This advanced optical coatings package includes multiple layers of vacuum-deposited high reflectivity aluminum on both primary and secondary mirrors. The coating layers are enhanced with titanium dioxide for maximum reflectivity and then overcoated with a protective layer of silicon monoxide (quartz) for long life.

A unique combination of magnesium fluoride and hafnium dioxide high transmission antireflection coatings is vacuum-deposited on both sides of the Schmidt corrector lens for maximum light throughput and contrast. The corrector lens itself is made of high transmission water white float glass instead of the conventional soda lime glass (which has 3.5% lower transmission than water white glass) that's used in other telescopes.

Starbright XLT multicoatings give you higher light transmission for brighter deep space images and shorter exposure times during CCD and DSLR photography. Across the total visual/photographic spectrum from 400nm to 750nm, independent laboratory tests show the new Starbright XLT coatings are 16% brighter overall than even the original industry-standard Starbright multicoatings. The XLT coatings also visibly increase the contrast on subtle lunar, planetary, and nebula details when compared with a scope with standard coatings or ordinary multicoatings.