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 20 of 47 
Orion Telescopes
Intermediate
Meade 8" f/4 LX85 Astrograph Reflector Telescope
$2,099.99
3 easy payments of $700.00
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If purchased separately $2,174.97
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  • 8" f/4 astrograph reflector optical tube really pulls in the faint light from distant celestial objects, perfect for both visual and photographic work
  • Precision-made (8") parabolic primary mirror reflector telescope with fast 800mm focal length (f/4) provides exceptionally bright and crisp images of both solar system and deep-sky objects
  • LX85 equatorial mount and tripod with GoTo slewing and tracking, and AudioStar controller for automated pointing to over 30,000 night sky objects
  • Requires 12v DC power source, or AC-DC power inverter
  • Includes robust 2" linear bearing Crayford focuser with 1.25" adapter, 8x50 finder scope, 26mm Super Plössl eyepiece, 2" diameter steel leg tripod, and more!


Learn more
Item #  55891
Mfg Model #  217012

Give your astrophotography a major boost with the Meade 8" f/4 LX85 Astrograph Reflector Telescope. Featuring a fast f/4 optical system and light-grabbing aperture, this telescope and GoTo equatorial mount combination is eminently suited for taking high-resolution images of the deep sky.

Fast Optics That Shine for Deep Space Imaging

Pairing this 800mm focal length telescope with a DSLR or other astro camera will yield large and rich swaths of sky, perfect for framing any number of deep-sky objects. Its light grasp is immense, thanks to the large 8" BK7 (Borosilicate) mirror and >90% enhanced reflectivity coatings. This f/4 system can collect a lot of light in a short time, perfect for taking shorter exposures while still recording all sorts of detail in the nebulae and galaxies. And with the 2" linear bearing Crayford focuser, popping in a low power 2" eyepiece will reveal thrilling views that'll knock your socks off! From a dark-sky location away from city lights, objects such as the Veil Nebula will reveal structure you may not have seen before. The focuser features a 10:1 reduction fine focus knob, brass compression rings (so you don't mar the barrel of your eyepieces or camera adapters) and a 2" to 1.25" step down adapter (also with a brass compression ring). The telescope is designed to reach focus with any DSLR camera, along with a host of other imaging accessories, and the long 83.2mm back-focus helps ensure compatibility with various equipment.

The optical path and of the LX85 reflector telescope design

The optical path of the LX85 reflector telescope design

Proudly Designed and Manufactured in North America

The LX85 equatorial GoTo mount was designed and is manufactured in North America, with meticulous oversight of quality control throughout the production process.

Enthusiasts will appreciate the stability, pointing precision, and engineering craftsmanship embodied in this fine-quality German equatorial mount, which features fully automated GoTo slewing to thousands of objects via its innovative AudioStar controller. The mount features a Vixen-style dovetail cradle and supports telescopes and camera gear weighing up to 33 lb. Its beefy tripod boasts 2"-diameter stainless steel legs and a wide stance for stability. The mount readily accommodates the optional Meade LX85 Illuminated Polar Scope, ensuring spot-on polar alignment in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Accurate polar alignment is essential for precise tracking, especially at high powers, and for astrophotographic guiding.

Versatility for Visual Use or Astrophotography

The equatorial design of the LX85 lends itself to both visual use and deep-sky astrophotography. For the latter, the equatorial mount allows the precise polar alignment that is necessary to prevent "field rotation," which degrades long exposures taken with telescopes on Alt/Az mounts.

Advanced Tracking and Guiding Performance

The 8" f/4 LX85 Astrograph Reflector telescope's low-cog servo motors ensure smooth tracking and guiding capability. Their integer drive gearing lets you track through long exposures using Meade's Smart Drive feature, which records permanent periodic error correction (PPEC) to improve tracking accuracy over time. Backlash compensation trains out the intrinsic play between gears to further dial in GoTo and tracking precision. Fine slewing and photographic guiding speeds can be adjusted from .01x to 1x sidereal, with faster slewing up to 4 degrees per second.

Take Aim with AudioStar and Its "Astronomer Inside" Tech

With the included AudioStar controller you will enjoy quick access to over 30,000 celestial objects, which you can view with pushbutton ease. The object library includes the planets, double stars, and thousands of nebulae, galaxies, and star clusters from the Messier, NGC, and IC catalogs. Up to 100 custom user-defined objects can also be added, with filters to create custom object lists.

