Meade LX850-ACF Optical Tube Assembly

The ACF design eliminates coma, an optical aberration that causes stars at the edge of the field of view to appear comet-shaped. This ensures your stars remain pinpoint sharp from the center all the way to the corners, which is essential for high-quality astrophotography.

In many telescopes, focusing causes the mirror to physically tilt or shift, which ruins the alignment of your shot. This internal focuser moves the optical elements without shifting the primary mirror, keeping your target perfectly centered and locked in place during long exposures.

As temperatures drop at night, standard glass can contract, causing the focus to drift. The low-expansion material minimizes this thermal distortion, meaning you spend less time refocusing throughout the night and more time capturing data.

No, this is an optical tube assembly (OTA) only. You will need to provide your own heavy-duty equatorial mount capable of supporting the 70-pound weight of the tube and your imaging equipment.

The mirror lock physically secures the primary mirror in place once you have achieved focus. This prevents any subtle movement or 'mirror flop' that can occur during long-duration imaging sessions, ensuring your optical train remains rigid.

The tube includes a Losmandy-style dovetail rail, which is the industry standard for large telescopes. As long as your mount has a compatible Losmandy-style saddle, it will attach securely without additional hardware.