Meade 8" ACF LX200 Telescope

Product Details

• Description
• Specifications
• Included Items
• Recommended Products
• Reviews

•  

  The most widely used research telescope on earth now comes with the most advanced optical system. Meade's LX200-ACF brings Advanced Coma-Free (ACF) optics within reach of aspiring astronomers everywhere. Nearly every observatory reflector in the world uses an aplanatic (coma-free) optical system like the Ritchey Chretien (RC), including NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. Now you can own similar optics to what the professionals use. The Meade LX200-ACF telescope includes all the field-proven features of the LX200 including GPS, Primary Mirror Lock, Oversized Primary Mirror, SmartDrive; Smart Mount, AutoStar II and more. The new Meade LX200-ACF. It's the biggest news in astronomy since, well, the LX200.
  
  A traditional RC design is a type of reflector that delivers a coma-free, flat field of view via hyperbolic primary and secondary mirrors. RC telescopes (from a variety of manufacturers) are found in most of the world's top observatories and NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. Because the mirrors in these telescopes have always been very expensive to make, few amateur astronomers could enjoy them. Fortunately, Meade engineers developed a radical new Advanced Coma Free design by combining a hyperbolic secondary mirror with a corrector-lens-and-spherical-primary-mirror combination that performs as one hyperbolic element. This ACF design produces a coma-free, flat field of view that rivals traditional RC telescopes at a fraction of the cost. The design even eliminates diffraction spikes and improves astigmatism, both of which are inherent in the traditional RC design. When reviewing Meade's LX400-ACF Advanced Coma Free, Sky and Telescope magazine said, " It does indeed perform like an RC. The difference between the off-axis images (compared to a Schmidt-Cassegrain) was dramatic, to say the least."

  Meade 8-Inch f/10 LX200-ACF Advanced Coma-Free Telescope Features

  • f/10 Advanced Coma-Free Optics: Building from a classic RC design, Meade has created a new design with the same coma-free pinpoint star images and flatter field that discerning astrophotographers and most professional observatories have come to expect from classic Ritchey Chretien optics. Meade's Advanced Coma-Free system also reduces astigmatism and eliminates diffraction spikes found in classical RCs. The LX200-ACF is the perfect platform for the demanding researcher and imaging enthusiast.
  • Meade Ultra-High Transmission Coatings (UHTC) increases total light transmission and image brightness by nearly 20% over Meade's standard coatings. Objects such as stars, galaxies, and nebulae will appear significantly brighter.
  • Primary Mirror Lock locks the mirror in place during long-exposure astrophotography.
  • Oversize Primary Mirror diameters are greater than their listed aperture (e.g., the diameter of the 8-Inch LX200-ACF is actually 8.25-inches). This additional 1/4-inch yields a wide, fully illuminated field-of-view.
  • Smart Mount constantly refines pointing accuracy each time an object is centered and updated. Compatible with both equatorial and alt-azimuth mounts.
  • Coma Killer - What is coma? It's not some sort of astronomical state of unconsciousness. It's an optical aberration. Precisely defined, coma is a distortion in which the image of a star cannot be focused to a point, but takes on the shape of a comet.
  • Smart Drive provides permanent periodic error correction (PPEC) on both axes by learning and averaging error over the course of one or more training periods, thereby minimizing guiding corrections during long-exposure photographs. PPEC is available on both axes and functions in both polar and alt-azimuth modes.
  • Sony GPS Receiver Sensor automatically inputs precise time, date, and geographical location to help quickly and precisely align the telescope.
  • AutoAlign - Telescopes with Meade's AutoAlign come prealigned. They are smart scopes that know the night sky right out of the box. AutoAlign picks two fail-proof alignment stars for you and places them right in your view-finder. Just center to fine tune your alignment and the wonders of the universe are at your fingertips.
  • AutoStar II controller features "Hot Keys" for quick access to a 145,000 celestial object database. AutoStar II can be updated with the latest software upgrades, guided tours and timely objects like comets.

  Meade guarantees their product to perform as well as promised and the First Light Program was made to prove this to the customers.

  If your telescope's workmanship or materials fail within the first 30 days of ownership, Meade will replace it- no questions asked! 
  
  Customer Note:Images may show the #1209 Microfocuser, which is no longer standard with the LX200-ACF telescope.

• specifications

  Aperture	200mm (8")
  Computerized	Computerized
  Focal Length	2000mm
  Focal Ratio	f/10
  Free Shipping	Yes
  Head Design	Altitude Azimuth
  Optical Design	Modified SCT
  OTA Length	17.5"
  OTA Outer Diameter	9.5"
  OTA Weight	14.14 lbs.
  Power Source	(Optional) 12v DC 5 amp Meade Universal Power Supply
  Software Included	AutoStar Suite
  Warranty	2 Year Warranty

• included items

  Included:
  • Meade 8-Inch LX-200 f/10 ACF Telescope
  • Field Tripod
  • AutoStar II hand controller
  • 8 x 50 Optical Finder
  • New Meade Field Tripod product amendment