EP Nexstar 8SE

[USAF_slip]

So my scope will be here in one day and I am "itching" with excitement...or perhaps its dry skin, regardless, lol! I purchased the Celestron EP set (1.25") and aside from the not so useful smaller EP in it what else should be good to get. I have gathered a zoomable EP (8-24mm) however what type as I am sure not all are created equal!? Also this may end up being a long shot but it there such an EP that can spilt visible light into it respected spectra of colors? Being able to view the cosmos is amazing however I want the science beind it as well (i.e. stellar composition) as I will soon start my academic career focusing on Astrophysics!!! It may end up being a shot in the dark and a rich persons addition however if its available it would be an amazing addition to view stellar fingerprints! Thanks in advance!

Oh can someone speed up the time...I want first light ASAP, lol!

[E621Keith]

Hyperion 8-24mm zoom is a good buy for those on a budget. Most cheaper zooms are recommended. The Leica ASPH and Pentax XL zoom are two other highly regarded zoom, but both are much more expensive.

You will need a diffraction grating to see the spectra. If you are on a budget, you can get star analyzer which is a diffraction grating on a filter.

Paton Hawksley Education ltd. - Star Analyser 100

If you are using it for academic use, Baader and Shelyak has some more capable spectrograph.

Baader Planetarium - BACHES, Echelle Spectrograph

Shelyak from Ian King Imaging

[USAF_slip]

Sweet, thanks for the comments Keith! I have been hearing praise about the Hyperion 8-24mm so I plan on getting that. Also for the spectro-imaging I am gonna have to save up a bit on that one, lol! My retirement check is good but I still am gonna need some more fundage. Again thanks for the comments and enjoy the last half of the week!