ED80T CF Triplet Apochromatic Refractor Telescope

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Orion ED80T CF Triplet Apochromatic Refractor Telescope

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Versatile triplet apochromatic refractor telescope featuring ED (extra-low dispersion) glass for exceptional resolution devoid of aberrations
Fast f/6 focal ratio and 80mm aperture refractor excels in both visual and astrophotography applications
Lightweight yet strong carbon fiber tube optical tube assembly construction makes this a great telescope to look at and through
Wonderful telescope for astrophotography thanks to its small size and weight coupled with great wide-field apochromatic optics
Includes robust dual-speed (11:1) 2" Crayford focuser, 2" dielectric coated mirror diagonal, 2"-to-1.25" stepdown adapter, dovetail finder scope base, Starry Night astronomy software, foam-lined hard carry case, and more!

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Item # 09525

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Orion is proud to announce an exciting addition to our already prestigious line of ED refractors, the 80mm apochromatic triplet Orion ED80T CF. With a triplet objective featuring FPL-53 extra-low dispersion glass, views come through true to color and exhibit tack-sharp resolution.

Apochromatic refractor telescopes have a devoted following amongst amateur astronomers, and for good reason. The crisp view offered by a high-quality apo refractor is truly a wonder to behold and share. Apochromatic refractors significantly reduce chromatic aberration, or false color, compared to standard achromatic refractor telescopes due to the use of "ED" (Extra-low Dispersion) optical glass and use of three optical elements. The visual and imaging benefits of apo refractors have helped to make them instruments of choice by many real-time observers and imaging experts alike.

The ED80T CF is a versatile power performer telescope well-suited for multiple applications. With a focal length of 480mm (f/6.0), its fast unobstructed optics yield detail-rich visual views of solar system and wide-field deep-sky objects alike. The triplet objective and ED optics virtually eliminate chromatic aberrations making the ED80T CF an excellent candidate for astrophotography use when used with an imaging-capable EQ mount and CCD or DSLR camera. The relatively small size and light weight of the telescope makes it perfectly portable for escapades to dark-sky locations for either visual or photographic expeditions. The retractable dew shield makes the ED80T CF even more compact for storage and transport, with a length of 14.3" with the dew shield fully retracted. The telescope measures 18.25" long when the dew shield is fully extended to minimize peripheral glare and dew accumulation.

The striking carbon-fiber tube is nifty to look at, and makes the ED80T CF a lightweight luxury to transport and mount. Weighing in at a mere 6.0 lbs. including the diagonal, this is one telescope you won’t have to break your back (or bank account) when considering mounting options. The integrated dovetail mounting base attaches directly to any Orion EQ mount equipped with a narrow, or "Vixen-style," dovetail saddle without the need for additional mounting accessories. While a stable motorized equatorial (EQ) mount is recommended for astrophotographic pursuits, the ED80T CF can be adequately mounted on a wide variety of lightweight sturdy field and photo tripods by virtue of the same integrated dovetail mounting base which features a threaded 1/4"-20 acceptor. Adding an optional correct-image 45° diagonal would provide you with a daytime telescope worthy of virtually any landscape or wildlife viewing exploit.

In keeping with Orion’s established tradition of offering quality products at affordable prices, the ED80T CF is offered to you at an amazing value. What’s more, we’ve included top-notch features and accessories which are sure to please even the most discerning apo aficionado. The precision machined Crayford-style focuser provides dual-speed focus adjustment perfect for dialing in delicate details of celestial and terrestrial subjects. The smaller fine focus knob adjusts focus at a rate of 11:1 compared to the coarse focus knob, giving you the ability to hone-in on just the right focal point. A 2" 90° mirror diagonal with dielectric coatings provides a comfortable nighttime view orientation and optimizes reflectivity, ensuring as many of those lovely photons as possible reach the focal plane. The included 2" to 1.25" eyepiece adapter allows trouble-free use of higher magnification 1.25" eyepieces or 1.25" accessories. For storage and safe transport, everything fits nicely in the included hard case with custom die-cut foam interior.

Warranty

Limited Warranty against defects in materials or workmanship for one year from date of purchase. This warranty is for the benefit of the original retail purchaser only. For complete warranty details contact us at 800-676-1343.

