Sky-Watcher TelescopesSky-Watcher is a global leader in astronomical instrumentation for the serious amateur astronomer. Are you searching for a fine instrument for astronomical pursuits? Look no further! Sky-Watcher offers the equipment you need at a value that makes sense in today’s economy.
Sky-Watcher PRO
80ED APO Refractor:
Portable Optical Powerhouse!Due to their unobstructed textbook-like diffraction patterns and exotic optical properties, the ED-APO produces the sharpest, highest quality imaging obtainable from any telescope optical design. Experienced amateur astronomers covet these breathtakingly pristine celestial views.
Observing with SW PRO
ED-APO 80mm RefractorFortunate indeed is the amateur astronomer with a SW ED-APO 80mm refractor on a clear night with transparent skies and a stable atmosphere. The Sky-Watcher ED-APO 80mm is a modestly wide-field telescope offering bright, wide swaths of sky in a single view. It is well suited for wide-field astronomical observation of prominent nebulae, star clusters, and galaxies from a dark-sky location, or can be used as an astrograph for sky photography. As a terrestrial spotting scope or telephoto lens, the ED-APO’s performance is superb. Ultra high contrast allows the subtlest of details to be easily scrutinized under conditions of good seeing. The petite silhouette of the SW ED-APO 80mm makes for an excellent compact, portable telescope that travels light and fits a small space. At about 50-power structural detail becomes apparent in our solar system’s gas giants like Saturn and Jupiter. The Moon also exhibits striking crater detail along the lunar terminator.
As an astrograph, the SW PRO 80ED delivers superb performance imaging a wide spectrum of astronomical phenomenon.
Refractors—the Ultimate Imaging Instruments
In a given aperture size, refractors will always exhibit sharper images than other optical designs because the refractor concentrates more light into the central airy-disk and first diffraction rings. There is no diffraction pattern interference caused by a diagonal mirror, or secondary mirror being suspended in the optical path (central obstruction) as is the case with reflectors.
Sky-Watcher ED-Apo’s—the Ultimate Refractors
Sky-Watcher ED-APO refractors provide the finest images obtainable—bar none—in their design class. If you are on a quest for the ultimate in pristine, near textbook-perfect astronomical imaging, look no further! Sky-Watcher ED apochromatic refractors deliver dramatic coal-back skies and faithful, contrast-rich views of planetary and deep-space phenomenon that are second to none. Sky-Watcher ED-APO refractors are the logical choice as an investment in advanced instrumentation for exceptional viewing or photography.
Virtually Eliminates Residual Chromatic Aberration
The Sky-Watcher ED-APO design assures virtual elimination of secondary, residual “false color” normally present in 2-element achromatic lens designs using Crown and Flint glass. Sky-Watcher APO refractors utilize a second lens element made from the mineral fluorite instead of Flint glass. Fluorite, CaF2, is a halide with unique properties and a hardness of only four. It is an exotic and difficult material to fabricate into a lens. Hence the cost of manufacturing a fluorite lens is quite high compared to a Flint lens element, for instance.
Why fluorite? Fluorite’s molecular properties have several distinct advantages. First, it has superior dispersion characteristics compared to pure silica-based glass. It functions as a high-index lens with very low dispersion. We use the term ED to signify “Extra-low Dispersion”. Fluorite also corrects well for spherical aberration. Sky-Watcher utilizes only the very finest available fluorite lens, FPL-53.
Schott Glass Used in Selected Models for Crown Element
Select models of ED-APO refractors will benefit from the inclusion of Schott glass being used for the positive front Crown element in the objective. Schott is the recognized world leader in glass utilized for precision optical lens systems, including medical instrumentation, and famous-brand camera lenses. While Schott glass is only used in selected models, all other models utilize top-quality, Grade-A glass from perhaps less famous but, nonetheless, highly respected, high-quality glass manufacturers.
Pride and Perfection in Optical Manufacturing
Every lens element is individually inspected for purity and absence of striae and other image-degrading imperfections. Every lens is pitched polished to exacting standards of optical fabrication and performance by highly skilled opticians utilizing state-of-the-art methodology and rigidly controlled optical testing procedures. The result is high-quality, diffraction-limited optics performing to the theoretical limits of their respective aperture sizes. All lenses are uniformly air-spaced in their cell housings.
Sky-Watcher offers one of the most extensive lines of ED-APOCHROMATIC refractors in the world. Using only the finest fabrication materials available, Sky-Watcher APO refractors are manufactured to painstakingly rigorous, exacting standards of optical and mechanical quality to insure the amateur astronomer peak performance and a great experience each and every time a Sky-Watcher ED-APO is taken into the field. We know the amateur astronomer has very high expectations regarding astronomical equipment purchases. Sky-Watcher has been delivering consistent satisfaction for over a decade.
Metallic High-Transmission Lens Coatings
Each air-to-glass lens surface has exotic anti-reflection metallic coatings applied to ensure optimum light through-put. The proprietary Sky-Watcher “Metallic High-Transmission Coatings” (MHC) are the finest photon anti-rejection coatings in their class.
Light-Baffled Optical Systems
The objective lens cell is light-baffled to reject stray, unfocused light. The draw tube is likewise baffled to insure optimum contrast. The tube interior is flat blackened to help prevent unfocused internal light reflections from reaching the focal plane.
Precision 2" Crayford-style Focuser is Standard
Optical focus is achieved by means of a mechanically ultra-smooth, backlash-free, precision 2" Crayford-style rack & pinion focuser-assembly with 1.25" adaptor. Focuser offers 2 speeds for fine and ultra-fine focusing adjustments.Tube Materials
The optical tube material is aluminum, powder-coated reflective gloss black with gold fleck accent. The front and back cells are cast-aluminum painted white, or black.
Telescope Tube Attachment Hardware
The Sky-Watcher APO optical tubes come with attachment hardware that allows them to be securely fastened to the SW EQ5P mount. The quick-release tube rings provided with SW ED-APO models 80ED 100ED and 120ED are cast-aluminum, painted white.
Included Components for Selected Models
SW PRO ED-APO models are also supplied with a RA 8x50mm viewfinder with bracket; 2" dielectric diagonal; two 1.25" LE (Long Eye Relief) eyepieces (LE20mm and LE5mm); 1.25" focuser adaptor; and tube ring attachment hardware for mounting to the Sky-Watcher EQ5PRO Mount (or other compatible mount), and a foam lined aluminum carry/ storage cases for the optical tube and accessories is included.
Details
- Shipping Weight 22.00 lbs
- Optical Design ED Apochromatic
- Lens Material FPL-53
- Aperture (Diameter) 80 mm
- Focal Length 570mm
- F-Ratio 7
- Highest Practical Power 160
- Faintest Stellar Magnitude 12.2
- Resolving Power 1.45
- Focuser Diameter 2"
- Tube Weight 12.7
Price $695.00
