11-inch Telescopes (279mm)

11-inch telescopes allow observers to see stars of 16 magnitudes. They can resolve double stars at 0.42 arcseconds. On average, they have 620-2800 mm focal lengths, and  f/2.2-f/10 focal ratios. They provide magnification power 304x times the human eye. They vary in light-gathering power from 1589-1593x. Overall, they offer outstanding optical performance.

What is an 11-inch telescope?

An 11-inch telescope refers to a telescope having an aperture (the diameter of the objective lens) of 11-inch (279 mm). An 11-inch telescope is considered to be in the category of large telescopes. Only Celestron brands make different types of 11-inch telescopes. For example,  Advanced VX 11″ Schmidt-Cassegrain GoTo Telescope – 12067, 11″ Schmidt-Cassegrain CGX, Celestron 11″ EdgeHD OTA with CGE Mount Plate, etc

What can you see with an 11-inch telescope?

  • The Moon and its craters 
  • The polar ice caps on Mars
  • The phases of Venus.
  • The moons of Jupiter, the Great Red Spot, and other details, etc.
  • The rings of Saturn and the Cassini Division..
  • Uranus and Neptune.
  • Galaxies like Andromeda, M81, and the NGC galaxies, etc.

Types and Technical Specifications of 11-inch telescopes

Types (Optical Design)

RASA: Example: Celestron CGX with 11″ RASA V2 – CE-12060

Modified SCT: Example: Celestron 11″ EdgeHD OTA with CGE Mount Plate

SCT: Example: Celestron 11″ Schmidt-Cassegrain CGX Telescope

Technical Specifications

Aperture: 279 mm (11″) 

Focal Length: 620-2800 mm 

Focal ratio: f/2.2-f/10

Highest Magnification: 558-558.8x

Light Gathering Power: 1589-1593x

Price: 2,400-6,500$

Images taken with 11-inch telescopes

Examples of 11-inch telescopes

  • Celestron C· 11 SCT Aluminum Optical Tube with CGE Dovetail – 91036 -XLT
  • Celestron Advanced VX 11″ Schmidt-Cassegrain GoTo Telescope – 12067
  • Celestron CPC 1100 Computerized Telescope Bundle – CE-11075-XLT
  • Celestron 11″ Schmidt-Cassegrain CGX Telescope
  • Celestron 11″ EdgeHD OTA with CGE Mount Plate
  • Celestron CGX with 11″ RASA V2 – CE-12060

How do 11-inch telescopes compare to other size telescopes

11-inch vs 12-inch telescope

11-inch telescopes provide focal lengths of  620-2800 mm (f/2.2-f/10), while 12-inch telescopes vary in focal lengths from 1200- 1525 mm ( f/2.2-f/10). Their magnification power is almost similar. 11-inch telescopes provide 558-558.8x the highest magnification, whereas 12-inch telescopes can magnify 600x.

11-inch telescope12-inch telescope
Aperture11-inch (279 mm)12-inch (305 mm)
Focal Ratiof/2.2-f/10f/3.93- f/5
Focal Length620-2800 mm1200-1525 mm
Highest Magnification558-558.8x600x
Price2,400-6,500$1,200-2,550$

11-inch vs 14-inch telescope

14-inch telescopes provide a focal length of 2463-3916 mm with a focal ratio of  f/6.7-f/11. In contrast, 11-inch telescopes vary from 620-2800 mm in focal length and f/2.2-f/10 in focal ratio. However, the price of the 14-inch telescope is three times that of the 11-inch scope. Moreover, 11-inch telescopes provide 558-558.8x highest magnification, which increases to 710x-840x in the case of 14-inch telescopes.

11-inch telescope14-inch telescope
Aperture11-inch (279 mm)14-inch (355 mm)
Focal Ratiof/2.2-f/10f/6.7-f/11
Focal Length620-2800 mm2463-3916 mm
Highest Magnification558-558.8x710-840x
Price2,400-6,500$6,000-15,500$

11-inch vs 15-inch telescope

Though the 11-inch telescope has less aperture than the 15-inch scopes, it offers a focal ratio of     f/2.2-f/10 whereas the 15-inch telescopes provide  f/4.2. Besides, 15-inch telescopes offer a focal length of 1600 mm whereas the 11-inch telescopes vary from 620-2800 mm in focal lengths.

11-inch telescope15-inch telescope
Aperture11-inch (279 mm)15-inch (381 mm)
Focal Ratiof/2.2-f/10f/4.2
Focal Length620-2800 mm1600 mm
Price2,400-6,500$7,500$

11-inch vs 16-inch telescopes

11-inch telescope has less aperture than the 16-inch telescopes. They offer a focal ratio of   f/2.2-f/10 whereas the 16-inch telescopes vary from f/10 to f/4.43. Besides, 11-inch telescopes offer a focal length of 620-2800 mm whereas the 16-inch telescopes start from 1800 mm to 4064 mm in focal lengths. Moreover, 11-inch telescopes provide 558-558.8x highest magnification, which increases to  810x -960x in the case of 16- inch telescopes.

11-inch telescope16-inch telescopes
Aperture11-inch (279 mm)16-inch (406 mm)
Focal Ratiof/2.2-f/10f/10- f/4.43
Focal Length620-2800 mm1800-4064 mm
Highest Magnification558-558.8x810-960x
Price2,400-6,500$4,500$-11,000$