Features of this Telescope's Schmidt-Cassegrain Optical System . . .

• Oversized primary mirror: The diameter of the primary mirror of each LX90 LNT is larger than the diameter of the Schmidt corrector lens at the front of its optical tube that admits the light. The primary mirror of the 8" scope is actually 8.25" in diameter, compared to the 8" diameter of the corrector lens. The 10" primary is 10.375" in diameter, and the 12" primary is 12.375". Oversizing the primary mirror in this way gives you a wider fully-illuminated field than a conventional SCT whose corrector and primary mirror are the same size. The result is a gain of 5% to 8% more off-axis light available to your eye or camera, depending on the telescope.

• Fully coated optics: The Pyrex primary and secondary mirrors are vacuum-coated with a thin layer of aluminum that provides approximately 89% reflectivity per surface. Once aluminized, the mirrors are overcoated with a protective layer of silicon monoxide (quartz) for long life.
      A thin layer of anti-reflection magnesium fluoride is vacuum deposited on both sides of the water-white float glass Schmidt corrector plate to provide a high 98.7% light transmission per surface, compared to the 96% transmission of uncoated glass. Overall light throughput (the amount of light collected by the objective lens that actually reaches your eye or camera) is approximately 77% at the Cassegrain focus.
      For those interested in even more brightness for photography and observing faint deep space objects, Meade also offers this scope with optional UHTC (Ultra High Transmission Coatings) for a 15% increase in light throughput. Optional UHTC multicoatings effectively add the equivalent of extra light-gathering aperture to the performance of a scope with standard coatings (the equivalent of three-quarters of an inch of extra aperture in the case of a 10" scope, for example), but with no increase in actual size or weight.

• Fully baffled optics: A cylindrical baffle around the secondary mirror, in combination with the cylindrical baffle tube projecting from the primary mirror, prevents stray off-axis light from reaching the image plane. In addition, a series of field stops machined into the inner surface of the central baffle tube effectively eliminates undesirable light which might reflect from the inside surface of the baffle tube. The result of these baffle systems is improved contrast in lunar, planetary, and deep space observing alike.