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Sky-Watcher 200N EQ5 PRO: Newtonian's Rule!Sir Isaac Newton is surely smiling down on us from above reveling in how enthusiastically the world has embraced his invention the reflecting telescope. Whether professional or amateur the stalwart reflector is the overwhelming instrument of choice when working in the visible spectrum. The classic Newtonian reflector is the most popular large aperture optical design purchased by amateur astronomers. A large mirror is easier to fabricate and therefore less costly to produce than a lens of equal diameter size. These full size light-buckets are the monster SUVs of amateur astronomy. Go to any major star party and you will see at least one monster Newtonian with a 15-foot ladder leading to an eyepiece dwarfed by the circumference of the telescope's optical tube. Sky-Watcher EQ5 PRO Newtonian reflectors offer modestly large apertures that provide tremendous light gathering capability and reasonable portability. They deliver excellent imaging quality suitable for viewing the solar-system or deep-space. Their large apertures are superbly capable of capturing faint deep-space phenomenon like galaxies nebulae and star clusters which require considerable resolution to discern fine detail. GO TO operation makes it easy to automatically locate and track over 30000 sky objects.Viewing with Sky-Watcher 200N EQ5 PRO:With the acquisition of this superb telescope an observer joins the ranks of serious amateur astronomers. Scan the Moon's surface along the lunar terminator during the Moon's first quarter phase and be prepared for a spacewalk-like experience. Rich razor-sharp surface detail is so abundant that the Moon alone offers the potential for many years of rewarding study. Planets will reveal a treasure-trove of interesting surface phenomenon. The resolution discerned in Saturn's rings and Jupiter's cloud belts is presented just like you would expect in a quality large aperture telescope. In the summertime sky the gaseous glowing Lagoon Nebula fire red in astrophotographs and the smaller Trifid Nebula beautiful blue and light-red in astrophotographs are examples of prominent emission nebulae revealing bright cores and delicate wispy detail in their outer extensions. The faster focal ratio of the SW 200N is also perfectly adapted for viewing and photographing faint distant galaxies like the Sombrero (M104) the Pinwheel (M101) and Spiral Galaxy (M81). Globular star clusters like Omega Centauri (NGC 5139) yield thousands upon thousands of discreet star points aggregating toward the central core.Understanding Reflecting Optical Systems:Any instrument that uses a primary mirror to gather light is a form of reflector. Numerous reflector designs exist but this discussion will be limited to the more popular classic Newtonian and mirror-lens (catadioptric) designs. While resolving power is a function of aperture alone there are differences however subtle attributable to these designs which merit at least a brief discussion. The classical Newtonian optical design utilizes a parabolic shaped primary mirror and an ellipse shaped diagonal mirror suspended by a holder & vane assembly in the front of the optical tube. The diagonal mirror projects the image through a perforation in the optical tube to the observing position at the focuser-assembly. The tube length of a classic reflector is longer than that of an SCT because the SCT folds the focal length back on itself. Unlike the upright terrestrial image orientation provided by refractors and mirror-lens reflectors the classic Newtonian presents images upside-down. However this is perfectly acceptable for astronomical use where directional orientation is relative. The powerful advantage of the Newtonian design is lower cost. Compared to a refractor or mirror-lens design of equal aperture a Newtonian provides higher resolution per dollar invested.Optical Subtleties and Aberrations:All well-made reflector designs do a great job of gathering light and providing resolving power. From an observer's perspective Newtonians especially those with fast focal ratios exhibit subtle comet-like star images from about 1/3 of the field outward from the center. This is normal. This condition is called coma. This condition is minimized in mirror-lens designs and absent in refractors. The vanes suspending the diagonal in Newtonians can produce diffraction spikes on very bright stars. Many Newtonian observers revel in this attribute. In contrast refractors and mirror-lens designs are devoid of this effect as no vanes or suspension rods are employed. Much like the function of corrective eyewear the Maksutov and Schmidt corrector lenses used in mirror-lens Cassegrain designs compensate for spherical aberration inherent in the primary mirror. They serve no light gathering or detail resolving function. These relatively thin correcting lenses rarely introduce false color or chromatic aberration. Therefore unlike refractive instruments it is generally accepted that Newtonian and mirror-lens reflecting telescopes produce no false color. As you compare and contrast these various attributes keep in mind for most amateur astronomers resolving power trumps subtle differences attributable to design variations discussed above. Portability and cost usually weight in with aperture as the paramount considerations in choosing a primary telescope.World-Class SW Newtonian Optical Quality:Sky-Watcher's primary mirrors are fabricated to the highest standards of optical smoothness and correction ensuring diffraction-limited premium optical performance that is second to none worldwide. On each parabolic shaped primary mirror and elliptical diagonal mirror aluminum is vacuum deposited to the front glass surface and then over coated with hard quartz (SiO4). Additional layers of Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) and (SiO4) are then applied. Optical focus is achieved by means of a mechanically ultra-smooth backlash-free precision 2 Crayford rack & pinion focuser-assembly. The optical tube material is rolled steel powder coated reflective gloss black with gold fleck accent. The tube interior is flat blackened to help prevent internal light reflections from reducing contrast at the focal plane. The front and back cells are cast-aluminum painted black. Telescope Tube Attachment Hardware: The optical tube comes with attachment hardware that allows it to be securely fastened to the SW EQ5P mount. These quick-release tube rings are cast-aluminum painted white.The SW EQ5 PRO Computerized Mount is Standard-Equipment:To facilitate precise equatorial alignment of the SW EQ5 PRO mount a polar alignment scope is installed as standard equipment in the R.A. axis. A transparent etched glass screen illustrates the region about the north celestial pole. The screen shows the position of Constellation Cassiopeia Ursa Major (Big Dipper) and the defining position of Polaris the North Star. It also shows Constellation Octans whose star Sigma Octantis visually defines the south celestial pole. The 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 and 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 EQ5PRO 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 EQ5 PRO 254mm Newtonian and 11 SCT 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. Utility and Setup functions are available to perform customized SynScan operations. 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. PAC: Pointing Accuracy Enhancement provides extra precise pointing accuracy for photographic applications. 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 System:The 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 textbook-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 nebulae. 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 renowned 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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