Sky-Watcher 120mm Achromatic EQ5 PRO with SynScan Telescope

Catalog description

Sky-Watcher 120mm Achromatic EQ5 PRO with SynScan Telescope, part number SWU004, is a discontinued product from the 2007–2011 catalog. It was last listed at $1045.00, down from a high of $1295.00.

Sky-Watcher 120AR EQ5 PRO Refractor: Pristine Imaging can be Yours!

Sky-Watcher high-performance refractors offer premium optical performance for the discriminating amateur astronomer. Refractors are coveted for their superb contrast high-definition and coal-black sky background that make stars appear like diamonds imbedded in black velvet. SW refractors utilize the most modern optical glasses and fabricating techniques to deliver the ultimate in high-fidelity astronomical imaging. Subtle details pop as never seen before in telescopes of lesser optical capability. Refractors are the sexy race cars of astronomical optical systems. You really do get what you pay for in premium performance with a SW refractor but these babies aren't cheap. Got money?

Refractors—the Ultimate Imaging Instruments: In a given aperture size refractors will always exhibit sharper images than other optical designs because the refractor concentrates more light into the central airy-disk and first diffraction rings. There is no diffraction pattern interference caused by a diagonal mirror or secondary mirror being suspended in the optical path (central obstruction) as is the case with reflectors.

Sky-Watcher's Crown (BK7) and Flint (F2) achromatic lenses are fabricated to the highest optical standards from Grade-A glass free of striae and other image-degrading imperfections. Each lens set is individually pitch-polished and hand figured by a master optician ensuring diffraction-limited premium optical performance that is second to none worldwide. All lenses are uniformly air-spaced. This attention to detail and striving for perfection ensures the amateur astronomer peak performance and a great experience each and every time a Sky-Watcher refractor is taken into the field. We know the amateur astronomer has very high expectations regarding astronomical equipment purchases. Sky-Watcher has been delivering consistent satisfaction for decades.

Select models of large refractors will benefit from the inclusion of Schott glass being used for the positive front Crown element in the objective. Schott is the recognized world leader in glass utilized for precision optical lens systems including medical instrumentation and famous-brand camera lenses. While Schott glass is only used in selected models all other models utilize top-quality Grade-A glass from perhaps less famous but nonetheless highly respected high-quality glass manufacturers.

Each optical lens surface is coated with exotic anti-reflection metallic coatings (fully coated) to ensure the optimum light through-put. Four layers are applied to each surface (Magnesium Fluorite MgF2 and Hafnium Dioxide HfO2). The proprietary Sky-Watcher Metallic High-Transmission Coatings (MHC) are the finest light anti-rejection coatings in their class.

The objective lens cell is light-baffled to reject stray unfocused light. The draw tube is likewise baffled to insure optimum contrast. The tube's interior is flat blackened to help prevent unfocused internal light reflections from reaching the focal plane. The optical tube is aluminum powder-coated reflective gloss black with gold fleck accent. The front and back cells are cast-aluminum painted black. Optical focus is achieved by means of a mechanically ultra-smooth backlash-free precision 2 Crayford rack & pinion focuser-assembly which includes course and fine focusing controls. Quality Accessories: include Super Plossl 32mm and 10mm 1.25 eyepieces 8x50 optical Right Angle Viewfinder finderscope with bracket and 2 mirror diagonal.

