Maksutov telescopes
Maksutov telescopes are very compact and therefore ideally suited for portable use or for when travelling. The enclosed optics and collimation stability with Maksutovs ensure their robustness.
Maksutov telescopes have a very long focal length despite their compact design. But the field of view is rather narrow when compared to achromatic refractor telescopes. However, this combination makes Maksutov telescopes ideal instruments for observing the Moon and planets. And when equipped with an Amici prism, they are also very well suited to nature-watching and nature photography.
Maksutov-Cassegrain vs. Schmidt-Cassegrain: The Mak is a catadioptric telescope, which means the optical design includes both a lens and a mirror. The light coming through a Mak passes through the corrector lens to the primary mirror and back to a spherical secondary mirror before it hits your eyepiece. Images are bright, sharp, and virtually free of chromatic aberration.
The Maksutov-Cassegrain’s optical design offers several unique benefits. Instead of a secondary mirror, the Mak features a “secondary spot” of reflective coating applied directly to the inside of the corrector plate. Because of this, the telescope does not require frequent collimation like a Schmidt-Cassegrain. Also, the secondary spot is significantly smaller than a traditional Schmidt-Cassegrain secondary mirror, giving the Mak its signature high-contrast views.
One important thing to note about Maksutov-Cassegrain telescopes is that the larger, heavier Maksutov corrector plate takes longer to cool down and adjust to ambient air temperature compared to a Schmidt-Cassegrain of the same aperture.
The Advanced VX is the ideal mount for mobile astrophotography using small to medium-sized telescopes! Telescopes up to around 14kg can benefit from the well-engineered functions of Celestron’s large parallactic mount. Thanks to PEC (Periodic Error Correction), the periodic error, which occurs in all mounts with classic worm gears, is strongly reduced, making long exposures possible. Additionally, you can follow objects far beyond the meridian, without instant switching being required. This means you can observe the most interesting part of the sky without interruptions. The Advanced VX also has a considerably wider base than its predecessor, which increases stability when carrying heavy loads. Improved motors have with high torque and can better compensate for small imbalances.
Experienced photographers will appreciate how easily this mount can be transported to dark observation spots. If you are just starting out with astronomy or astrophotography, the Advanced VX can help to make those first steps easier and provide you with good service for many years to come.
The mount takes Vixen-style dovetail rails or wider Celestron rails (CGE-style), but not 3” Losmandy rails.
It not only matters which telescope you buy but also where you buy it. Our additional services:
- We are a leading telescope dealer and know the devices we sell. Our customer service team will gladly help you after your purchase if you have problems with assembly or operation.
- We provide a copy of the 80-page Telescope ABC beginners handbook with every telescope.
