Celestron is a formidable name in practical astronomy, well-known for both simple, starter refractors as well as hefty Schmidt-Cassegrain lightbuckets.
While we’ve been searching online for the best Black Friday telescope deals, we’ve found a few good reductions on Celestron’s range, including beginner scopes and advanced models.
Here’s our pick of some of the best Celestron Black Friday telescope deals, and over the coming weeks we’ll be looking for similar deals from the other big players like Sky-Watcher and Bresser.
We’ve already spotted two Black Friday offers on Unistellar’s eVscope 2 and eQuinox 2, so there are clearly more to come.
Every Celestron telescope in our list below has been tested by our independent reviewers, so we’ve only included models we’ve actually used in the field.
For more offers, read our pick of the best Black Friday telescope deals and beginners’ telescopes.
Where to find early Black Friday Celestron telescope deals
Celestron Black Friday telescope deals
Celestron Inspire 100AZ – was £259, now £199
Buy now from Wex, Clifton Cameras, Jessops
The Celestron Inspire 100AZ refractor is a classic beginner’s telescope and a great observing package.
It’s a good option for young astronomers and beginners on a budget, and would make a good first telescope for kids this Christmas.
It’s lightweight, easy to set up and use and comes with a telescope smartphone adaptor so you can capture what you see and share via social media.
We found crisp stars, good views of Venus, a lovely blue-white Pleiades and the Double Cluster in Perseus.
This telescope is currently reduced via a range of online retailers, but Amazon and Jessops in particular are offering it at £199.
For more like this, read our guide to the best kids’ telescopes.
Read our full Celestron Inspire 100AZ review
Celestron PS1000 Newtonian – was £249, now £149
Buy from Jessops
This Newtonian reflecting telescope from Celestron has seen a decent reduction ahead of Black Friday, making it a good option for beginners with a refractor who want to make the leap to that first Newtonian.
The PS1000 boasts a 127mm aperture and comes with a height-adjustable metal tripod.
Perhaps most important is the equatorial mount, which enables you to manually track deep-sky objects as they move across the sky.
Included are 3 eyepieces, a Barlow lens and a Moon filter, all of which should serve to make your viewing experience that much better.
For advice on setting up, read our guide on how to collimate a Newtonian telescope
Celestron NexStar 8SE – was £1699.99, now £1499
The NexStar 8SE is an 8-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain in a compact orange tube weighing 11kg and just 432mm long.
Included is a StarPointer red-dot finder, E-Lux 25mm, 1.25-inch fit Plössl eyepiece and a star diagonal.
The mount is a single-arm unit featuring the NexStar hand controller, a power connector and switch, and a battery compartment for eight AA batteries on the top of the base.
This is a ‘Go-To’ telescope that can automatically slew to a chosen object at the touch of a button and keep it in view.
We found our target was always placed close to the centre and we were able to track it for at least 30 minutes.
We observed the Whirlpool Galaxy and its companion, catching a hint of structure in the main galaxy’s disc.
We also got views of Syrtis Major and a polar cap on Mars, despite how small the planet appeared.
And Saturn was glorious, its yellow and cream hues looking amazing and – at the time of observing – the rings clearly split by the Cassini Division.
Read our full Celestron NexStar 8SE review
Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ – was £429.99, now £395.99
Buy from PicStop, Very, Clifton Cameras, Wex
The Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ is a 5.1-inch Newtonian with a focal length of 650mm.
It uses Celestron’s StarSense technology, which comes in the form of a free app and adaptor to help you explore the night sky.
Although it’s not essential to make the telescope usable, Celestron’s StarSense Explorer app is at the core of how the telescope works.
When you begin your session, point the telescope towards a clear patch of sky with stars and wait for the red bullseye on the screen to turn yellow.
Then simply follow the directions to your target, wait for it to turn green and look through the eyepiece.
We used the telescope under dark skies and found wonderful views of the Orion Nebula and the M35 open cluster in Gemini.
Read our full Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ review
Celestron Astro Fi 6 150mm – was £799.99, now £727.99
Celestron’s Astro Fi range enables users to use the SkyPortal app to control an altazimuth Go-To telescope.
The Astro Fi 6 is a Schmidt-Cassegrain with a focal length of 1,500mm that gives a focal ratio of f/10.
It’s great for planetary and lunar observations, as well as deep-sky targets.
A battery pouch for 8xAA batteries is provided (batteries not included) and the mount can also be powered via power tank.
The tripod is adjustable and suitable for children when positioned at a low height.
We enjoyed crisp views of Jupiter and Saturn, including the Galilean moons and Saturn’s rings.
The Moon looked very detailed and could explore craters including Theophilus, Cyrillus and Catharina.
We also got great views of the Great Globular Cluster, the Ring Nebula, the Dumbbell Nebula and the Omega Nebula.
Read our full Celestron Astro Fi 6 review
Celestron Advanced VX 9.25-inch SCT – was £2849, now £2699
Buy from Wex, Tring Astronomy Centre
The Celestron Advanced VX mount and C9.25 telescope is an impressive duo, as it should be for the price!
Luckily this is one telescope seeing a decent Black Friday reduction.
The Advanced VX 9.25-inch is easy to transport and set up, and boasts a generous aperture.
We tested this out on an old friend, the Orion Nebula, and found the nebula’s core filled the view through the supplied 24mm eyepiece.
We stayed with the nebula and found the stars of the Trapezium cluster were beautifully split.
Switching to the Moon, the view was exquisitely sharp.
This is a great option for experienced astronomers looking for a new investment and wanting to take advantage of the Black Friday offerings.
Read our full Celestron Advanced VX 9.25-inch SCT review
For more offers, check out the best Black Friday binocular deals.