AudioStar's Astronomer Inside technology features a built-in speaker that plays over four hours of educational content about the celestial objects you are viewing — more than 500 of them! Additional helpful functions are right at your fingertips, including directional slewing keys, Guided Tours of the best objects based on date and location, digital positional readouts, several different star alignment procedures, the ability to link with a PC running optional astronomy software, battery monitor, and updating via the internet through its serial port. AudioStar's intuitive menu-driven user interface and two-line red LCD screen make observing the heavens efficient and easy, for new users and experienced stargazers alike. The top of the AudioStar even has a built-in red LED utility light!

The Meade AudioStar features audio files and an internal speaker.

This computerized celestial object locating system plugs into the mount's handbox port. After an easy star alignment, AudioStar is ready to take you to any object in the over 30,000-object database. Enjoy its intuitive object menus and two-line illuminated LCD screen, plus hours of audio descriptions of what you're viewing. What a fun and informative way to explore the heavens!

This complete telescope package includes a 26mm (31x) Super Plössl eyepiece, 8x50 finderscope with crosshairs, 2" diameter eyepiece extension tube, hinged tube rings, Vixen-style dovetail rail, tripod accessory tray, 25' DC power cable, two 9-lb counterweights, and AutoStar Suite software available as a download. Weighs 59.1 lb fully assembled.

Depending on the size of your camera sensor, an optional coma corrector is recommended to eliminate the inherent coma in a reflector design. This would prove beneficial when using low power 2" eyepieces, or camera sensors larger than ~4:3 format.

Take your astrophotography to the next exciting level with a telescope and GoTo mount package that's more than up to the task, the Meade 8" f/4 LX85 Astrograph Reflector Telescope.

Warranty

Limited Warranty against defects in materials or workmanship for two years from date of purchase. This warranty is provided by Meade for the benefit of the original retail purchaser only. For complete warranty details contact Meade at 800-626-3233.

Warning

Please note this product was not designed or intended by the manufacturer for use by a child 12 years of age or younger.

Product Support
Visit our product support section for instruction manuals and more
  • Best for viewing
    Fainter deep sky
  • Best for imaging
    Deep sky
  • User level
    Intermediate
  • Optical design
    Reflector
  • Optical diameter
    200mm
  • Focal length
    800mm
  • Focal ratio
    f/4.0
  • Coatings
    Enhanced aluminum
  • Optics type
    Parabolic
  • Glass material
    BK-7
  • Eyepieces
    Super Plossl 26.0mm (1.25")
  • Magnification with included eyepieces
    31x
  • Resolving power
    0.58arc*sec
  • Lowest useful magnification
    29x
  • Highest useful magnification
    300x
  • Highest theoretical magnification
    400x
  • Limiting stellar magnitude
    14.2
  • Optical quality
    Diffraction limited
  • Finder scope
    8x50
  • Focuser
    2" dual-speed linear bearing Crayford
  • Mount type
    Equatorial
  • Astro-imaging capability
    Lunar, planetary & long exposure
  • Backfocus distance
    83.2mm
  • Tube material
    Steel
  • Length of optical tube
    27.5 in.
  • Weight, optical tube
    16.0 lbs.
  • Additional included accessories
    26mm Super Plossl eyepiece, 2" diameter 35mm long eyepiece extension tube, 25' DC power cable
  • Other features
    Dual speed linear bearing Crayford focuser, Smart Drive w/ Permanent Periodic Error Correction, AudioStar Controller with multiple guided tours
  • Warranty
    Two year

8" f/4 optical tube
26mm Super Plössl eyepiece
35mm long 2" diameter eyepiece extension tube
8x50 finder scope
LX85 EQ head
LX85 tripod assembly
Counterweight shaft
9-pound counterweight
Accessory tray
AudioStar hand controller
AudioStar cable
DC cable

When an item is not in-stock we will ship it as soon as it becomes available. Typically in-stock items will ship first and backordered items will follow as soon as they are available.

A per-item shipping charge (in addition to the standard shipping and handling charge) applies to this product. This charge varies based on the shipping method.

Standard Delivery: $0.00
Standard Delivery to Canada: $216.00

SHIPPING RESTRICTIONS APPLY FOR THIS PRODUCT

This product is available to ship Standard delivery to the 48 continental United States. Delivery is not available to US territories/protectorates or APO/DPO/FPO addresses. Standard delivery is available to Canada. 3 Day, 2nd Day and Next Day delivery is not available.

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