327:
363:
390:
315:
375:
339:
24:
351:
222:
237:
using a vacuum to pull the glass blanks into a pre-shaped curve mold called a "master block" during the polishing process. This allowed for inexpensive mass production of corrector plates of uniform shape. The telescope line had a trademark matte orange tube (changed to glossy black in 1980, and
175:
from 4" to 22". In 1970 Celestron introduced its "C8" 8" diameter 2032 mm focal length, ƒ10 telescope, the first of a new line of telescopes built using methods developed by
Celestron to produce Schmidt-Cassegrains at a high volume and low cost. These models made significant inroads into the
435:
has been one of
Celestron's chief rivals. Design, sizing, introduction, and pricing of each company's products lines and models have been in response to their competition with each other. There has been litigation over infringement of patents between the two companies, one instance regarding
245:
Other telescope product lines include the CGE, CGEM, CPC, NexStar, Omni, Onyx, AstroMaster, Ambassador, TravelScope, and PowerSeeker product lines. These range from large computerized reflectors with GPS to decorative/casual viewing telescopes with brass tube refractors on wood mounts.
400:
Celestron telescopes offer the option to use computerized location of astronomical objects as well as mounts that will aim themselves at any given object, a technology known as GoTo. Most of the computerized models can be connected to an external computer via an
412:
Some motorized telescopes sold during the mid 80s to early 90s, including the
Celestron Compustar which used a form of GoTo technology, did not allow for dates after 2000, thus making some Celestron products susceptible to the
440:. In September 2013, Sunny Optics Inc, a unit of the Chinese firm Ningbo Sunny Electronic Co Ltd, completed the acquisition of the entire share capital of Meade. Meade later declared bankruptcy and was bought by
578:
579:"prnewswire.com, Celestron Purchased by SW Technology Corporation, a Delaware Company, Affiliate of Synta Technology Corporation - TORRANCE, Calif., April 6 /PRNewswire"
233:, introducing its "C8" 8" diameter 2032 mm focal length, ƒ10 telescope in 1970. The primary innovation Celestron/Tom Johnson devised was a method to produce
496:
409:
receiver. GPS receivers are useful for programming the telescope with its precise location and time, which aids the alignment process required for GoTo.
533:
362:
389:
592:
210:. Synta is a manufacturer of astronomy equipment and related components and at that time had been a supplier for Celestron for over 15 years.
207:
149:
629:
326:
698:
497:"Celestron founder dies at age 89, Tom Johnson founded the telescope company in 1960 and revolutionized the hobby with the Celestron 8"
314:
338:
767:
441:
374:
350:
168:
for his two sons. In 1960, Johnson established the "Astro-Optical" division of Valor, which would later become
Celestron.
230:
172:
268:
A range of 8", 9.25", 11", and 14" modified
Schmidt-Cassegrains with a more advanced optical design marketed as EdgeHD
160:
The predecessor of
Celestron was Valor Electronics, an electronics and military components firm founded in 1955 by
506:
307:
lines, including both simple Plossl and complex wide-field designs such as the X-Cel and
Luminos eyepiece lines.
194:, attempted a takeover but a bankruptcy court allowed the sale of the company back to its original owners. The
161:
81:
464:
543:
258:
234:
716:
34:
596:
165:
92:
282:
501:
44:
538:
645:
625:
437:
432:
426:
262:
191:
177:
619:
171:
By 1964, Johnson had founded "Celestron
Pacific" as a division of Valor Electronics offering
239:
405:
cable, allowing them to be controlled by a third-party astronomy program or connected to a
23:
660:"Method for Making Replica Contour Block Masters for Producing Schmidt Corrector Plates"
720:
469:
253:
5", 6", 8", 9.25", 11", and 14" Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes (the number denoting the
183:
Johnson, the founder of the company, sold
Celestron in 1980. Celestron was acquired by
141:
761:
417:. However, a third party chip to update the computer is available for some products.
199:
195:
699:"Rowe-Ackermann Schmidt Astrograph Optical Tubes and Telescopes | Celestron"
659:
674:
145:
137:
96:
271:
A range of 8", 11", and 36 cm Rowe-Ackermann
Schmidt Astrographs (RASA)
381:
275:
202:
owned until April 2005 when it was acquired by SW Technology Corporation, a
133:
564:
304:
288:
254:
203:
414:
221:
621:
A Buyer's and User's Guide to Astronomical Telescopes & Binoculars
402:
229:
Celestron was the first large scale commercial manufacturer of the
187:
in 1997 and almost went out of business when Tasco folded in 2001.
