What’s an Astroscan?
Your. new. Edmund. Scientific. Astroscan. is. a. classic.
Newtonian. reflecting. telescope. housed. within. a.
sphere.. Utilizing. a. 4
1
∕
8
-inch. (105. mm). diameter. clear-
aperture. precision. parabolic. primary. mirror. combined.
with. a. flat. diagonal. mirror,. unique. optical. window. and.
a. 28. mm. Edmund. Plossl. (16X). eyepiece,. it. provides.
a. spectacularly. wide,. bright. field. of. view.. Its. fast. f/4.2.
focal. ratio. and. resulting. short. focal. length. of. 17.5.
inches.(445.mm).qualifies.it.as.a.“rich-field.telescope”.
(or. RFT),. which. shows. the. greatest. possible. number.
of.stars.in.a.single.view..Ordinary.telescopes.with.their.
higher.magnifications.typically.have.a.maximum.field.of.
view. of. 1.5. degrees. of. sky,. while. standard. binoculars.
cover.an.average.field.of.7.degrees..The.Astroscan.lies.
between.these.extremes,.offering.a.full.3-degree-wide.
actual.field.of.view.with.the.supplied.low-power.28.mm.
(16X).eyepiece..For.comparison,.the.Moon.is.about.0.5.
degree.in.apparent.size,.so.that’s.an.amazing.six.full-
Moon.diameters.of.sky.coverage!
The.low.magnifications.and.wide.fields.of.view.of.RFTs.
produce. bright. sharp. images. of. extended. objects. like.
comets,. wide. colorful. double. stars,. big. star. clusters,.
expansive. nebulae,. the. Milky. Way. starclouds. and. the.
larger. galaxies. like. those. in.Andromeda.. Even. at. their.
lowest.magnification,.the.Moon.and.planets.such.as.Jupiter.
with.its.satellites.seem.suspended.three-dimensionally.in.
the.vastness.of.space,.while.higher.power.magnifications.
can.still.provide.fascinating.closer-up.detail..And.because.
of.their.low.magnification,.instruments.like.the.Astroscan.
are.relatively.unaffected.by.the.atmospheric.turbulence.
that.plagues.conventional.higher-power.scopes.on.many.
nights,.ruining.their.definition.
The. Astroscan’s. precision. optical. system. is. factory-
collimated.for.precise.alignment.and.should.never.require.
adjustment.with.normal.use..Enhancing.the.telescope’s.
care-free. performance,. the. diagonal. mirror. assembly.
Field.of.View.(Relative.Scale)
Wide-Angle Telescope
3°
Conventional Telescope
1
1
⁄
4
°
Standard Binoculars
7°
(which.directs.the.light.out.the.side.of.the.tube.and.into.
the.eyepiece).is.mounted.directly.onto.an.antireflective-
coated. optical. window.. This. provides. protection. from.
possible.damage.to.the.primary.mirror,.and.from.moisture.
and.dust.settling.onto.its.surface..Only.21.5".long.(with.
the. dew/light. shield. and. base. attached;. the. telescope.
itself. is. 17"). and. weighing. just. over. 12. pounds. with. its.
removable. cast-aluminum. base,. its. shoulder. carrying.
strap. and. unique. spherical-shaped. design. allow. you. to.
take.your.Astroscan.anywhere.and.have.it.ready.for.use.
at.a.moment’s.notice.
Molded.from.high-impact.plastic.for.rugged.durability,.the.
body.is.an.attractive.red.in.color.to.prevent.impairment.
of.night.vision.from.surrounding.light.hitting.it.and.being.
reflected.into.your.eye..When.the.telescope.is.placed.on.
its.base,.the.advantages.of.its.design.are.immediately.
apparent.. Aside. from. the. bulk. and. complexity. of.
traditional.mountings.being.eliminated,.simple.fingertip.
pressure. and. a. natural. point-and-move. motion. are.
all.that’s.needed.to.easily.direct.the.telescope.to.any.
desired.part.of.the.sky..It.can.also.be.lifted.from.its.base.
and.cradled.in.the.arms.to.scan.about.both.the.night.sky.
and.daytime.landscape,.as.described.later.
All. things. considered,. the. Astroscan. is. one. of. the.
best. buys. in. a. quality. beginner’s. telescope. on. the.
astronomy.market.today..Its.simple.easy-to-use.design.
makes. it. the. perfect. first. choice. for. anyone. who. has.
never.owned.a.telescope.before..It.also.serves.as.an.
excellent,.highly.portable.second.instrument.for.those.
more. experienced. observers. who. already. possess.
larger.telescopes..There’s.a.well-known.adage.that.“the.
smaller.(more.portable).the.telescope,.the.more.often.
it.will.be.used.”.You’ll.find.your.new.Astroscan.to.be.a.
wonderful.example.of.this.sage.advice..It’s.a.telescope.
that.can.go.anywhere.with.you.–.and.one.that’s.capable.
of.providing.a.lifetime.of.viewing.pleasure!
