Apeture size comparison question

[Ozone]

Question about apeture and astrophotography. I currently have an Orion 150mm mak. I am planning on getting a c8 or c9.25. would I see improvement for planetary photography going from the the 6" mak to the 8" Cass? Is the extra $400 between the 8" and 9.25" worth it for photos? Thanks.

https://www.highpointscientific.com/telescopes/catadioptric-telescopes/celestron-c8-a-sct-aluminum-optical-tube-with-cge-dovetail-91024-xlt

https://www.highpointscientific.com/telescopes/celestron-c9-25-sct-aluminum-optical-tube-with-cg-5-dovetail-91025-xlt

[vlaiv]

Short version - Yes, yes

It of course depends on your local seeing conditions, but even if those are not perfect, larger aperture will allow for better detail (provided that you can get close to max performance of the scope you are using - meaning matching focal length to pixel size and using suitable exposure lengths and of course good processing workflow).

 

[Cosmic Geoff]

Yes, and yes. For what it's worth, I did a side by side comaprison with my 127mm Mak and my 203mm SCT imaging one or two planets, and the larger scope delivered a markedly better image.

[celestron8g8]

Aperture does rule cause the bigger the more light gathering it is . The 9.25 has been stated as one of the best planet imaging scopes . But as mentioned it all should be tuned for best results . I’ve taken some decent shots with my C8 but i used a DSLR which are not the best imaging camera but does ok . But I’ve seen some fantastic planet images taken with refractors that would blow your mind . So do your research and choose wisely for scope and camera .  

[Louis D]

For planets, there's no substitute for aperture because aperture determines theoretical maximum resolution.  Even the finest 6" APO is put to shame by a similarly priced C14 EdgeHD when imaging Jupiter under ideal conditions.

[Ozone]

I apologize in advance for the weather😉. I just received my new Celestron C8-A SCT! So thanks for all the help. Now I just have to wait for, I don't know how long for the rain that came with it to go away.

I do have a question about the Celestron dovetail bar. What is the knob for?

[Louis D]

The knob is probably a safety stop to keep the OTA from sliding all the way through the dovetail clamp were it to loosen.  If they're on both ends and you can't tip your dovetail into your clamp, you'll have to remove one temporarily to slide the dovetail into your clamp and then put it back in place when clamped securely.