Specifications:
Model: Meade DS-2090MAK
Part Number: 20096
Optical Design: Maksutov-Cassegrain
Optical Diameter: 90mm (3.5")
Focal Length: 1250mm
Focal Ratio: f/13.8
Mounting Type: Altazimuth, DS-2000 Mount
Viewfinder: Red Dot
Tripod: Aluminum, full length, adjustable, with accessory tray
Eyepieces: Super Plossl 9.7mm & 26mm, both 1.25"
Software: AutoStar SuiteTM, PC-compatible DVD
The Meade DS-2090MAK puts very good high power/high contrast 3.5” aperture Maksutov-Cassegrain optics on an easy-to-use computerized go-to altazimuth mount. It can automatically take you on a tour of the best sights the heavens have to offer on any night the skies are clear. The DS-2090MAK provides a good balance of performance, portability, and computerized convenience at an extremely affordable price.
For the observer whose interests are the Moon, planets within the solar system and binary stars and star clusters out in deep space, the DS-2090MAK has a lot of performance to offer. Its folded Maksutov-Cassegrain optics provide very sharp high contrast images of small and subtle lunar and planetary details. It is free from the spurious color you’ll find in comparably-priced achromatic refractors. Outside the solar system, binary star systems and globular star clusters are sharp and well-resolved, with the contrasting colors of many binary systems showing nicely. The brighter nebulas and galaxies stand out nicely against a dark sky background.
The Meade DS-2090MAK Optical System . . .
Maksutov-Cassegrain fully-coated optics: 90mm (3.5") aperture, 1250mm focal length, f/13.8 focal ratio. The primary mirror and the secondary mirror spot on the rear of the meniscus corrector are coated with high reflectivity aluminum and overcoated with silicon monoxide (quartz) for long life. Magnesium fluoride antireflection coatings on both sides of the corrector lens provide high light transmission.
Finderscope: SmartFinder non-magnifying variable brightness red dot finder with multicoated viewing window for more visible stars. The red dot SmartFinder is a quick and easy way to point your telescope exactly to the desired object in the sky. There’s no need to worry about the inverted images you see through traditional finders. Just align the red dot seen on the finder’s viewing window with the desired star in the sky and you’re done.
Internal focusing: A focusing knob on the rear cell of the scope moves the primary mirror fore and aft within the tube to focus the scope. There is no exposed rack and pinion focuser mechanism to collect dust and grit.
Star diagonal: Built-in first surface flip-mirror. For astronomical observing, the internal flip-mirror directs the image to the eyepiece holder at the top of the scope. Touch a lever, and the flip-mirror redirects the image through the Cassegrain focus at the rear of the scope to an optional #64 T-adapter and T-ring for lunar or terrestrial photography, or to an optional #932 45 degree viewing angle image-erecting diagonal for upright and right-reading terrestrial viewing.
Two eyepieces: Both are four-element fully multicoated 1.25" Super Plössl designs. The first is a 26mm providing a magnification of 48x. The eyepiece field of view is 1.08° across, over two times wider than the diameter of the full Moon for expansive views of open star clusters and nebulas. The second is a 9.7mm providing 129x with a 0.40° field for close-up views of the planets, globular star clusters, and a full Moon that more than fills the eyepiece field.
This Telescope’s Mount . . .
Fork mount/drive system: Lightweight Generation II DS-2000 single fork arm altazimuth design with pre-installed dual DC servo motor drives. A compartment in the drive base accepts eight user-supplied AA batteries for powering the telescope. The new extra-large declination knob is easy to grip and tightens in place with ease, making it easier to adjust the scope’s position. The Generation II mount has improved pointing accuracy and even higher precision tracking when compared with the previous DS-2000 mount’s already excellent performance.
Adjustable height tripod: The new heavier preassembled aluminum tripod has even shorter damping time than the previous tripod, reducing the small image-degrading vibrations visible in all telescopes when the scope is bumped or the focus adjusted at high magnifications. The tripod is adjustable in height to put the scope’s eyepiece at a comfortable level for observing. The tripod’s center leg brace holds a convenient accessory tray to keep your eyepieces and accessories up and out of the dew-soaked grass. The tray has a built-in holder for the Autostar computer hand control.
Autostar computer control with LNT: The supplied Autostar #494 computer hand control has an illuminated numeric keypad and a two-line 16-character display. It includes a database of 1,471 stars and objects that it can find and follow for you automatically, including the complete Messier and Caldwell catalogs of famous deep space objects; the best variable stars and multiple star systems; the planets; the Moon; and more. The objects have been specifically chosen as being those that are best-suited for observing with the DS-2090MAK. They provide an excellent introduction to the wide variety of astronomical objects visible through the telescope.
The Autostar computer uses patented LNT (Level North Technology) to automatically line up your telescope on the sky. A built-in electronic level sensor, electronic magnetic North sensor, and high precision clock combine with the Level North Technology software in the Autostar computer to make aligning on the sky as easy as remembering your own zip code. You don’t have to be able to identify stars like Altair or Zubenelgenubi or know how to read a star chart to line up your telescope on the sky. You can find hundreds of fascinating deep space objects your first night out, even if you have never used a telescope before. For more details, click on the “computer" icon above.
Supplied software: The scope comes with the AutoStar Software Suite Astronomer’s Edition – a CD-ROM Windows-based planetarium program for your PC that can display over 10,000 stars and deep space objects on your computer screen – galaxies, nebulas, star clusters, stars, and planets. It lets you explore the universe on your computer when the skies are cloudy and you can’t use your scope. It can print out star charts to use later at the telescope and help you plan your observing sessions. Also included is an instructional DVD that shows you how to set up your scope and get the most out of observing with it.
What you see through the Meade DS-2090MAK . . .
All of the major planets except Pluto are easily observable through the DS-2090MAK. You can study Saturn and its ring system; the primary cloud belts of Jupiter and its four major satellites; the Moonlike phases of Mercury and Venus; prominent features on Mars; and the star-like images of the distant planets Uranus and Neptune. The Moon stands out in stark, almost three-dimensional detail – showing you craters by the hundreds, mountain ranges, scarps, and valleys. Within our Milky Way galaxy the scope displays hundreds of star clusters, double and multiple stars, and variable stars – plus dozens of external galaxies.
It has over two and a half times the light gathering capacity and almost twice the resolving power of the more common 60mm beginning scope you’ll find in this price range. This gives significantly brighter and more detailed images than is possible with a smaller scope. For the introductory student of astronomy, or for the casual observer, the Meade DS-2090MAK opens up the skies at modest cost to an amazing breadth of celestial detail that is utterly invisible without the telescope.
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