Built with a large aperture and long focal length, the Celestron 7" Maksutov-Cassegrain Optical Tube Assembly is a powerful astronomical tool that remains manageable and portable. The Maksutov design 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. This modified 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 StarBright XLT coating system, make this an ideal scope for making detailed solar, lunar, and planetary observations, while being able to resolve deep-sky objects like stars, clusters, galaxies, and nebulae.
- 180mm f/15 aperture is ideal for near and deep-sky objects
- Long 2700mm focal length
- Front convex meniscus lens corrects spherical and chromatic aberrations as well as comas (off-axis aberrations) across the entire field of view
- Smaller secondary mirror versus Schmidt-Cassegrains reduces obstructions and increases contrast
- StarBright XLT coatings ensure maximum light transmission to ensure images are bright, with accurate color rendition, crisp sharpness, and enhanced contrast
- Resolution: 0.64 arcsec (Rayleigh), 0.52 arcsec (Dawes)
- Internal primary mirror focus
- 2"-diameter visual back accepts larger eyepieces and accessories
- Requires mount and tripod for proper use
- Vixen-style dovetail plate
- Weight: 19 pounds including OTA, dovetail plate, finder, diagonal, and eyepiece
- 2" barrel diameter
- Accepts most 2" astronomical filters
- 28mm eyepiece yields 96x power
Diagonal:
- 2" snout and eyepiece holder
- 90° angle places head in a comfortable viewing position
- Star configuration corrects image horizontally for terrestrial use
- 2-to-1.25" reducer adapter allows the use of smaller eyepieces
Finderscope:
- Relatively low 8x magnification provides a wide field of view for easier alignment and faster star-hopping navigation
- 50mm aperture helps resolve dimmer objects that dot finders cannot