Starwave ASCENT 80mm ED Triplet APO F4.8 Astrograph

A compact Astrograph for imaging at F4.8 or F6.0. The triplet ED APO lens cell includes a premium FCD100 Japanese Synthetic Fluorite glass ED glass element, with an equivalent Abbe number to FPL53 offering the same level of colour correction.

An F4.8 0.8X reducer flattener (Code RED80EDTM63) is included with rear male M48 Thread and standard 55mm spacing to the camera sensor, producing a  focal length of 384mm. The reducer screws into the rear of the focuser ensuring stability and the scope becomes a 5-element F4.8 astrograph. Read here for information about how to connect your camera to the Planostar reducer.

An optional 1.0x flattener can be added to your order for imaging at F6.0, giving you that extra flexibility for framing smaller deep-space objects.

Optical quality assurance: A Zygo optical test report in green light is included, which is unique to your telescope, and 30% more accurate than red light tests. This telescope is a premium visual instrument for high power viewing, with a Strehl ratio of 0.95 or higher.

Correction in the blue, green and red wavelengths is excellent, enabling imaging with colour CMOS and mono cameras.

The Dual Speed all-CNC machined 1:10 ratio micro-focuser has a rack and pinion gear easily able to carry eyepieces, binoviewers, large filter wheels and cameras. The brass rack and pinion gear features slanted teeth to reduce backlash to negligible levels for fine focusing, and it can easily be automated by adding a motor focuser. The focuser end-cap has a 2" push-fit adaptor with 3x thumbscrews for better grip. A 1.25-2" push-fit adaptor with brass insert is included. 
 
The tube is made from light weight aluminium alloy with CNC machined components including lightweight CNC tube rings. A tough matte powder coated tube and hard-anodised fittings give durability and classic looks, as well as faster cool-down compared to telescopes with carbon fibre tubes. An aluminium push-fit lens cap and 1.75" Vixen style dovetail bar complete the basic package.
 
Visual observing with the Starwave ASCENT 80ED Triplet APO: Detail is easily visible on the larger planets such as Jupiter, with both the four principle moons and main cloud belts easily visible at high power. Saturn's rings including the Cassini division, and thousands of lunar craters, as well as volcanic plains and mountain ranges are all easily visible. Add a high quality Altair Imaging-Ready Solar Wedge or Daystar Quark Hydrogen Alpha solar eyepiece, and you have a portable solar observing system. The 480mm focal length is ideal for the Daystar Quark and it's built-in Barlow lens, enabling viewing of solar prominences and their development over a few hours. This scope will easily reveal detail and structure within sunspots with white light solar filters. Viewing bright, extended deep-sky objects or star-clouds with a low power eyepiece is very rewarding, with the inherent contrast of a high quality refractor giving objects that visual "pop" against a dark background - something just not possible with reflecting telescopes.
 
Finder scopes and guide scopes: For visual observation, the optional Altair 60mm RACI (Right angle Correct Image) finder-scope or the Starwave RDF (Red Dot Finder) both have a quick release dovetail bracket which fits the focuser holes provided, and is left on the focuser, so you can keep it aligned for quick setup. Astrophotographers can choose the dedicated MG60 or MG32 finder scopes with a popular guide camera such as Altair GPCAM which also enables precise polar alignment with the included SharpCap PRO software.
 
Grab 'n go portability: The Starwave ASCENT 80 ED Triplet APO is  a great "grab 'n go" portable telescope-kit for visual observing or astro-photography because it's about the same size as a large telephoto camera lens. It will however give better contrast, sharpness and star images than photographic lenses costing several times the price. This is because it doesn't have aperture diaphragm blades, not an excessive number of lenses, and is designed to be used at infinity focus at full aperture (camera lenses cannot be used for astro imaging at less than about F5 without significant colour aberration and distortion, and they are not diffraction limited). 
 
Mounting the Starwave 80 ED Triplet to an astro-mount: Most GOTO mounts which support 1.75" "Vixen/Synta-format " dovetails will fit the included dovetail bar directly. Due to it's light weight, you can use quite portable mounts such as the Skywatcher EQ5 series or iOptron CEM or HEM series. Talk to us about your requirements and we'll recommend the right mount for you. Altair TMS Losmandy bars will also fit the tube rings, as will the Keystone Riser Blocks.
 
Starwave ASCENT 80 ED Triplet APO Specifications & Features:

• Optical tube with air-spaced 80mm F6 Triplet ED lens system (480mm native focal length).
• 384mm F4.8 focal length with included 0.8x reducer, which screws directly into the focuser. (Code: RED80EDTM63).
• FCD100 Synthetic Fluorite glass element and mating elements housed in a precision adjustable CNC machined lens cell with temperature compensation interleaving. FCD100 has virtually the same performance as FPL53 but lesser cost.
• Super-high transmission multi-coatings on all air to glass surfaces.
• Resolving Power (Dawes Limit) 1.45 arc seconds.
• Visual Limiting Magnitude 12.2 maximum.
• Weight approx. 2.8kg, optical tube length with dew-shield retracted, 39cm.
• Precision CNC machined components and tube made from light, tough aluminium alloy with matte powder coat and hard anodising.
• Retractable lens shade / dew shield.
• Rack 'n Pinion" Geared dual speed focuser with 1:10 micro-focuser with a camera rotator on the back enabling easy framing.
• 2" to 1.25" reducer with brass compression ring and 3x Thumbscrews included.
• Front aluminium push-fit lens cap, rear plastic 1.25" dust plug.
• Standard 1.75" dovetail bar with stainless steel M6 cap-head screws included.
• Tube Rings with M6 threaded holes compatible with Altair and most other mounting dovetail plates and bars. 

Altair products ship worldwide - remember that if you are outside the UK, the price you pay is "EX VAT" as shown on the page, i.e. 20% less than the UK retail price. This is because UK local VAT sales tax does not apply to overseas orders. You may have to pay local import duties and taxes in your location.

Altair and dealers reserve the right to change product price and specification.