Apochromatic Telescopes
Apochromatic telescopes provide a small yet revolutionary upgrade to the more common achromatic telescope: by using multiple lenses, they prevent different wavelengths of light from having different focal lengths. When you’re looking at interstellar space, that counts for a lot. Regardless of whether your budget is under $1,000 or you want to splurge on a more powerful system, your apo telescope will increase the accuracy and clarity of your images over a standard Newtonian model.
Also known as apochromatic refractor telescopes, these devices are lightweight, portable, and a fantastic transition device for anyone who’s used to camera lenses. They are particularly useful in situations where color correction is important, such as photographing large galaxies or nebulae. Because it is a refractor, this telescope uses lenses instead of mirrors to deliver crisp, focused imaging through the eyepiece. When you hook up a camera for astrophotography, it produces color-corrected images with excellent contrast.
Apo refractors are a great choice for beginners because they are extremely low-maintenance. They also don’t require you to regularly re-align the lenses (known as collimation), and the lenses themselves are sealed safely in a tube, which protects them from humidity and dust. Most apochromatic refractor telescope models are relatively easy to transport and store. You’ll also find their heat dispersion is better than Newtonians, which means less cooldown time. This is one of the only types of telescopes in its price range that is likely to include full frame sensors that produce round star images to the corners, which is a rare feature in small telescopes. Finally, they are highly effective at observing bright objects, like a full moon.
There are some drawbacks, too. As you may well know, refractor lenses come in smaller sizes due to the challenge of manufacturing larger lenses. That means the cost of larger refractors will increase significantly. A smaller aperture also limits the amount of magnification you can perform, which can impact your experience viewing or photographing the moon or the planets.
However, these lightweight apos are turnkey units that are a great choice for experienced astronomers and amateurs alike. With a variety of construction materials and lots of compatibility features (such as future-proofing for upgrades like auto guiding, etc.), this selection of telescopes will deliver professional results to take your stargazing and planetary voyeurism to the next level.
Contact our friendly and knowledgeable Sales Team if you need any help or guidance as you browse our selection of apochromatic telescopes.