220:
184:
444:
and is now an American company based in Watsonville, California.
261:(all) or fork mounts (C8, C9.25, C11), with most benefiting from
406:
164:. Johnson became involved with telescopes when he built a 6"
148:, and accessories manufactured by its parent company, the
752:
745:
291:– an astronomical sky finder or a personal planetarium.
242:, and became a popular large aperture, compact design.
120:
213:
On March 13, 2012, Tom Johnson died at the age of 89.
624:. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 51.
238:
back to semi-gloss orange in 2006), and double-fork
225:
A vintage 1970s "orange tube" Celestron C8 telescope
294:
Digital, Biological, and Stereo viewing microscopes
115:
107:
87:
77:
58:
50:
40:
30:
111:Telescopes and other optical / mechanical devices
595:. Celestron.com. March 13, 2012. Archived from
565:"Nights of Future Passed – Celestron Pacific"
8:
16:
490:
488:
486:
22:
15:
717:"Meade, Celestron Settle Patent Lawsuits"
675:"Top 5 Best Low Light Binoculars in 2020"
249:Celestron products (as of 2010) include:
646:"Uncle Rod's Astro Blog: Down with Love"
452:
356:Celestron NexStar 130SLT Goto telescope
310:
285:telescopes on German equatorial mounts.
281:6 to 10-inch (250 mm) traditional
274:A range of 2.4 to 6-inch (150 mm)
208:Synta Technology Corporation of Taiwan
150:Synta Technology Corporation of Taiwan
527:
525:
523:
7:
458:
456:
344:An Omni XLT120 achromatic refractor
395:Celestron EdgeHD with solar filter
14:
463:Plotner, Tammy (August 1, 2008).
442:Orion Telescopes & Binoculars
190:In early 2002 Celestron's rival,
388:
373:
368:Celestron Powerseeker model 80EQ
361:
349:
337:
325:
313:
532:di Cicco, Dennis (2012-03-13).
320:Celestron NexStar 114 telescope
132:is a company that manufactures
673:Guzman, Roxanne (2019-12-24).
431:Since their founding in 1972,
297:Binoculars and Spotting scopes
1:
180:and educational communities.
173:Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes
495:Ferron, Karri (2012-03-13).
231:Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope
136:and distributes telescopes,
64:; 60 years ago
786:
593:"Tom Johnson Announcement"
424:
723:. Bloomberg. July 9, 2004
206:company and affiliate of
21:
534:"Tom Johnson, 1923–2012"
259:German equatorial mounts
235:Schmidt corrector plates
768:Telescope manufacturers
618:James Mullaney (2007).
380:FirstScope 76 tabletop
421:Competition with Meade
332:Celestron C8 telescope
226:
73:(as Celestron Pacific)
753:Nexstar Resource Site
567:. philharrington.net.
