Save $300 on the best-motorized telescope before Black Friday

The Celestron NexStar 8SE is on offer for $300 off ahead of Black Friday, which is cheaper than when it was on offer over Prime Day.

The Celestron NexStar 8SE is currently $300 off in a worthwhile early Black Friday telescope deal. We think this is worth considering as it's cheaper than when it was on offer over Prime Day and it features in our best telescopes guide as the best motorized model out there.

Save $300 on the Celestron NexStar 8SE ahead of Black Friday when you get it on Amazon or Best Buy or Walmart.

You should check out our Celestron NexStar 8SE review for a more in-depth look at it, but we rate it very highly. We think it's the best motorized telescope out there and it sits at the top of our best telescopes for seeing planets guide. It features a huge eight-inch aperture and an 80-inch focal length. It also comes with a fully automated mount with a database of over 40,000 night sky targets and it has a useful magnification of up to 180x. We found that you can achieve bright views as well as sharpness right across the field of view and even though this isn't the cheapest model on the market, it is great value for money, especially with the discount.

This telescope is ideal for those who like using technology as well as novices and seasoned astronomers. If this deal isn't right for you though, our guides to telescope deals, the best budget telescopes and early Black Friday space gifts will point you in the right direction.

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• The Celestron NexStar 130 SLT is nearly $200 off ahead of Black Friday
• Prime Day telescope deal even cheaper: $400 off the Celestron NexStar 8SE

Celestron NexStar 8SE NexStar 8SE: was $1,599 now $1,299 at Amazon US

Save $300 on an excellent telescope that we rate as the best-motorized model and the best for seeing planets on the market. It features an eight-inch aperture, an 80-inch focal length, a robust but compact design, a sturdy steel tripod, a 25mm eyepiece, a database of over 40,000 objects and a two-year warranty.

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• We're constantly checking the best prices on our Black Friday space gifts page for big discounts on the best telescopes, binoculars, star projectors, cameras, drones, Lego, streaming and more.

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While there's a lot to like about the telescope itself, it comes with a few extras to maximize your immersive and hassle-free stargazing experience. It comes with a sturdy steel tripod, for stillness when viewing your targets. It also comes with a 25mm eyepiece, a conveniently placed finderscope, an accessory tray and a two-year warranty. The computerized feature is particularly impressive as it can locate and track objects within its 40,000-plus database for you.

Black Friday is only weeks away, on November 29, and retailers are already putting out early offers. If you're looking for an early Black Friday telescope deal, we recommend this one, especially as this is the lowest price we've seen on this telescope all year. We'll be covering the annual sales event as we hope to see several worthwhile telescope deals but it's worth considering beating the rush of the sales, being sorted for the holidays and not risking stock running out or deals expiring.

Key features: eight-inch aperture, 80-inch focal length, 40,000 plus target database, automatic locating and tracking, steel tripod, finderscope, 25mm eyepiece, two-year warranty.

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Price history: Before today's deal, the lowest price on this telescope this year was just under $1350 but we see this telescope regularly retail for around $1599, so this current price is excellent value.

Price comparison: Amazon: $1299 | Walmart: $1299 | Best Buy: $1299

Reviews consensus: We love it. It may price some beginners out but they would still be able to use this comfortably. It's excellent for viewing deep space as well as planets. It offers clear views, is good for astrophotography and will last you for ages.

Space: ★★★★½

Featured in guides: best telescopes, best telescopes for seeing planets

✅ Buy it if: You like technology, you're looking for a telescope to last you a while or you want something that sits among the best on the market.

❌ Don't buy it if: You're on a budget or you don't like to use technology in your stargazing sessions.

Check out our other guides to the best telescopes, binoculars, cameras, star projectors, drones, lego and much more.