Observing with the Sky-Watcher 120AR EQ5 PRO RefractorAn unobstructed 120mm aperture SW refractor provides a dramatic increase in resolution over smaller aperture telescopes and a heighten sense of seeing lunar and planetary surface phenomenon in seemingly 3D high-definition. Touring the Moon... Toward the northeast edge of the northern Moon north of Lacus Sonminiorum (Lake of Sleep) can be found the prominent craters Atlas the high-walled Hercules and Endymion. All of these craters present a worthy opportunity to marvel at the amazing detail the SW 120AR is capable of rendering. On the north-south centerline in the lunar north just below Mare Frigoris (Sea of Cold) can be found the prominent crater Plato. East of Plato near the Montes Alpes are prominent rilles associated with Plato that make great subject matter for the SW 120AR. The rugged Southern Highlands of the lunar surface are rich in craters. To the southeast the famous crater Theophilus is 65 miles across. The raised triple-peaked central area is striking to observe in your SW 120AR. The crater has massive walls and the basin is 14000 thousand feet deep. The young crater Tycho dominates the southern lunar landscape. Named after the famous Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe it is a spectacular sight with very high-rimmed walls. Your SW120AR will provide an impressive view. North of Tycho appearing brightly in a basin is the famous Rupes Rect (the Straight Wall) an 800 foot mountain that is a must see for amateur astronomers. Your SW 120AR will show it clearly and sharply the way you want to see it. On the north end of Mare Nubium almost on the lunar center line N-S and E-W can be found 3 craters grouped together: Arzachel a young impact crater 60 miles across and 13000 feet deep shows a terraced structure and a system of channel-like narrow depressions in its basin called rilles. The Earth's Moon offers a treasure trove of fascinating detail to explore with your SW 120AR-EQ5 PRO. We have only featured a few examples of what is available to be seen. The views you will experience are so clear and sharp it might just feel like a veritable space-walk. The rusty-red colored Mars is a challenge for amateur astronomers but your SW 120AR will show some very interesting detail. Olympus Mons a volcanic crater 375-miles across and 16-miles high is just one of the quests your capable SW120AR can tackle. Nirgal Vallis is a Martian channel 600 miles long that responds well to the razor sharp contrast provided by the SW 120AR. The Grand Canyon of Mars Valles Mariners dwarfs that of our Earth's Grand Canyon but it still requires superb optics to view even though it is 150 miles wide and 4 miles deep. When prominent the gleaming white Mars' polar cap is in stark contrast to the redish-orange surface landscape of the rest of the planet. The SW 120AR will show you this detail like you want to see it. The gas giant Jupiter displays its swirling equatorial bands in high-definition with festoons and tonality within the bands. With regular observation you will be able to follow storms and disturbances cross the planet in the southern equatorial band. Saturn's storied surface phenomenon is simply stunning. View the rings and clearly see Cassini's Division and cloud belts across the equator. Hunt down double stars like Epsilon Lyrae the double-double in Lyra. A 120mm AR refractor will provide a crisp well defined image on par with a 7 reflector. Always a star-party favorite the beautiful double Alberio located in the tail of Cygnus is sensational. Alberio appears like a gold sparkler and its companion looks like a blue-green sparkler. It is a perfect object to view with your SW 120ED. Algol an eclipsing variable star sometimes called the winking eye fluctuates in brightness and is a suitable subject for the SW 120EAR. Aldebaran a beautiful orange giant in Constellation Taurus is a delightful sight to view with the SW 120ED. In the eastern corner of Constellation Orion Rigel a bright blue double has a blue-green companion that requires excellent optics to see a worthy subject for the SW 120ED. Tight globular star clusters like M13 in Constellation Hercules appear like a beehive of crisp stellar pin points circling the central core star upon thousands of stars. Compact globular star clusters lend themselves well to a refractor. M92 in Constellation Hercules is very compact globular with a bright core. It is a great object to view with the SW 120ED. The bright central cores of prominent nebulae can be seen and the brightest stars can be observed illuminating the glowing nebulosity which appears as ghostly apparitions.

The capabilities of the SW 120AR provide performance approximating a 7 reflector on lunar planetary double-stars globular star clusters and depending on your ranking of unobstructed high-contrast as a necessary attribute perhaps even the brighter nebulae will look better to you in a SW 120AR. These objects will stand out in bold relief contrasted against a very dark velvet-black sky background. Many advanced amateur astronomers feel the refractor experience is astronomy's richest.

The visual difference between the SW 120AR and SW 120ED will primarily manifest itself in the greater likelihood a blue halo will appear around bright objects seen in the SW 120AR. In addition the SW 120ED may potentially appear a bit sharper because of the Extra-Low-Dispersion property of the fluorite lens used for the second element. Some of these differences may be subtle and will need a trained eye to appreciate. APO users generally crave optical perfection and appreciate the subtle differences in optical performance between various optical designs.

Are Refractors Optically Superior to Reflectors?

