Refractors

More Information  · Supplied Accessories  · Recommended Accessories  · Images of Some Features Price $349.00 Highest Useful Magnification 160x Visual Limiting Magnitude 12.0 Focal Length 800mm Focal Ratio f/10 Resolution 1.45 arc seconds Aperture 3.1" Net Weight 12.5 lbs. Warranty 1 year Lowest Useful Magnification 20x

• 80mm f/10 multicoated achromatic refractor optics
• light-weight battery-operated AutoStar computerized go-to Generation II DS-2000 altazimuth mount and tripod
• illuminated non-magnifying red dot finder
• 9.7mm (82x) and 26mm (31x) Super Plössl eyepieces
• patented Level North Technology for fast no-guesswork alignment on the sky

    The Meade DS-2080AT-LNT puts good quality 80mm (3.1”) aperture refractor optics on an easy-to-use computerized go-to altazimuth mount. It can take you effortlessly on a tour of the best sights in the heavens any night the skies are clear. The DS-2080AT-LNT provides a well-balanced mix of high contrast optical performance, portability, and computerized convenience at an extremely affordable price.
    For the observer whose interests are the brighter solar system and deep space objects, the DS-2080AT-LNT has a lot to offer. Its refractor optics provide sharp, high-contrast images of subtle lunar and planetary details. While some spurious color (typical of all achromatic refractors) is visible on the planets and the limb of the Moon, it is well controlled and unobtrusive. Outside the solar system, binary star systems and globular star clusters are sharp and well-resolved, typical of the performance of a good refractor, with the contrasting colors of many binary systems showing nicely. Without the light-scattering effect of a reflector’s mirrors and secondary obstruction to contend with, the high contrast of the refractor’s unobstructed optical system lets the brighter nebulas and galaxies stand out nicely against a dark sky background.

   DS-Series LNT computer

This Telescope’s Optical System . . .

• Achromatic refractor optical system: 80mm (3.1") aperture 800mm focal length f/10 system using a 2-element objective lens made of Grade-A BK7 crown and F2 flint optical glass. Field stops inside the optical tube prevent off-axis light from reaching the focal plane, enhancing the contrast for sharper and more detailed views. Multicoated optics for high light transmission and contrast.

• Finderscope: SmartFinder non-magnifying variable brightness red dot finder with multicoated viewing window for more visible stars. The red dot SmartFinder is a quick and easy way to point your telescope exactly to the desired object in the sky. There’s no need to worry about the inverted images you see through traditional finders. Just align the red dot seen on the finder’s viewing window with the desired star in the sky and you’re done.

• Focuser: Rack and pinion, with a 1.25" accessory adapter.

• Star diagonal: 1.25" prism type.

• Two eyepieces: Both are four-element fully multicoated 1.25" Super Plössl designs. The first is a 26mm providing a magnification of 31x. The eyepiece field of view is 1.61° across. That’s over three times as wide as the diameter of the full Moon, for expansive views of open star clusters and terrestrial observing. The second is a 9.7mm providing 103x with a 0.48° field for more close-up views of the planets, globular star clusters, and a full Moon that more than fills the eyepiece field.

This Telescope’s Mount . . .

• Fork mount/drive system: Lightweight Generation II DS-2000 single fork arm altazimuth design with pre-installed dual DC servo motor drives. A compartment in the drive base accepts eight user-supplied AA batteries for powering the telescope. The new extra-large declination knob is easy to grip and tightens in place with ease, making it easier to adjust the scope’s position. The Generation II mount has improved pointing accuracy and even higher precision tracking when compared with the previous DS-2000 mount’s already excellent performance.

• Adjustable height tripod: The new heavier preassembled aluminum tripod has even shorter damping time than the previous tripod, reducing the small image-degrading vibrations visible in all telescopes when the scope is bumped or the focus adjusted at high magnifications. The tripod is adjustable in height to put the scope’s eyepiece at a comfortable level for observing. The tripod’s center leg brace holds a convenient accessory tray to keep your eyepieces and accessories up and out of the dew-soaked grass. The tray has a built-in holder for the Autostar computer hand control.

• Autostar computer control with LNT: The supplied Autostar #494 computer hand control has an illuminated numeric keypad and a two-line 16-character display. It includes a database of 1,471 stars and objects that it can find and follow for you automatically, including the complete Messier and Caldwell catalogs of famous deep space objects; the best variable stars and multiple star systems; the planets; the Moon; and more. The objects have been specifically chosen as being those that are best-suited for observing with the DS-2080AT-LNT. They provide an excellent introduction to the wide variety of astronomical objects visible through the telescope.
      The Autostar computer uses patented LNT (Level North Technology) to automatically line up your telescope on the sky. A built-in electronic level sensor, electronic magnetic North sensor, and high precision clock combine with the Level North Technology software in the Autostar computer to make aligning on the sky as easy as remembering your own zip code. You don’t have to be able to identify stars like Altair or Zubenelgenubi or know how to read a star chart to line up your telescope on the sky. You can find hundreds of fascinating deep space objects your first night out, even if you have never used a telescope before. For more details, click on the “computer" icon above.

• Supplied software: The scope comes with the AutoStar Software Suite Astronomer’s Edition – a CD-ROM Windows-based planetarium program for your PC that can display over 10,000 stars and deep space objects on your computer screen – galaxies, nebulas, star clusters, stars, and planets. It lets you explore the universe on your computer when the skies are cloudy and you can’t use your scope. It can print out star charts to use later at the telescope and help you plan your observing sessions. Also included is an instructional DVD that shows you how to set up your scope and get the most out of observing with it.

What you see through the DS-2080AT-LNT . . .

    All of the major planets except Pluto are easily observable through the DS-2080AT-LNT. You can study high contrast views of Saturn and its ring system; the primary cloud belts of Jupiter and its four major satellites; the Moonlike phases of Mercury and Venus; prominent features on Mars; and the star-like images of the distant planets Uranus and Neptune. The Moon stands out in sharp, almost three-dimensional detail – showing you craters by the hundreds, mountain ranges, scarps, and valleys. Within our Milky Way galaxy the scope displays hundreds of nebulas, star clusters, double and multiple stars, and variable stars – plus dozens of external galaxies in all their variations of form and structure.
    It has 77% more light gathering capacity than the more common 60mm beginning scope. This gives brighter and more highly resolved images than is possible with any smaller scope. For the introductory student of astronomy, or for the casual observer, the Meade DS-2080AT-LNT opens up your skies to an amazing breadth of celestial detail (both inside and outside the solar system) that is utterly invisible without the telescope – and all at a very modest cost.