The CGE Pro 1100 Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope is part of Celestron's Top-of-the-Line German Equatorial mounted astronomical telescopes. With the optical tube assembly of the CGE Pro 1100 weighing only 27.5 lb., this telescope is still portable enough to be taken to dark skies, and it has 89% more light gathering power than an 8 telescope and more than 40% more than the 9.25 . This telescope is especially at home as a solid platform for long exposure photography with optional CCD cameras or photographic equipment; it is a serious scientific research tool that comes with Celestron's premium StarBright XLT coatings. For astrophotography, the German Equatorial mount offers easier balancing, unlimited space at the rear of the telescope tube to mount a camera, and whole sky access. Now you can enjoy all of the NexStar software and database features with the extra stability and portability of a German Equatorial mount.