Skywatcher Skymax-150 Maksutov-Cassegrain on lightweight mount EQ5

Skywatcher Skymax-150 Maksutov-Cassegrain Telescope with equatorial Mount EQ5

The powerful and modern Skywatcher Maksutov-Cassegrain with 150 mm aperture is a very good basis for deep sky and planetary observation. No chromatic aberration disturbs the outstanding contrast and the stars are pin-point dots.

A wider field with 2"

Especially for deep-sky observation, 2" eyepieces are very useful, especially with this focal length. This Maksutov alreadily has a 2" connection. With the included 2" eyepiece 28 mm for example, the complete full moon fits into the field of view.

Astrophotography with the Skymax 150

This Maksutov is the right instrument for the enthusiastic planetary photographer. The focal length of 1800 mm is ideal for imaging large areals of the moon. With a 2.5x Barlow you can achieve optimal resolution for fine detail on planets and the lunar surface.

The equatorial mount EQ5

This German equatorial mount supplies a stable base and, with 10 kg payload, it has still reserve capacity with the Maksutov.

A solid and height-adjustable steel-tube field tripod is included.

precise construction also for astrophotography
portable
saddle plate Vixen GP style
can be used for other telescopes like rich field instruments
can be fitted with polar finder, drives or even GoTo

Here you can find more information about the EQ5 mount.

Useful information by Teleskop-Service: The Maksutov-Cassegrain System

A Maksutov-Cassegrain combines compact design with an image quality that´s close to a classical refractor. Compared with fast refractors of the same aperture, the quality is even better because a Maksutov-Cassegrain has no disturbing false colour.

Thus the Maksutov-Cassegrain is an interesting alternative for astronomers who pay pay attention on high-contrast imaging but need a compact system.



On the other hand, a Maksutov-Cassegrain is not a very "fast" system. Compared with the aperture, the focal length is relatively long. This is ideal for lunar and planetary observation, but wide field objects like the Pleiades or the Andromeda Galaxy cannot be viewed in their full dimension.

The optical design (see picture above):
Light passes through the meniscus corrector, is reflected by the spherical main mirror and is then directed by the spherical secondary mirror to the focal plane. The abberations of the spherical main mirror are corrected by the Maksutov lens. This causes a good quality either on the optical axis and also off-axis. A further advantage: The Maksutov corrector keeps the OTA closed and makes it less sensitive against tube seeing caused by temperature differences.

The secondary mirror transforms the main mirror´s focal ratio to the full value of f/10 to f/15 (depending on the individual design).

Focusing:
The image is not focused by an external drawtube but by moving the main mirror by a fine thread. This kind of focusing hat the advantage of a very wide focus range - nearly any accessories can be mounted.