Celestron · Eyepiece
Celestron X-Cel LX 2.3mm
Celestron's 2.3mm X-Cel LX delivers sharp, high-magnification planetary views with comfort features that hold up during long sessions.
Price updated Apr 18, 2026
Performance Scores
Overview
The Celestron X-Cel LX 2.3mm is a short focal length eyepiece built specifically for high-magnification planetary and lunar work. Paired with a typical 8-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain at f/10, you're looking at roughly 870x, so this eyepiece rewards telescopes with good optics and steady seeing conditions. On nights when the atmosphere cooperates, it can pull out fine detail on Jupiter's cloud bands, Saturn's Cassini Division, and lunar craters with impressive clarity.
The six-element optical design with fully multi-coated glass helps maintain contrast at these demanding magnifications, and blackened lens edges reduce internal scatter. The 60-degree apparent field of view is respectable for this focal length, giving you a bit more sky than older orthoscopic designs at similar power. One honest note: at 2.3mm, you are pushing into territory where atmospheric turbulence becomes the limiting factor more often than the eyepiece itself.
Experienced observers will get the most out of this piece, though beginners can certainly learn with it. At around $96, this sits in a reasonable middle range, neither budget nor premium, and Celestron's two-year warranty adds some reassurance. The 4.1 rating across over 200 Amazon reviews suggests consistent real-world satisfaction.
At a Glance
2.3mm
Focal Length
Specifications
Key Features
- Six-element fully multi-coated optics improve light transmission and contrast at high magnifications
- 60-degree apparent field of view offers more visual space than traditional high-power designs
- 16mm eye relief is consistent across the X-Cel LX series, reducing fatigue during extended sessions
- Parfocal with other X-Cel LX eyepieces, meaning minimal refocusing when swapping during a session
- Threaded 1.25-inch barrel accepts standard filters, useful for lunar or planetary contrast work
- Twist-up rubber eyeguard adjusts for eyeglass wearers and helps block stray light
- Two-year US warranty and domestic customer support included with purchase
Customer Reviews
224 reviews
I bought this eyepiece to see the upcoming transits of Titan's shadow across Saturn's disc. The shadow is less than 1" across, so you need really high magnification to see it. Update: I saw Titan's shadow very clearly. I could not have seen it without this eyepiece. I have a 5mm Baader Hyperion eyep...
This is a capable high power eyepiece and an excellent value for the price. When seeing permits I can get impressive images at over 300X of Jupiter, Saturn,the Moon, M13 and other globulars in my 6" achro. With sufficient aperture the faint globular M71 can be studied, along with many other objects ...
I guess you would consider the X-cel eye piece the 3rd tier offering from Celestron (2 up from the eye piece that comes with scope) and let me tell you what a diiference!! To start off with the build quality is vastly superior than that of the standard eye piece and there is a significant weight dif...