Meade LX200-ACF UHTC 16" f/10 Catadioptric Telescope (OTA Only)

What can you see through a 16” LX200-ACF with Advanced Coma-Free UHTC optics?

With a flat coma-free field, state-of-the-art UHTC multicoated optics, and a resolving power of 0.29 arc seconds, this 16” Meade is an advanced instrument capable of serious research and astrophotography for advanced amateur and university alike. With four times the light gathering capacity of an 8” scope (over two and a half times that of a 10” scope), this scope’s fully multicoated 16” optics give the Universe a detail and extent at dark sky sites that no smaller scope can approach – no matter how good that smaller scope might be. Visual observing is an extraordinarily rewarding experience. 

The advantages of the scope’s coma-free field, fully multicoated optics, and large diffraction-limited aperture are immediately apparent, particularly to the experienced observer with an eye trained to see extremely fine detail. Color becomes visible to the eye in many nebulas. Orion is a glowing blue-green mass of filaments, often tinged with red and yellow for the keen-eyed observer from a dark sky site. Globular clusters can be resolved to their cores, with each cluster becoming a vivid ball of tiny starpoints instead of a hazy blur.

Knottings and structure in the arms of the Whirlpool Galaxy become clear. Small details in the atmospheres of Jupiter and Saturn and on the surface of Mars reveal themselves at high powers (given suitably good seeing and a filter to cut down the immense brightness of a scope with over 3300 times the light-gathering capacity your eye). 

The more obscure Messier and NGC objects (such as planetary nebula NGC 3242 in Hydra, spiral galaxy M100 in Coma Berenices, and open cluster NGC 6231 in Scorpius) show detail that is invisible in smaller scopes. Difficult low surface brightness objects like the Crab Nebula (M1) in Taurus, the face-on Spiral Galaxy (M33) in Triangulum, and the Owl Nebula (M97) in Ursa Major begin to show their essential structures under high-power visual observation. The stars in open clusters remain crisp and point-like to the edge of the field, thanks to the Advanced Coma-Free performance that is similar to that of professional Ritchey-Chrétien optics, but at only a fraction the price. 

These same objects yield magnificently detailed long-exposure CCD and 35mm images. However, field rotation will cause stars at the corners of an image to streak during exposures longer than five minutes if the scope is installed on the optional Super Giant field tripod or altazimuth pier. 

This scope needs truly dark and steady skies if you want to take full advantage of its large aperture and superb optical performance. It’s not a scope that’s happy in a light-polluted suburban observing environment. Because of its size and weight, it’s also not a scope you can take out to a dark sky site on the spur of the moment, particularly if you’re the Lone Observer. This scope needs either a permanent observatory building or a crew of at least two to travel. 

The scope is very substantial in both size and weight. While it is transportable, it is not truly portable. The optical tube weighs 125 pounds. The drive base/fork arm assembly weighs 105 pounds. At least two able-bodied people are needed to lift the scope’s components safely onto an optional tripod. In addition, once on the tripod, a blind hole in the base of the scope has to be aligned with a blind hole and threaded rod in the top of the tripod to lock the scope in place. Another person to thread the rod into the scope base while the lifters position the scope to line up the holes would make the job easier and less adventurous in the dark. 

But, if you have dark skies and help getting to them, or you have a permanent observatory with a suitable existing pier or tripod, this 16” LX200-ACF with fully multicoated UHTC optics may be the ultimate scope for you. It has enough aperture to keep you busy observing and imaging for the rest of your life, with state-of-the art Advanced Coma-Free optics that emulate the performance of professional Ritchey-Chrétien reflectors at a fraction the price, UHTC multicoatings, and enough useful features to handle almost any observing or astrophotography chore you set for it.