Sky-Watcher 180mm Maksutov-Cassegrain Telescope

The Sky-Watcher 180 mm Maksutov-Cassegrain is designed to provide sharp, high-contrast views for astronomical and terrestrial observation. Its 180 mm (7.1") aperture gathers sufficient light to observe a wide range of celestial objects, including faint deep-sky targets. The long f/15 focal ratio provides a narrow field of view and dark background skies, making it well suited to observing the Moon, planets, double stars, and other compact celestial objects.

The Sky-Watcher 180 mm Skymax comes with a selection of accessories, including a 2" 90-degree star diagonal, a 28 mm 2" LET eyepiece, an 8×50 straight-through finder for locating and centering objects, and a Vixen-style dovetail plate. The dovetail plate allows the telescope to be mounted on an alt-azimuth or equatorial mount with a suitable load capacity of at least 17 pounds.

Why a Maksutov-Cassegrain Telescope?

Maksutov-Cassegrain telescopes offer a combination of relatively compact optical tubes, long focal lengths, and large apertures. Compared with a refractor or Newtonian telescope of similar aperture, the compact optical design makes a 180 mm Maksutov-Cassegrain practical for a range of observing applications.The 180 mm aperture provides good light-gathering capability for observing the Moon, planets, double stars, and a variety of deep-sky objects. The telescope can also be used for terrestrial observation when paired with suitable accessories and mounting equipment.

Compared with an 8" Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope, the 180 mm Maksutov-Cassegrain has a longer focal length and a slower focal ratio. The Sky-Watcher 180 mm Skymax features a 2700 mm focal length and an f/15 focal ratio, while many Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes use an f/10 focal ratio. This results in a narrower field of view and makes the Skymax particularly suitable for detailed, high-magnification observation rather than wide-field applications.For observers who prefer a long focal length telescope for lunar, planetary, double-star, and other detailed observations, the Sky-Watcher 180 mm Skymax is a practical Maksutov-Cassegrain option.

Skywatcher USA 180 mm Skymax Specs

• Optical Design: Maksutov-Cassegrain

• Aperture: 180 mm (7.1 in)

• Focal Length: 2700 mm

• Focal Ratio: f/15

• Included Eyepieces: 2” 28 mm LET

• Finderscope: 8 x 50 Straight-Through

• Diagonal: 2” 90 degree star diagonal

• Highest Useful Magnification: 360x

• Optical Coatings: Fully multi-coated

• Tube Weight w/Accessories: 19 lb.

• Tube Length: 19.5" (22” with diagonal)

• Tube Width: 8.625”