Product Description
Delivery ETA in 2021
Explore Scientific David H. Levy 152mm Comet Hunter f/4.8 Carbon Fiber Maksutov-Newtonian Optical Tube Assembly
Explore Scientific founder Scott Roberts and one of his life-long heroes, David H. Levy who is well known for discovering Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9, the comet that hit Jupiter and broke apart in 1994, have collaborated to design the optical tube design known as the Explore Scientific David H. Levy Comet Hunter f/4.8 Carbon Fiber Maksutov-Newtonian Optical Tube Assembly (OTA). This design creates a strong 152mm telescope while providing a rich-field system for high contrast, pinpoint views of stars as well as comets, planets like Jupiter's Red Spot, or deep sky objects like galaxies or nebulae. Explore Scientific wanted a fast, lightweight but yet strong optical tube with all the materials needed for those serious amateur astronomers to stargaze on a frequent basis!
The Comet Hunter Maksutov Newtonian optical design marries two classic telescopes designs drawing from the best features in each: the large aperture and crisp, bright clarity and perfect color of a Newtonian and the further enhanced color and striking contrast of a Maksutov. Unlike traditional Newtonians, the Comet Hunter is a closed optical tube thanks to the Maksutov style corrector, keeping dust and dew from the interior of the astro imaging telescope. The typical spider vanes that would hold the secondary mirror in a Newtonian are eliminated as well with the secondary coated directly onto the curved Maksutov corrector lens. Maksutov telescope design also resolves any issues with spherical aberration for perfectly sharp stars across the entire viewing plane. The result is a nearly 6" telescope with no chromatic or spherical aberration and a fast focal ratio of f/4.8, making the Comet Hunter a versatile observing and imaging instrument for wide field viewing and deep sky object photography. A carbon fiber optical tube helps the telescope remain stable through temperature changes in the night to reduce your need to refocus during imaging sessions and help keep the optical tube lightweight and easy to transport and set up.
152mm Comet Hunter Features & Specifications:
- Optical Design: Maksutov-Newtonian
- Aperture: 152mm (5.98")
- Primary Mirror Diameter: 152mm
- Focal Length: 731mm
- Focal Ratio: f/4.8
- Resolving Power: .77 arc seconds
- Limiting Stellar Magnitude: 13.4
- Tube Diameter: 180mm
- Tube Length: 696mm
- Optical Tube Weight: 15.4lb.
- Dovetail Style: V (Vixen)
Explore Scientific products offer a lifetime warranty when your register your products with Explore Scientific.
Specifications
Name | Explore Scientific - 152mm David H. Levy Comet Hunter f/4.8 Carbon Fiber Maksutov-Newtonian OTA |
---|---|
Manufacturer | Explore Scientific |
Model | EXP-MN06048CF-05 |
UPC | 812257018369 |
Manufacturer Part # | EXP-MN06048CF-05 |
In The Box | Explore Scientific 152mm Carbon Fiber Maksutov Newtonian Optical Tube Cradle Rings V Series Dovetail The Imaging Package Includes all Items Above Plus: Explore Scientific EXOS2GT Mount and Tripod ZWO Guide Scope and Bracket ZWO178 Monochrome Camera ZWO120 Mini Monochrome Camera |
Dovetail Compatibility | Vixen |
Focal Length | 731mm |
Focal Ratio | f/4.8 |
Limiting Stellar Magnitude | 13.4 |
Optical tube diameter | 180mm |
Optical Tube Length | 696mm |
Optical Tube Weight | 15.4lb |
Primary Mirror | 152mm |
Resolving Power | .77 arc seconds |
Secondary Mirror | 64mm |
Secondary Mirror Obstruction | 49mm |
Secondary Obstruction (%) | 32% Obstruction |
Warranty | Explore Scientific STAR Lifetime Warranty (click to read more) |
Reviews
HAS GREAT OPTICS AND HOLDS COLLIMATION WELL (Posted on 3/8/2019)
power and more light gathering for planned dimmer objects, e.g. Andromeda galaxy, various
star clusters.
First impressions. (i) The Woodland Hills price: for this instrument, excellent! (ii) Its weight,
which is wonderfully low for its size, and easily and solidly mounted (on a SkyView Pro mount
rated to 20+ lb). (iii) The secondary mirror is a bear to align, with the odd center screw not
doing what you think, and having to unscrew unnecessary lock screws on the collar (very
close to the meniscus lens). So centering the secondary up/down in the tube, and angular
alignment, are slow and tiresome. But once done, it's solid. The primary is dead easy: nice
accurate adjusters. (iv) For these adjustments, a laser collimator was way off, probably
because the focuser draw tube is not dead perpendicular to the OTA axis. A home-made
collimating peephole was much better. Best, finally, was viewing a home-made artificial star
(ca. 0.2 mm mask on an LED flashlight at 100 ft with 8 mm EP), which worked well to get the
Airy rings centered. (v) Initial performance on the moon and on Jupiter's moons was very
sharp at 100x, and on camera, with no visible chromatic aberration. Note that I didn't get this
scope for the actual planets, which really need Cassegrain-type power for their details. Initial
pics say it's about as sharp as my smaller refractor, but a much brighter image and almost
equal contrast. (vi) A significant problem (as with the ED80) is Explore's nonstandard
finderscope brackets, so I screwed a standard dovetail on the scope's handle to mount my
8x50 finder. (vii) Mounting a DSLR was easy enough with a short 48mm extension tube. (But
note that I use a lightweight micro-4/3 Olympus OMD, not the heavier APS-C format, so I
can't comment on the stiffness of the focuser with heavier loads. And since my sensor is
small, I can't comment on vignetting or coma: there is none. BTW, the OMD pixel size is
about the same as APS-C pixels, just fewer of them, 16 Mp.) (viii) The focuser is smooth and
accurate and the "lock" works OK. (ix) I always put out my scope around dusk and know little
about cool-down time. It's ready when I need it. The included hood/dewshield works well.
That's about it for the moment: perhaps more to come when Orion and Andromeda are in the
fall sky and the skies clear up. So far, I'm very happy with this scope: good performance,
good value, and a very nice light bucket for photography. (Posted on 2/5/2019)
In the Box
Cradle Rings
V Series Dovetail
The Imaging Package Includes all Items Above Plus:
Explore Scientific EXOS2GT Mount and Tripod
ZWO Guide Scope and Bracket
ZWO178 Monochrome Camera
ZWO120 Mini Monochrome Camera