For those looking to step up to an 11-inch optical tube, Advanced VX is a great option. Not only is it Celestron’s most affordable 11-inch telescope, it is also one of the most portable. The Advanced VX mount is strong enough to support this optical tube assembly and a couple of small accessories, yet weighs far less than some of our other 11-inch telescope kits. As far as optics go, the 11-inch SCT gathers 41% more light than the 9.25-inch model. You also get our StarBright XLT coatings for even better light transmission. About the Mount The new Advanced VX mount was specifically designed to provide optimum imaging performance for smaller telescopes. Now your smaller telescope can take advantage of All-Star Polar Alignment and autoguider support. You’ll be able to track through long exposures using permanently programmable periodic error correction. Image across the meridian without doing a meridian flip, so you can seamlessly image the best part of night sky. Advanced VX features significantly larger base castings than our previous design, improving stability under heavier loads. Improved motors offer more torque and can handle slight load imbalances with ease. * 11” (2800mm) f/10 Schmidt-Cassegrain includes StarBright XLT coatings for better light transmission * 41% more light gathering than a 9.25” telescope * 9x50 optical finderscope for locating alignment stars * Integer gear ratios and permanently programmable Periodic Error Correction eliminates recurring track errors from the worm gear. * Autoguider port for long exposure imaging * New motors offer improved tracking performance & provide more power to overcome load imbalances * Updated industrial design offers more rigidity, less flexure and improved aesthetics * New design allows viewing or imaging across the meridian without interference from the motors housings * Improved latitude range. Can be used between 7 – 77 degrees latitude. * NexStar+ hand control offers multiple language programming (English, French, Italian, German, Spanish) About Celestron Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescopes Celestron’s excellent Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes are compact and portable and represent the best all-purpose design for a wide variety of uses from terrestrial and deep sky viewing to astrophotography. Catadioptrics use a combination of mirrors and lenses to ""fold"" (reflect) the light path and form an image. In a Schmidt-Cassegrain, the light enters through a thin aspheric Schmidt correcting lens. It then strikes the spherical primary mirror. It is reflected back up the tube and intercepted by a small secondary mirror which reflects the light out an opening in the rear of the instrument where the image is formed at the eyepiece. Catadioptrics are the most popular and most modern type of telescope optical design and are marketed throughout the world in 3.5"" and larger apertures. Catadioptric telescopes combine the practical advantages of lenses and mirrors while eliminating their disadvantages. They offer the clarity and contrast of refractors with the low aberration of reflectors. Catadioptrics have an average focal ratio of f/10, which is wide enough for all types of photography. They are also easier to maintain because all optical elements are solidly mounted and rigidly collimated. Cat