Yes when the comparison is between well-made refractors vs. reflectors in a given aperture size. Refractors will always exhibit sharper near text-book perfect images. Why? The refractor concentrates more light into the airy-disk and first diffraction rings. There is no diffraction pattern interference caused by a diagonal mirror or secondary mirror being suspended in the optical path (central obstruction) as is the case with Newtonian and mirror-lens Cassegrain reflectors.

However incremental increases in aperture begin to neutralize the refractor's advantage due to the increased resolution larger aperture provides. A refractor can earn a handicap of about half its aperture compared to a reflector when used for lunar planetary double-star and bright globular star applications. Considering refractors are generally more expensive than Newtonian or mirror-lens designs the amateur astronomer optimizing their purchasing power must weigh the higher cost lower resolution and superior contrast of a refractor against the much lower cost and higher resolution of a reflecting design. Many first time purchasers optimizing their budget buy a reflector because seeing more with very respectable quality makes more sense than viewing a perfect image that potentially offers less detail. Having said this there is nothing like the wow-factor of viewing through a well-made refractor like the SW ED and AR refractors. The second telescope acquired by most amateur astronomers is a refractor and often an ED-APO refractor.

This is where the practical beauty of the Sky-Watcher mounting system becomes so powerful. As an amateur astronomer with potentially changing wants and needs as to use of reflective and refractive optical systems the Sky-Watcher EQ5PRO Mount allows the purchaser to buy a complete computerized telescope of their optical choice and later have the option of buying a different optical tube system that will fit on the very same mount. A mount they have come to appreciate for its quality and sophistication plus perhaps extensive experience operating. No need to buy two or more complete telescopes to get the versatile performance desired.

Telescope Tube Attachment Hardware: The optical tube comes with attachment hardware that allows it to be securely fastened to the SW EQ5 PRO mount. These quick-release tube rings are cast-aluminum power coated white.

The SW EQ5 PRO Computerized Mount is Standard-EquipmentThe Sky-Watcher EQ5 PRO equatorial mount is a premium-grade observing platform utilizing quality mechanical and electronic component materials throughout:Equatorial Body. The elegantly appointed equatorial body is cast from virgin aluminum and powder coated in classic scientific instrument white. The professional fit & finish of the SW EQ5 PRO mount is abundantly obvious from the very first minute the mount is uncrated. The large polar and declination castings provide large stable thrust bearing surfaces with tight tolerances. Setting-circles are provided in both RA and Dec. axes. All gears motors and electronics are internalized within the equatorial body or separate motor-controller chasse box. The counterweight shaft is made from solid stainless steel. The provided two 11 lb. counterweights are cast iron powder coated white. (Note: All SW EQ5 PRO Series telescope models come with optical tube mounting rings and/ or dovetail attachment brackets of cast aluminum)Motors Gears & Bearings. Sky-Watcher EQ5 PRO computer models utilize high-torque DC stepper motors with 1.8? angle steps yielding resolution of 0.28764 arc-seconds. The advanced Allegro IC-driver is a DMOS dual full-bridge micro-stepping PWM motor driver with power savings feature. A 12vDC car plug adapter is provided to connect to a user supplied power supply (Power requirement: 12V DC-power 2000mA mini w/2.1mm tip positive plug). Bronze-metal worm-gear control systems enable precise incremental mechanical movement with minimal gear backlash in RA and DEC. Gear size in R.

A. and DEC. is a robust 72mm (2.83) with 144 teeth. Sealed ball-bearings are used on load-bearing surfaces in RA and DEC. Mount tracks celestial objects in R.

A. axis when equatorially aligned.

Mechanical Surface Controls. Thumb-locks are provided in RA and Dec. to allow swift manual orientation of the optical tube assembly. Micrometric elevation and azimuth controls are provided to help achieve precise polar alignment. For manually operated SW telescope models deluxe spring-steel cable control knobs are provided in R.

A. and Dec. to enable precise manual tracking of sky objects.

Rock-Solid Tripod and Payload. Every SW EQ5 PRO mount includes a metal tripod commensurate in rigidity and load-bearing capacity to the EQ5 PRO mount itself. Tripod legs are made of industrial strength tubular steel of 1.75 diameter except for the SW 250N EQ5 PRO and SW 11 SCT EQ5 PRO which are supplied with 2 diameter legs. The tripod head is rigid cast aluminum. A spreader-bar with tension-lock is integral to the tripod to help insure optimum rigidity. The mount and tripod support a hefty payload of up to 25 lb.

