If you're looking to take your stargazing to the next level Astro Physics telescopes could be the answer. Having developed telescopes and mountings for the advanced amateur since the mid seventies there is now an extensive line on offer for a variety of observing requirements.
These telescopes are built with the observer in mind, with sharp high-resolution optics, rugged vibration-free mountings and easy-to-use, effective accessories which all make for the ultimate viewing experience.
Assuming you have already decided that refractors fit your requirements, you will find the Apochromats to have the probably the highest performance of any refractor currently on the market.
The StarFire EDF design was originally developed for the 6" astrograph. It was found to perform superbly as a visual planetary instrument and as a consequence all lenses were converted to that design, including the 105 Traveler.
The views are quite remarkable. The superb color correction of these EDFs surpasses the fluorite doublets, particularly in the far violet part of the spectrum where Technical Pan films have their highest sensitivity.
The latest designs have excellent infrared corrections to 10,000 Angstroms, making them suitable for CCD imaging. Color curves are available for each current lens design.
The fast focal ratio of the StarFire EDF design is particularly attractive to amateur astronomers who long to achieve superb, wide field astrophotos.
For keen astrophotographers, these EDF refractors have giant 4" focusers to allow coverage of very large film formats with minimal vignetting.
In the hands of experienced astrophotographers, these instruments can produce superb, professional astrophotos of all deep-sky objects.The images are so sharp, it takes 30" x 40" enlargements to resolve the finest details.
And for amateur astronomers who wish to have the ultimate portable refractor telescope and who do not require the larger focuser there is the EDFS range of scopes that incorporate the 2.7" focuser.
One of the many important advantages of a short focal length, is that the mounting can be smaller, lighter, and much more compact, resulting in a highly portable refractor system with superior imaging qualities, making it ideal for a wide variety of astronomical work, from high-power lunar/planetary to deep-sky astrophotography.
Astro Physics Starfire The 160mm StarFire EDF is one of several in the range and was made from the ground-up as a completely new instrument.
Astro Physics Astrograph Astro-Physics has added 30+ years of telescope design experience to create a truly unique and fast astrograph