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

Specs

Best for viewing

Brighter deep sky
Best for imaging

Deep sky
User level

User level

Beginner Level - Suited for a wide range of uses, these products are simple to operate and set up. Some initial assembly may be required depending on the type of product. Optical instruments with this rating will have very good optical and mechanical quality. Great for families, young people, and folks who don't want to mess with equipment and complexity. Beginning level telescopes will show you countless lunar craters, Saturn's rings and a myriad of star clusters and nebulae! Referring to the manual is recommended.

Intermediate Level - These products offer higher performance and more advanced features than Level 1: Beginner models. They typically take a bit longer to learn and need some set-up or adjustments. But anyone with the slightest technical bent will have no problem getting familiar with these models. Referring to the manual is recommended.

Advanced Level - These products provide the best performance but may require more skill to master and appreciate. Optical instruments with this rating have exceptionally fine optics and mechanics. Some are easy to use but might be on the large or heavy side. Some are intended for specialized uses. These products will appeal to the more technically inclined. Referring to the manual is highly recommended.

Intermediate
Optical design

Optical design

Reflector telescopes use a pair of large and small mirrors to direct incoming light to the eyepiece. Refractor telescopes refract, or "bend" incoming light to a focus by means of an objective lens. Cassegrain telescopes, such as Maksutov-Cassegrains, "fold" incoming light using two mirrors and a front "corrector" lens.

Refractor
Optical diameter

Optical diameter

For telescopes, the optical diameter (also known as aperture) is the size of a telescope's main light-collecting lens or primary mirror, measured in millimeters or inches. Telescopes with larger optical diameters collect more light, which leads to an increase in brightness and image resolution compared to smaller instruments.

For binoculars, the optical diameter (also known as objective lens diameter) is the size of each of the front-facing objective lenses of a binocular measured in millimeters. Binoculars with larger objective lenses collect more light, which increases image resolution and brightness. Binoculars with larger objective lenses are recommended for low light situations, and binoculars with at least 50mm or larger objective lenses are recommended for pleasing astronomical observations at night.

80mm
Focal length

Focal length

The distance from the center of a curved mirror or lens at which parallel light rays converge to a single point. The focal length is an inherent specification of a mirror or lens and is one of the factors in determining resultant magnification for a telescope (along with the focal length of the eyepiece being used).

480mm
Focal ratio

Focal ratio

The focal ratio of an optical system is the ratio of a telescope's focal length to its aperture. Short focal ratios (f/5, f/4.5) produce wide fields of view and small image scales, while long focal lengths produce narrower fields of views and larger image scales.

f/6.0
Coatings

Coatings

Binocular lenses and prisms are often coated with anti-reflective material to minimize light loss as light travels through the multiple optical surfaces of a typical binocular. Coatings help maximize the amount of light transmitted through each glass surface of a binocular, so as much light as possible reaches the observer's eyes to provide a bright and sharp image.
Good lenses are at least "fully coated," with a single layer of magnesium fluoride coating applied to each air-to-glass lens surface. Multiple layers of coatings are even more effective; the term "multi-coated" means one or more air-to-glass lens surface has multiple coatings. "Fully multi-coated" optics are even better, meaning all lens surfaces have multiple layers of anti-reflective coatings applied for maximum light transmission and optimal image quality.

Fully multi-coated
Optics type

Optics type

Newtonian reflectors will have either a spherical shaped mirror, which is less expensive to produce, or a higher quality parabola, which does not result in spherical aberration. Cassegrain telescopes routinely use spheres in addition to other lenses in the optical path to correct for residual spherical aberration. Refractors use a series of lenses to provide a clear image. Designs range from a standard air-spaced doublet (two lenses in a row) to exotic designs such as oil-spaced triplets and 4-element multi group lenses.

Air-spaced triplet
Glass material

Glass material

Refractors use glass lenses to focus the light, and the glass material plays an important role in the quality of the resulting image. Standard achromatic refractors routinely use Crown and Flint for the two elements, but more expensive apochromatic refractors can use ED (extra low dispersion) glass for one or more of the lenses. Reflector mirrors are made from glass with different levels of thermal expansion. Standard mirrors are made from material such as Soda-Lime Plate glass and BK-7 glass. Glass with Pyrex or other low thermal expansion material will not change shape as dramatically during the cool-down period, resulting in more stable images during this period.

