Sky-Watcher Evostar 80 ED OTAW Black Diamond tube (SW-2008)

This refractor is a popular choice among astrophotographers for deep-sky imaging due to its excellent balance of astrophotographic capabilities and an affordable price. The combination of high-quality optics with a reliable focuser, along with a lightweight design for its class, makes it a reliable tool for success in astrophotography. By adding an optional x0.85 focal reducer, the telescope can achieve a corrected field of view with a focal length of 510 mm and an aperture of f/6.37, enhancing imaging results.

Optical System

This telescope features a low-dispersion ED (FPL-53) doublet lens, offering exceptional performance for planetary and lunar observations, high-magnification views, and astrophotography. Apochromatic optics ensure nearly all visible wavelengths converge at a single focal point, minimizing chromatic aberration in blue, green, and red light, while also reducing spherical aberration in red and blue. The telescope gathers approximately 130 times more light than the human eye in darkness, enabling observations of celestial objects with magnitudes up to 11.5. Its optical resolution allows stars separated by over 1.8 arcseconds to be distinguished.

Included accessories include a 90° 2-inch dielectric diagonal with 98% optical efficiency, a high-quality 28 mm 2-inch eyepiece, and an 8x50 straight finder scope. The set also comes with a dovetail bar and a carry case.

Focuser

The Black Diamond series introduces an upgraded Crayford focuser with a 1:10 microfocuser, clamping rings, and a 2-inch to 1.25-inch eyepiece adapter. This design significantly improves focus precision, making it well-suited for astrophotography. The new focuser offers enhanced alignment and a load capacity of up to 2 kg, ensuring stability and performance with heavier accessories.

Astronomical Observations

• Solar System: Observe lunar surface features larger than 2 km, sunspots and their structure, all Solar System planets, phases of Mercury and Venus, Mars’ disk, Jupiter’s equatorial bands and Galilean moons, Saturn’s rings and its largest moon Titan, Uranus and Neptune as star-like points, asteroid movement, and bright comets.
• Stars: View approximately 1.1 million stars across the sky up to magnitude 11.5, double and multiple stars with separations over 1.8 arcseconds, and the colors of the brightest stars.
• Nebulae and Star Clusters: Nearly all Messier catalog objects, hundreds of globular clusters (some resolved into individual stars), hundreds of open clusters, brighter nebulae, and galaxies.

Terrestrial Observations

This refractor is also suitable for terrestrial observation, functioning as a high-quality spotting scope. Paired with a prism diagonal, it offers excellent views and the capability to photograph distant objects using its focal length.

Included Equipment

• 2-inch 90° dielectric diagonal with a 1.25-inch adapter
• Tube rings (one with a Piggyback mount)
• 28 mm 2-inch eyepiece
• 8x50 straight finder scope
• Dovetail bar
• Carry case

Specifications

• Catalog Number: SW-2008
• Optical Design: Refractor
• Lens Material: ED Glass
• Mount Type: None (OTA only)
• Aperture: 80 mm
• Focal Length: 600 mm
• Focal Ratio: f/7.0
• Star Magnitude Limit: 13.3
• Maximum Useful Magnification: 160×
• Rayleigh Resolution: 1.75 arcseconds
• Light-Gathering Power: 131×
• Tube Weight: 2.5 kg
• Tube Length: 620 mm
• Tube Diameter: 100 mm
• Focuser Type: Crayford
• Focuser Diameter: 2 inches
• Warranty Period: 60 months