SkyWatcher Skymax 180 Pro Mak 10217

It excels for the observation of tight double-stars and the surface detail of the Moon & bright planets as well as being useful on galaxies & nebulae. It can also be used as a terrestrial telescope for daytime observations with an optional 1.25” or 2” erecting prism diagonal. A DSLR can be easily attached using the integrated T2 adaptor thread. Please note astrophotography is of limited use on faint deep-sky objects due to its long focal length.

The telescope features a high quality, internally darkened aluminium tube of excellent rigidity.  Supplied with a 45mm dovetail bar, a 9×50 fully multi-coated finderscope with crosshair reticle, 2” Star Diagonal (with 1.25” & 2” eyepiece adaptors) and a 28mm 2” LET Eyepiece.

Maksutov-Cassegrain telescopes are a closed tube catadioptric design that use a combination of mirrors and a full-aperture meniscus corrector lens. The optical design cleverly folds a long focal length into a tube length of highly compact dimensions, making them a convenient design to store and transport.
The Skymax 180 employs a 7” (180mm) spherical primary mirror and a front full-aperture meniscus corrector lens with a secondary mirror spot. The primary and secondary mirrors are both finished with Sky-Watcher’s RAQ™ Radiant Aluminium Quartz coatings, which include layers of aluminium, tantalum pentoxide and silicon dioxide for a brilliant, highly durable finish with a remarkable 94% reflectivity that will last for years.

The primary mirror is made from special Low-Expansion Borosilicate glass, similar to Pyrex. It has an exceptionally low coefficient of thermal expansion compared to regular glass types. In practice this means a quicker cool-down time to reach thermal equilibrium, and during the cool-down process the mirror will maintain a better shape, reducing distortions, allowing you to start observing sooner.

The front corrector lens is multi-coated with Sky-Watcher’s signature Metallic High-Transmission Coatings™ (MHTC™) which are the finest photon anti-rejection coatings in their class, to allow maximum light throughput.

The colour scheme is not just an aesthetic. The OTA is tastefully finished in Sky-Watcher’s proprietary Black Diamond flecked metallic paintwork and features, by design, complementary contrasting white painted surfaces. The white surfaces are a highly practical feature for providing more visibility, which can help prevent your expensive and carefully aligned telescope from being knocked accidentally in the dark.

With a tube weight of 7.8kg, this OTA would be a good match for the Sky-Watcher EQ5, EQ5 Pro, EQM-35 Pro, EQ-AL55i Pro, HEQ5-R Pro, EQ6-R Pro and Wave-100i/150i Mountings

Budget for a neutral density 1.25″ filter or Baader polariser set for the moon, a Baader UHC and OIII filter and a dew shield.

With any Cassegrain telescope you will have to consider the affect dew fall. The cheapest solution is a lens hood but when dew is a real problem then heater straps will evaporate dew off.