Meade ETX125 Observer 127mm f/15 Maksutov-Cassegrain GoTo Telescope

Building of the success of the smaller 90mm iteration, Meade Instruments upgrades the aperture and focal length to give you a complete GoTo-enabled observation rig with the ability to make detailed observations of the Moon and planets and reach outside the solar system to resolve bright deep-space objects with their ETX125 Observer 127mm f/15 Maksutov-Cassegrain GoTo Telescope. The compact and powerful Maksutov design uses a front corrector plate with a convex meniscus lens to correct off-axis aberrations, like comas, and chromatic aberration to produce images with true-color rendition. The nature of the lens results in a smaller secondary mirror—limiting obstruction and increasing contrast, while eliminating the need for periodic collimation. This optical path results in a slower focal ratio and narrower field of view versus a similar Schmidt-Cassegrain variant, but the optical benefits makes this an ideal scope for all types of celestial observations.

For those who want to use it for astrophotography, an internal mirror flips down to direct the light path straight back for prime-focus photography using a DSLR camera body and optional adapters. An equatorial tilt plate is integrated into the tripod, which allows for proper polar alignment and single-axis tracking for smoother and more precise tracking as required by long-exposure photography.

The brain of this system is Meade's revolutionary AudioStar hand controller. Equipped with a 2-line LED display and 20-key red backlit keypad and an integrated speaker, it controls the motorized mount for precise GoTo capabilities. Its internal 30,000+ object database is updatable via the Internet and has the capability to take you on a hands-free guided tour of the night sky above, with four hours of audio commentary on select objects with expanded information. To consult star charts and logs, or to change eyepieces and filters, the controller also has a built-in red LED utility light that won't affect your night-adjusted vision.

Optical Tube Assembly

127mm aperture

f/15 focal ratio

1900mm focal length

Maksutov-Cassegrain optical configuration

Front convex meniscus lens corrects spherical and chromatic aberrations and comas (off-axis aberrations) across the entire field of view

Smaller secondary mirror versus Schmidt-Cassegrains reduces obstructions and increases contrast

Proprietary Ultra-High Transmission Coating (UTHC) system improves light transmission for brighter images and increases color fidelity and contrast

Resolution: 0.9 arcsec

Internal flip mirror for dual viewing: Find, center, and focus a target object visually with an eyepiece, then photograph it with a camera without changing gear

Internal focusing system

Vixen-style dovetail plate

AudioStar Hand Controller

2-line LED display

20-key alphanumeric keypad, red LED backlight

68HC11, 8MHz processor

Built-in red utility light

30,000+ object database

User-friendly menu-driven system navigation

Slew speeds: 1x, 2x, 8x, 16x, 64x, 0.5°/sec, 1°/sec, 1.5°/sec, 4°/sec (max)

Assisted alignment procedures: Easy (Two-Star), One-star, Two-star, Three-star

Customizable guided tours for specific date, time, and location

Built-in speaker provides descriptions of over 500 objects including scientific data and history

Projects events to plan future astronomy sessions such as sunrises/sunsets, Moon phases/moonrises/moonsets, meteor showers, lunar/solar eclipses, equinoxes/solstices

Backlash compensation allows user to train out the intrinsic play between gears to improve GoTo and tracking accuracy

Powered by mount to be lighter and easier to use

24" coiled cord

Updatable via Internet using RS-232 port

Database details:

Solar system, including Moon, Sun, planets

Comets and asteroids

88 major constellations

Popular named objects

Galaxies, quasars, and nebulae

Multiple catalogs including Messier, Caldwell, and NGC

Stars, including named stars, SAO catalog, double stars, variable stars

Satellites, including the International Space Station (ISS) and Hubble Space Telescope (HST)

User-defined astronomical and terrestrial objects

Dimensions:

Length: 6.6" (17cm)

Width, top: 3.2" (80cm)

Width, bottom: 2.25" (57cm)

Depth: 0.8" (21cm)

Weight: 17.9 oz (508g)

Mount and Tripod

Mount:

Dual-tine alt-azimuth fork

Vixen-style dovetail saddle

Dual DC servo motors with encoders

Bearings: Altitude: UHMW polyethylene; Azimuth: PTFE

Runs on six user-supplied AA batteries with a max runtime of 20 hours when using AudioStar

Compact design

Tripod:

Adjustable height

Stainless steel legs

Leg-locking plate for additional stability

Center column hook for bags, weights, or anchors to add stability and reduce vibrations

Equatorial mounting plate for precise polar alignment required for long-exposure astrophotography

Included Accessories

Finder:

Unmagnified, enables fast and easy alignment

Simple red-dot reticle won't obscure small or dim targets

Adjustable intensity

Eyepieces:

1.25"-diameter barrel

Accept most 1.25" astronomical filters

26mm Super Plössl produces 73x

9.7mm Super Plössl produces 196x

• Optical Design
• Maksutov-Cassegrain
• Aperture
• 127mm
• Focal Length
• 1900mm
• Focal Ratio
• f/15.3
• GoTo System
• AudioStar computer hand controller
• Eyepiece Barrel Diameter
• 1.25"
• Diagonal
• Internal 90° flip
• Viewfinder
• Red-Dot
• Tripod
• Adjustable-height stainless steel
• Mount Type
• Motorized, dual-tine alt-azimuth fork
• Power Source
• 8 x AA batteries
• Runtime
• 20 h max
• Dimensions
• 63.0 x 38.0 x 33.0" / 160.0 x 90.5 x 83.8 cm, fully assembled
• Weight
• OTA/Mount: 15.0 lb / 6.8 kg
• Tripod: 9.75 lb / 4.4 kg