Hello everyone,
I am planning to get the Orion 180 mm Maksutov-Cassegrain telescope. Is it possible to image or see brighter deep sky objects by using a focal reducer? It's has a focal length of 2700mm and a focal ratio of f/15.0.
Posted 05 January 2021 - 04:03 PM
Hello everyone,
I am planning to get the Orion 180 mm Maksutov-Cassegrain telescope. Is it possible to image or see brighter deep sky objects by using a focal reducer? It's has a focal length of 2700mm and a focal ratio of f/15.0.
Posted 05 January 2021 - 04:09 PM
I can't say to much on this as I am still new to AP but I do know that you will need a lot more acquisition time to get good results as this is an f/15.0 scope... but it should be possible.
Posted 05 January 2021 - 04:15 PM
You can 'see' LOTS of DSO's with a 7 inch Mak!
Posted 05 January 2021 - 04:16 PM
It is a good scope for small bright targets such as planets and small bright planetary nebulae (Blue Snowball or Saturn Nebula). Although, larger aperture will resolve more detail with a SCT such as a Celestron C8, C9.25 or C11, or Meade LX200 ACF scopes.
Posted 05 January 2021 - 04:40 PM
Most attempts to use focal reducers on MCTs usually is on Rumaks which have F-ratios in the F10-F12 range because the f-ratios are similar to the SCTs the reducers are meant to be used on. Companies like Intes in Russia did make focal reducers in the 0.55x-0.6x range for their MCTs but no one seems to know what F-ratios they were designed for (I have an Intes 0.6x model). All the one I have seen have SCT threads on them so they are designed for moving mirror focusing Maks not fixed optic ones. Does not stop someone from putting an SCT>2" adapter on one and sticking it into the focuser of a fixed optics one. May or may not reach focus that way (I have never tried even though I have the parts to do it with and to try an SCT one).
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