Balancing aperture with manageability and representing the mid-range size in the series, the Sky-Watcher 127mm f/12.1 Maksutov-Cassegrain Telescope exchanges the conventional front corrector plate of a Schmidt with a convex meniscus lens, resulting in a smaller secondary mirror that limits obstruction and increases contrast, while eliminating the need for periodic collimation. The Maksutov optical path results in a slower focal ratio and narrower field of view versus a similar Schmidt, but the optical benefits, when coupled with the larger aperture and fully multicoated optics, make this an ideal scope for making detailed solar, lunar, and planetary observations, while being able to resolve bright deep-sky objects like stars, clusters, galaxies, and nebulae.
The scope is outfitted with a large 2" visual back and, to get users started, Sky-Watcher includes a 28mm long eye relief eyepiece that produces a moderate magnification and a 90° star diagonal for more comfortable viewing when the optical tube assembly (OTA) is pointed at or near the celestial zenith. The OTA is offered here without a mount or tripod for users who have a platform or want to use it as part of a dual-OTA setup for star parties or observation/imaging rigs. It is outfitted with a Vixen-style dovetail plate for easy attachment onto many mounts. This OTA's compact form factor belies its observation power and resolution and is ideally suited as a grab-and-go option for quick observation sessions or heading out to remote locations.
- 127mm aperture
- f/12.1 focal ratio
- 1500mm focal length
- Front convex meniscus lens corrects spherical and chromatic aberrations and comas (off-axis aberrations) across the entire field of view
- Smaller secondary mirror versus Schmidt-Cassegrains reduces obstructions and increases contrast
- Fully multicoated optics maximize light transmission to improve brightness, color rendition, sharpness, and contrast
- Resolution: 0.91 arcsec
- Internal primary mirror focus
- 2" diameter visual back accepts larger eyepieces and accessories
- Requires user-supplied mount and tripod
- Vixen-style dovetail plate
- Weight: 9.7 pounds including OTA, dovetail plate, finder, diagonal, and eyepiece
- Eyepiece:
- 2" barrel diameter
- Accepts most 2" astronomical filters
- 28mm eyepiece yields 54x power
- Comfortable long eye relief
- Diagonal:
- 2" snout and eyepiece holder
- 90° angle places head in a comfortable viewing position
- Star configuration corrects image horizontally for terrestrial use
- Finderscope:
- Low 6x magnification provides a wide field of view for easier alignment and faster star-hopping navigation
- 30mm aperture helps resolve dimmer objects that dot finders cannot