Meade ACF-SC 355/3556 UHTC LX200 OTA Telescope

This Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope (SCT) epitomizes versatility, offering a solution for every stargazing endeavor. Whether your aim is to explore planets, distant nebulae, or galaxies, the SCT delivers. Its compact design minimizes strain on the mount, ensuring portability without sacrificing performance. Internal focusing, adaptable even with astrophotography gear attached, simplifies adjustments.

Traditionally, SCTs feature a spherical primary mirror, which can distort off-axis light. However, a revolutionary correction plate, pioneered by optical designer Bernhard Schmidt, eliminates this flaw. This plate, affixed to the OTA's front, eradicates spherical aberrations, preserving image clarity. Moreover, this setup safeguards the main mirror from contaminants and atmospheric turbulence.

In the SCT configuration, the secondary mirror sits beneath the correction plate, directing light back to the primary mirror. This innovative folded light path, attributed to Laurent Cassegrain, minimizes leverage stress, ensuring stability, and maintaining eyepiece height consistency. This design enhances comfort and safety, especially for observers of varying heights, like children or balcony astronomers.

Meade's Advanced Coma-Free Optics (ACF) further refines the SCT's performance, correcting optical aberrations and delivering pinpoint star images across the entire field of view. Coupled with Ultra-High Transmission Coatings (UHTC) on the correction plate, this system maximizes light transmission, revealing brighter star clusters, finer nebular details, and planetary surface intricacies.

Notably, all LX200 models include a primary mirror locking mechanism, crucial for long-exposure astrophotography. This feature eliminates mirror movement-induced image shifts, ensuring precise imaging and observation.

Included accessories: Prism rail (Losmandy-Style), Carrying handle

Specifications:

Optics: Reflector, ACF-Cassegrain

Aperture: 355mm, Focal length: 3556mm, Aperture ratio: f/10

Resolving capacity: 0.39, Limit value: 14.6 mag, Light gathering capacity: 2570

Coating: UHTC, Tube weight: 26kg, Tube construction: Full tube

Reflector: Primary mirror - Material: Borosilicate glass, Correction plate - Material: Float glass

Focuser: Internal, Connecting thread (telescope side): SC

Mount: No mount, Mounting type: OTA

General: Series: OTA, Area of application: Moon & Planets, Nebulae & galaxies, Nature Observation, Astrophotography, Sun (Only with appropriate Sun filter)

Recommended for: Beginners: No, Advanced: Yes, Observatories: Yes