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Maksutov-Cassegrain Telescopes

A Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope, or SCT, is very similar to a Maksutov-Cassegrain in the optics-to-tube-size ratio, but there are a few differences that a savvy consumer should know about before choosing between the two. The most important difference is the focal length, or the distance that starlight must travel once it enters the telescope before it comes to focus. A Maksutov-Cassegrain telescope has a longer focal length than an SCT. In fact, Mak-Cass telescopes have a focal length that is usually 5-7 times the length of their tube assembly!

Longer focal length telescopes, like Maksutov-Cassegrains and classic refractors, produce more magnification than faster telescope designs, either through an eyepiece or all on their own, and therefore reveal a narrower field of view. You will also enjoy a darker background sky through a Mak telescope due to its longer focal length. This makes planetary viewing and observations of bright deep sky objects like tightly packed globular clusters or planetary nebulae a real pleasure. A Maksutov-Cassegrain also makes the perfect terrestrial spotting scope and can easily become a long lens when coupled with a DSLR for high magnification photography.