Telescope Optical Tube Assemblies

Telescope optical tubes may be purchased separately to be combined with the mount of your choice. This practice is often the norm with Apochromatic Refractors, but is also popular with Schmidt-Cassegrains and their derivatives. In many cases an additional dovetail or saddle plate is needed to secure the optical tube to the mount. If in doubt, please call for assistance.

Schmidt-Cassegrain

Schmidt-Cassegrains utilize both mirrors and a lens (corrector plate) to focus light into a smaller area. Schmidt-Cassegrains are popular due to their compact size relative to their aperture.

Maksutov-Cassegrain

Maksutov-Cassegrains are an excellent choice for planetary and double star observing. Maksutov-Cassegrains offer superior contrast to Schmidt-Cassegrains and are suitable for both astronomical and terrestrial observing due to the upright image.

Aplanatic Schmidt-Cassegrain

Both Meade Instruments and Celestron offer aplanatic Schmidt-Cassegrains, a derivative of the Schmidt-Cassegrain design, that dramatically reduce coma. Coma is an optical aberration that causes crescent-shaped stars outside of the center of the field.