Representing the largest aperture in the series, the LX600-ACF 16" f/8 Cassegrain GoTo Telescope from Meade Instruments
is a technologically advanced research-grade Cassegrain telescope on a
heavy-duty motorized and computer-controlled dual-tine fork mount. Its
innovative optical design, combined with Meade's Ultra-High Transmission
Coatings (UHTC) and Advanced Coma-Free (ACF) optical system, ensures
that images are bright and clear, with high contrast, superb resolution,
and faithful color reproduction. The ACF system uses specially
engineered corrector plates and mirrors that complement each other to
improve the scope's resolution and its ability to split binary stars and
allow you to observe fine details otherwise missed by other scopes of
the same size. This version of the 16" LX600-ACF is offered here with
the mount and OTA, but without a tripod for those who have a reliable
and stable support system, pier, or other custom system.
Multiple
technologies work together to put this mounting system above the
standard GoTo mount. Meade outfitted it with a built-in GPS receiver and
time chip, so the mount can automatically determine its location, day,
and time when turned on. This information is sent to the StarLock
system, which uses two digital cameras built into an 80mm f/5 refractor
OTA that is piggybacked onto the main LX600 optical tube. The cameras
take wide-field photos of the night sky and compare them to an internal
database to automatically align the scope. During long observation or
exposure imaging sessions, the StarLock system continuously checks its
orientation and tracking and adjusts as needed, sending the data to the
Smart Mount and Smart Drive systems. The system learns the intrinsic
tracking errors, adjusts itself automatically, and remembers the
adjustments to continuously improve tracking accuracy over time.
The
brain of the mount is Meade's iconic AutoStar II computer controller.
This hand-held unit has an internal database of over 145,000 objects
from the Moon and planets, to galaxies, nebulae, and constellations.
Coupled with the StarLock system, the AutoStar's tracking accuracy is an
impressive ±1 arcsec. It can calculate future events like sunrises and
meteor showers, and predict solar and lunar eclipses for the next 100
years. Once set up and running, the AutoStar II can take you on guided
tours of the best objects visible above, including a detailed tour of
the lunar surface with points of interest such as Apollo landing sites,
craters, mountains, and mare.
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