sirenity

I’m a total newbie so this is probably wrong but just spotted something close to where it would be, naked eye quite red and twinkling like a mad thing (when nothing around it was so not just weather). Took a good while to be convinced it was a not plane coming straight towards me. I know it was active in August as well and hadn’t been for years before, could it be going again? Clouded over now and close to horizon so I don’t think I’ll have a chance to see again tonight.

Thank you sgazer for starting such an interesting thread! and EssexMigrant for compiling the big list! I have just acquired an old orange C8 811935 so only 3 before one of your original list sgazer! I have an urge to play "where are they now" any idea where you found your starter numbers?! I'm a returner after 30ish telescopeless years and so far definitely not regretting choosing an old C8 over a smaller modern telescope! It took me a while to get over my tears having trusted someone else to package it and use a courier - the finder had sheared off in transit so with a jolt like that, I know I have to get to it with the collimation ... but with the few minutes of clear(ish) sky I've had so far I already saw far more of Jupiter than I've ever seen before and began to fall in love... I'm sure I'm entering the Orange C8 groupie category already and I've only had it a couple of weeks! I've used the last list I saw here and have added any other serial numbers I could find after on this thread and around and about which has got me to the following list: 0136 orange C8 Documentation in the box dates from 1970 and '71 04936 1973 16228 one owner - bought from a dealer in 1978 https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Celestron-Uncensored/conversations/topics/1213 o 176337 1977 219214 1975 235168 https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Celestron-Uncensored/conversations/topics/1213 339263 orange C8 here: lounge discussion 2496049 339705 1975 391057 orange tube 800685 1980 +/- 1year C8 orange tube Direct purchase from the factory showroom in California. 800732 1975 - 1977 (C8 classic orangetube) 804081 1977 805507 1980 (C8 classic orangetube special coatings) 805630 1980 or later (C8 classic orangetube) 806633 1980 or later (C8 classic orangetube) 808735 1979 or later 810231 (C8 classic orangetube special coatings) 811294 (C8 classic orangetube) 811938 1981 815888 1982 822085 1983 - 1984 (est ?) (C8 classic orange tube) 825682 at least 1984 (C8 blacktube Starbright…at least 1984 since that's when Starbright came out) 827259 at least 1984 (C8 classic orangetube) - (Celestron Super C8 on Vixen Superpolaris GEM was first sold in 1984) - (Haley's Comet came in 1986…Celestron quality supposedly really dipped during Haley's comet craze from 1985 - 1987, until Alan Hale was brought back to turn Celestron quality around in 1988) 845210 1987 (C8 blacktube Starbright coatings) 847300 at least 1988 (SPC8 blacktube Starbright…ad claimed OTA was hand-selected by Alan Hale for ad photos) - (had to be in or after 1988 since 1988 is when Celestron brought Alan Hale back to restore quality and company reputation) 850745 ???? (C8 classic with Starbright coatings…good optics) 858639 ???? (GP-C8) (older than 1991, newer than 1987) 877563 ???? (C8 blacktube no coatings) (immediately sold after buying, possibly bad optics (claimed "may need collimation")) 877783 C8 and the corrector glass has 8765 c etched on it manual is copyrighted to 1992. 889700 1991 (Celestron Ultima C8 SCT blacktube) 900477 ???1993 Celestar 912577 dealer bill of sale "shipped" date of 08/98 914611 approx 1997 Celestar 8 Deluxe 927520 2000 (C8 Fastar Starbright blacktube) 928504 2001 (C8 Nexstar 8 goldtube) 928774 ? (had to be 2001 or later, using S/N 928504 with firm new-scope purchase date above) 934042 2005 (C8 goldtube Starbright non-XLT) 935835 2004 (C8 blacktube C8-S goto Starbright non-XLT) 951489 C8 asgt StarBright S12078 2009 (C8 Starbright XLT blacktube) S12561 (C8 Nexstar 8SE blacktube Starbright XLT) S14029 (CPC800 XLT) S16480 2008 (C8 XLT blacktube) S19669 2009 (C8 XLT blacktube)