Apertura 8" f/8 Ritchey-Chretien Carbon Fiber OTA

The Ritchey-Chretien was designed for photographic use, and while you can put an eyepiece in the diagonal and use it visually, you will get less than "stellar" results. It is for this reason that we do not recommend an RC telescope for visual use. If you have any questions or need help choosing a telescope that performs well when used either visually or photographically, please don't hesitate to contact us. Thanks!

Apertura 8” f/8 Ritchey-Chretien Carbon Fiber OTA

As amateur astronomers advance in their astro-imaging skills, they dream of owning a Ritchey-Chretien telescope. RC telescopes are being used in some of the world’s biggest and best observatories due to their color-free, coma-free, spherical aberration-free optics. The problem is, Ritchey-Chretien telescopes are out of the reach of most people due to their high price tag…until now!

This Apertura Ritchey-Chretien has 8” of aperture and a focal ratio of f/8. The primary & secondary mirrors are made from quartz, which has a coefficient of thermal expansion many times lower than most other optical substrates. This helps the precision-manufactured optics to hold their shape far better than other substrates through changing temperatures over imaging sessions. The optical set is multi-coated with 96% enhanced protected aluminum coatings. This high reflectivity coating offers higher contrast images and protection against scratching.

The optical tube assembly of the Apertura 8” RC Telescope is made of low expansion, lightweight carbon fiber. This OTA will cool down nicely due to the properties of the carbon fiber, and it has great strength for its weight. Inside the 8-inch Ritchey-Chretien OTA is a Knife-Edge Baffle System whose only job is to keep stray light out of the telescope’s interior. Stray light eats contrast for breakfast (or a late-night snack), and is, therefore, our enemy. The addition of a dew shield (sold separately) will help further defeat stray light, we recommend picking one up. The OTA mounts easily to a variety of mounts due to the inclusion of a D-Series Losmandy style dovetail. Simply remove the dovetail if you choose to mount the telescope via cradle rings.

A high-quality 2” dual speed Crayford focuser comes standard with the Apertura 8” f/8 Ritchey, and can be rotated 360-deg by loosening the lock ring and positioning the focuser at the desired location. A 1.25” adapter and three spacers are also included, allowing you to make adjustments to the focus distance. One thing that really sets this telescope apart from Schmidt-Cassegrains, even though it looks like one, is the lack of image shift. In SCTs, the focuser moves the mirror forward and back on a rail, and it is this movement that can cause image shift. The mirror of the Apertura 8” RC carbon fiber telescope tube is fixed into place, similar to that of a Newtonian…it is not connected to the focuser in any way. Removing this connection removes image shift…voila! To collimate the RC, adjustments are made to the secondary mirror.

Included with this Apertura OTA is a lightweight skeletonized Losmandy D style dovetail bar on one the bottom and a Vixen Style dovetail bar on top.

Apertura 8” f/8 RC Telescope OTA Specifications

• Optical Design: Ritchey-Chretien

• Aperture: 8”

• Focal Length: 1625 mm

• Focal Ratio: f/8

• Mirror Material: Low Expansion Quartz

• Coatings: 96% Enhanced Protected Aluminum Coatings

• Optical Tube Material: Carbon Fiber

• OTA Length: 21.8”

• OTA Weight: 16.4 lb.