00
Good buy
Complete kit titled used three times, with 7 eyepieces and 8 filters. Photo shows the hand controller.
Seller: tenayacreek
100% positive
Open box$1,349.99delivered
$1,349.99 · free shipping
Buy It Now$1,349.99
Good buy
Open box on the card. Photo shows it complete on its tripod with the hand controller.
Seller: mygametrader
99.8% positive
Open box$1,079.99delivered
$1,079.99 · free shipping
Buy It Now$1,079.99
Our take
Titled brand new, open box. Ask whether the hand controller and its cable are in the box.
Seller: njrisingstars
98.8% positive
Used$1,130.45delivered
$1,130.45 · free shipping
Buy It Now$1,130.45
This seller takes offers, and many sellers accept less than the asking price.
Fine if you might miss it? Send an offer first. Someone else can still buy it while you wait for a reply.
Want it for sure? Use Buy It Now.
Our take
Photo shows the tube, tripod and accessory tray but no fork arm. Ask before buying.
Seller: baily_store
99.5% positive
New$1,704.30delivered
$1,704.30 · free shipping
Buy It Now$1,704.30
Our take
New kit from a dealer.
Seller: store_atlantahobby
100% positive
Used$1,675.00+ shipping
$1,675.00 · shipping not stated
Buy It Now$1,675.00
Our take
Titled with StarSense, WiFi, a PowerTank and a wedge. Photo shows the hand controller. No shipping quoted; ask.
Seller: rric.b.okknmn
100% positive
New$1,441.72est. delivered
$1,300.00 + $141.72 shipping
Buy It Now$1,300.00
Check the seller
Stock photo from a zero-feedback seller. Pay only through eBay checkout.
Seller: de-632479
No feedback yet
New$3,199.99delivered
$3,199.99 · free shipping
Buy It Now$3,199.99
Priced high
About 1.9 times the median. Dealers ask $1,699 to $1,900 new.
Seller: electronicsguy805
98.6% positive
Prices change daily. The live eBay search shows everything listed now, including anything new since Oct 14, 2026.
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