Meade ETX-90AT Astronomical Telescopes

Super popular Meade ETX-90AT Astronomical Telescope is one of the best Maksutov-Cassegrain 90mm telescopes available on the market today.  Meade ETX-90 AT Astronomical Telescope with optional Ultra-High Transmission Coatings (UHTC) are also available!  Buy this telescope from OpticsPlanet.com, an Authorized Meade Dealer, and get Meade #497 Autostar Hand Controller and Meade #884 Deluxe Field Tripod free of charge in addition to our Free UPS Ground shipping!

For the casual or beginning observer the Meade ETX-90AT (Meade ETX-90EC) telescope may be all the telescope ever required. Or, for the advanced astronomer who already owns a larger instrument, the Meade ETX-90AT telescope  is the perfect ultra portable, diffraction-limited field telescope. Observe the continually changing cloud-belt patterns on the surface of the planet Jupiter; shadows cast on to Jupiter as one of its four principal satellites transits the planet's disc; the magnificent ring system and satellites of Saturn as well as dusky markings and the ring-shadow on the surface of Saturn; Moon craters by the hundred, plus lunar rilles, mountain ranges, and fault lines, all visible in brilliant, high-resolution, high-contrast detail; the variable phases of the planets Mercury and Venus; prominent features on the surface of Mars. In deep-space the motivated observer will find it difficult to exhaust the quantity of visible phenomena: the incandescent filamentary structure of the Orion Nebula; the elliptical luminosity of the Andromeda Galaxy with its brilliant nucleus; the shining orb of the Hercules globular cluster with many of its outermost stars resolvable. These are only a few of the literally thousands of celestial objects within the view of the Meade ETX-90AT telescope. Star catalogs list innumerable double and multiple star systems, variable stars, open star clusters, globular clusters, diffuse nebulosities, planetary nebulae, and spiral galaxies within the grasp of the instrument. The optional Autostar Computer Controller can locate all of these objects automatically, in seconds.

Optical Systems: Manufactured entirely at the Meade Irvine, California, facility, ETX Maksutov-Cassegrain telescopes produce optical performance and resolution that equal or exceed any Maksutov optics of similar apertures ever manufactured at any price, past or present. Optics so high in contrast, image brightness, and resolution that Meade ETX-90AT telescope often out-perform many telescopes of larger apertures.

Fork Mounts with Standard-Equipment Dual-Axis Drive System and Electronic Controller: The fork mountings of ETX Maksutov-Cassegrain models include high-torque DC motors on both telescope axes, permitting electronic operation from the standard-equipment plug-in hand controller. Use the pushbutton electronic controller at any of four dual-axis speeds: 8x sidereal for image centering in the main telescope at high power; 32x for image centering at lower powers or for pushbutton object-tracking in the altazimuth mode; 0.75°/second for image centering in the viewfinder or for terrestrial tracking; 5°/second for fast slewing across the sky. The observer can instantly select any of these speeds simply by depressing the SPEED button on the controller.

Altazimuth or Equatorial Operation: With the Meade telescope placed in the altazimuth mode on a table, astronomical object-tracking may be accomplished from the directional pushbuttons of the hand controller. Fully automatic astronomical tracking in the altazimuth mode may be accomplished with the optional Autostar Computer Controller. Alternately, any Meade ETX telescope may be mounted in the equatorial orientation, using either an optional Table Tripod or the Deluxe Field Tripod. In this latter case the telescope tracks celestial objects automatically at the sidereal rate.

Cordless Field Operation: The drive base of each telescope accepts eight (user-supplied) AA-batteries that power the telescope for more than 40 hours of normal usage, negating any requirement for an external power source in the field. Alternately, the telescope may be powered from an automobile cigarette lighter plug, using the optional #607 Power Cord.

Flip-Mirror System: Flip the internal, optical-flat mirror "up" for observing in the standard 90° position; flip the mirror "down" for terrestrial observing with the optional #932 45° Erecting Prism or for photography with the optional #64 T-Adapter.

Materials and Coatings: ETX optical systems include a Maksutov meniscus corrector lens of Grade-A BK7 optical glass. This lens is individually hand-figured by a Meade master optician to achieve an optical null in combination with the Pyrex primary mirror. High transmission magnesium fluoride (MgF2) coatings on both sides of the correcting lens, as well as aluminum/silicon monoxide coatings on the primary and secondary mirrors, are provided as standard equipment.

Ultra-High Transmission Coatings (UHTC): Available optionally with the ETX-90AT, the Meade UHTC group permits the highest levels of light transmission (a 20% increase in total telescope light trans-mission compared to the standard-equipment coatings) ever offered on amateur telescopes. The UHTC group, if desired, must be specified at the time of telescope order.

Standard Equipment: Meade ETX Astro Telescopes are supplied as complete instruments. Standard equipment includes a premium-grade Meade Series 4000 Super Plцssl 26mm eyepiece for 48X with the ETX-90AT. The 8 x 21mm viewfinder of the ETX-90AT incorporates an internal roof prism that results in an erect-image orientation, facilitating the quick location and field-centering of both terrestrial and astronomical objects.

Optional Accessories: Over 20 optionally available eyepieces permit magnification ranges of from 31X to over 300X with the ETX-90AT. Meade Super Plцssls are excellent eyepieces with any ETX model, or use a Meade Super Wide 13.8mm, 18mm, or 24.5mm ocular for spectacular moderate-power, wide-angle observing. The #126 2x Barlow Lens, a special short-focus Barlow ideally suited to ETX systems, doubles the power of any eyepiece. For terrestrial photography or astrophotography of the Moon and planets, the #64 T-Adapter threads to the telescope's rear cell and, with the appropriate T-mount, accepts any 35mm camera with removable lens.

Optional #497 Autostar Computer Controller: One of the most important advances in telescope design in the past 25 years, the Autostar Computer Controller brings to the amateur astronomer features heretofore available only on much more expensive telescopes. With the #497 Autostar plugged into your ETX, finding any of more than 30,000 celestial objects stored in the Autostar database is as easy as pushing a button. Call up any database object, press GO TO, and watch as the telescope automatically moves to the object and places it in the telescopic field of view. Click for complete details on the full range of Autostar capabilities.

Specifications: Meade ETX-90AT Astro Telescopes— Includes Maksutov-Cassegrain optical tube assembly (D = 90mm (3.5"), F = 1250mm, f/13.8) with MgF2 coatings on the correcting lens and standard aluminum coatings on the primary and secondary mirrors (Ultra-High Transmission Coatings, available optionally); internal flip-mirror system for either straight-through or 90° observing position; steel-reinforced ABS fork mount with electric slow-motion controls, setting circles and locks on both axes; electronic control panel; 4-speed (8x, 32x, 0.75°/sec, 5°/sec) dual-axis motor drive system with Electronic Controller; sidereal-rate tracking in equatorial mode with optional table tripod or deluxe field tripod; internal battery compartment accepting eight (user-supplied) AA-size batteries; 8x21mm erect-image viewfinder; Series 4000 Super Plцssl 26mm eyepiece (1.25"); operating instructions.

Meade ETX Astronomical Telescope Instruction Manual for ETX-90EC Astro Telescopes, ETX-105EC Astro Telescopes, ETX-125EC Astro Telescopes is available for download here