465:"Celestron Telescope"
425:Further information:
224:
178:amateur astronomical
166:reflecting telescope
539:Sky & Telescope
45:Optical instruments
18:
502:Astronomy Magazine
227:
703:www.celestron.com
631:978-1-84628-707-7
599:on March 17, 2012
433:Meade Instruments
427:Meade Instruments
192:Meade Instruments
127:
126:
54:Valor Electronics
775:
749:
748:
746:Official website
732:
731:
729:
728:
713:
707:
706:
695:
689:
688:
686:
685:
670:
664:
663:
656:
650:
649:
642:
636:
635:
615:
609:
608:
606:
604:
589:
583:
582:
575:
569:
568:
561:
555:
554:
552:
551:
542:. Archived from
529:
518:
517:
515:
514:
505:. Archived from
492:
481:
480:
478:
477:
460:
392:
377:
365:
353:
341:
329:
317:
240:equatorial mount
123:
72:
70:
65:
26:
19:
785:
784:
778:
777:
776:
774:
773:
772:
758:
757:
744:
743:
740:
735:
726:
724:
715:
714:
710:
697:
696:
692:
683:
681:
672:
671:
667:
658:
657:
653:
644:
643:
639:
632:
617:
616:
612:
602:
600:
591:
590:
586:
577:
576:
572:
563:
562:
558:
549:
547:
531:
530:
521:
512:
510:
494:
493:
484:
475:
473:
462:
461:
454:
450:
438:GoTo technology
429:
423:
396:
393:
384:
378:
369:
366:
357:
354:
345:
342:
333:
330:
321:
318:
219:
158:
142:spotting scopes
119:
103:
99:
68:
66:
63:
12:
11:
5:
783:
782:
779:
771:
770:
760:
759:
756:
755:
750:
739:
738:External links
736:
734:
733:
721:Bloomberg News
708:
690:
665:
651:
637:
630:
610:
584:
570:
556:
519:
482:
470:Universe Today
451:
449:
446:
422:
419:
398:
397:
394:
387:
385:
379:
372:
370:
367:
360:
358:
355:
348:
346:
343:
336:
334:
331:
324:
322:
319:
312:
309:
308:
301:
300:Various mounts
298:
295:
292:
286:
279:
272:
269:
266:
218:
215:
157:
154:
130:Celestron, LLC
125:
124:
117:
113:
112:
109:
105:
104:
101:
91:
89:
85:
84:
79:
75:
74:
60:
56:
55:
52:
48:
47:
42:
38:
37:
32:
28:
27:
17:Celestron, LLC
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
781:
780:
769:
766:
765:
763:
754:
751:
747:
742:
741:
737:
722:
718:
712:
709:
704:
700:
694:
691:
680:
676:
669:
666:
661:
655:
652:
647:
641:
638:
633:
627:
623:
622:
614:
611:
598:
594:
588:
585:
580:
574:
571:
566:
560:
557:
546:on 2012-03-17
545:
541:
540:
535:
528:
526:
524:
520:
509:on 2019-01-24
508:
504:
503:
498:
491:
489:
487:
483:
472:
471:
466:
459:
457:
453:
447:
445:
443:
439:
434:
428:
420:
418:
416:
410:
408:
404:
391:
386:
383:
376:
371:
364:
359:
352:
347:
340:
335:
328:
323:
316:
311:
306:
302:
299:
296:
293:
290:
287:
284:
280:
277:
273:
270:
267:
264:
260:
256:
252:
251:
250:
247:
243:
241:
236:
232:
223:
216:
214:
211:
209:
205:
201:
197:
193:
188:
186:
181:
179:
174:
169:
167:
163:
155:
153:
151:
147:
143:
139:
135:
131:
122:
121:Celestron.com
118:
114:
110:
106:
102:United States
98:
94:
90:
86:
83:
80:
76:
61:
57:
53:
49:
46:
43:
39:
36:
33:
29:
25:
20:
725:. Retrieved
711:
702:
693:
682:. Retrieved
678:
668:
654:
640:
620:
613:
601:. Retrieved
597:the original
587:
573:
559:
548:. Retrieved
544:the original
537:
511:. Retrieved
507:the original
500:
474:. Retrieved
468:
430:
411:
399:
248:
244:
228:
212:
189:
182:
170:
159:
129:
128:
88:Headquarters
31:Company type
278:telescopes.
162:Tom Johnson
146:microscopes
82:Tom Johnson
51:Predecessor
727:2011-04-25
684:2020-01-31
550:2012-03-28
513:2012-03-28
476:2011-04-25
448:References
138:binoculars
134:telescopes
97:California
603:March 17,
382:Dobsonian
303:Numerous
283:reflector
276:refractor
198:had been
762:Category
305:eyepiece
289:SkyScout
265:control.
255:aperture
217:Products
204:Delaware
108:Products
93:Torrance
41:Industry
415:Y2K bug
196:company
156:History
116:Website
78:Founder
67: (
59:Founded
35:Private
628:
403:RS-232
257:) on
185:Tasco
679:Woq9
626:ISBN
605:2012
263:GoTo
200:U.S.
69:1964
62:1964
407:GPS
764::
719:.
701:.
677:.
536:.
522:^
499:.
485:^
467:.
455:^
152:.
144:,
140:,
100:,
95:,
730:.
705:.
687:.
662:.
648:.
634:.
607:.
581:.
553:.
516:.
479:.
71:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