Computer Operation. Sky-Watcher GO-TO telescope models include the revolutionary SynScan Computer Controller. The SynScan's remote hand-controller plugs into SW motor-control panel. The easy-to-read 2-line 16-character backlit LCD display will operate to approximately minus 10-degrees F?. Astronomical object location has never been easier or more fun. The telescope responds instantly to keypad commands at the touch of a fingertip. Serial PC connector/ Hand-controller phone-jack plug computer interface cable included.

Motor Speeds Tracking Modes and Alignment Types:The operating versatility of SynScan provides guiding speeds of .25x .5x .75x and 1x. Slewing speeds include 1.25x 1.5x 1.75x 2x 8x 16x 32x 64x 400x 500x 600x 800x or 3.4? per second. SW tracking modes offer Lunar Solar and Sidereal rates. Sky alignment choices are One-star Two-star and Three-star. Mount is compatible with operations in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres.

Astrophotography:Sky imagers will appreciate the auto-guider port for guiding using a PC via the RS-232 port (if the software supports ASCOM). SW firm-wear includes a programming algorithm for periodic error correction (such error is common to all worm-gears). In addition programming is provided for RA and Dec worm-gear backlash compensation to keep slewing and tracking response prompt and uniform. SW can also be controlled remotely by PC using popular planetarium software via a RS232 connection on the hand-controller. There is even a GPS upgrade option to facilitate entering precise time date and location.

Database: The SynScan computer includes a celestial database of over 30000 objects including all the crowd pleasers like planets the Moon Messier objects and interesting double stars. In addition the library includes objects for advanced studies cataloged within the CNGC IC Caldwell and other lists plus 25 user-defined celestial favorites.

Advantages of the Sky-Watcher EQ5 PRO Equatorial Telescope Mounting SystemThe equatorial mount is the most versatile telescope platform ever designed. Without question it is the most popular and most utilized mounting system favored by amateur astronomers today worldwide. There are several important reasons for its popularity:Versatility. In the process of becoming serious amateur astronomers observers at some point often desire to vary their viewing routine. More often than not this involves changing the optical configuration used for observing between reflective refractive or compound systems. It is a well established fact that no one optical design serves every situation perfectly. The SW EQ5 PRO mount for instance will hold a large SW 6 refractor offering pristine text-book-like images of subtle planetary surface phenomena. It will also carry a SW 10 Newtonian reflector with huge light-gathering capability for observing faint gaseous filamentary structure in galaxies and nebulas. The versatile SW EQ5 PRO mount will also house a SW 11 Schmidt-Cassegrain optical tube assembly. In contrast fork-mounts typically work with one telescope optical configuration only – there is no flexibility for changing optical tubes based on observing needs or preferences.

Portability. Equatorial mounts like the Sky-Watcher EQ5 PRO also offer great convenience to observers seeking portable equipment that disassembles into manageable components that can be easily lifted and carried. This is especially helpful with larger aperture optical systems. In contrast one-piece optical tube/ mount configurations can be surprisingly heavy to lift and awkward to transport by one individual.

Stability and Balance. The equatorial mount is renown for stability and ease-of-use in achieving mechanical balance of the optical tube and mount. The SW EQ5 PRO is mechanically rigid and mechanical motions are smooth and inherently vibration-free. An industrial strength tubular steel tripod is standard equipment.

Computer Operation. The SW EQ5 PRO Series offers manual or computerized operation. The revolutionary SW SynScan computer works seamlessly with the SW EQ5 PRO mount to facilitate effortless automatic tracking and object location of over 30000-objects.

Astrophotography. The equatorial mount is also the preferred platform for astrophotography. Why? An equatorial alignment facilitates astronomical tracking in just one axis which is the best physical orientation for imaging the sky. Computerized altazimuth mounts track the sky in two axes but this introduces undesirable field rotation. Field de-rotators have not proven to be particularly practical. Serious amateurs who own fork-mounted altazimuth telescopes for instance buy equatorial wedge adaptor plates to place between the tripod and mount. They then switch the telescope's tracking mode to equatorial. If you are seriously contemplating astrophotography an equatorial mount is your best bet for insuring quality results.

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