Extra low dispersion FPL-53
Eyepieces

None
Resolving power

Resolving power

The theoretical resolving power of a telescope can be calculated with the following formula: Resolving power (in arc seconds) = 4.56 divided by aperture of telescope (in inches). In metric units, this is: Resolving power (in arc seconds) = 116 divided by aperture of telescope (in millimeters). Note that the formula is independent of the telescope type or model, and is based only upon the aperture of the telescope. So the larger the telescope's aperture, the more it is capable of resolving. This is important to keep in mind when observing astronomical objects which require high resolution for best viewing, such as planets and double stars. However, it is usually atmospheric seeing conditions (not the telescope) which limits the actual resolving power on a given night; rarely is resolution less than one arc-second possible from even the best viewing locations on Earth.

1.45arc*sec
Lowest useful magnification

Lowest useful magnification

Lowest useful magnification is the power at which the exit pupil becomes 7mm in diameter. Powers below this can still be reached with the telescope to give wider fields of view, but the image no longer becomes brighter at a lower power. This is due to the fact that the exit pupil of the telescope (the beam of light exiting the eyepiece) is now larger than the average person's dark adapted pupil, and no more light can fit into the eye.

12x
Highest useful magnification

Highest useful magnification

The highest practical limit is different from the often used "highest theoretical magnification" specification. The "theoretical" limit generally is 50x the aperture of the scope in inches (2x the aperture in mm). So for example, an 80mm refractor is capable of 160x, and a 10" telescope is theoretically capable of 500x magnification. But after approximately 300x, theory breaks down and real world problems take over. The atmosphere above us is constantly in motion, and it will distort the image seen through the telescope. This effect may not be noticeable at lower powers, but at higher powers the atmosphere will dramatically blur the object, reducing the quality of the image. On a good night (a night where the air above is steady and the stars aren't twinkling), the practical upper limit of a large telescope is 300x, even thought the theoretical limit may be much higher. This doesn't mean the scope will never be able to reach those higher "theoretical" powers - there will be that rare night where the atmosphere is perfectly still and the scope can be pushed past it's practical limit, but those nights will be few and far between.

160x
Highest theoretical magnification

160x
Limiting stellar magnitude

Limiting stellar magnitude

The limiting stellar magnitude is a measure of the faintest star you can see through the telescope.

12.2
Optical quality

Optical quality

"Diffraction Limited" means that the limits of image detail are determined by the physical properties of light, and not by optical defects in the telescope.

Diffraction limited
Finder scope

None
Focuser

2" dual-speed Crayford
Diagonal degrees

2" 90° Mirror Star
Mount type

Optical Tube without Mount
Astro-imaging capability

Astro-imaging capability

The astro-photographic capability of the telescope is based on the style, stability, and accuracy of the mount and tripod. Telescopes on either very lightweight mounts or non tracking mounts (such as Dobsonians) are capable of only very short exposures such as lunar photographs. If a motor drive is attached to an equatorial mount, even a small lightweight mount is capable of capturing some planetary detail. Larger EQ mounts that utilize very precise tracking and excellent stability are capable of longer exposure deep-sky photography.

Lunar, planetary & long exposure
Tube material

Carbon graphite
Length of optical tube

14.3 in.
Weight, optical tube

6.0 lbs.
Additional included accessories

High reflectivity dielectric diagonal., Dovetail base for finder scope, Custom foam-lined hard carrying case
Other features

Baffled interior, Retractable dew shield and rotatable focuser, Triplet objective with one element FPL-53 glass
Warranty

Warranty

This warranty gives you specific legal rights. It is not intended to remove or restrict your other legal rights under applicable local consumer law; your state or national statutory consumer rights governing the sale of consumer goods remain fully applicable.

One year

In The Box

Orion ED80T CF refractor telescope optical tube assembly (OTA)
Threaded objective dust cap
2" dielectric mirror diagonal
2" to 1.25" eyepiece adapter�
Hard foam-lined carry case
Dust caps

Shipping Info

Orders received by 1pm Eastern Standard Time for in-stock item the same business day. Order received after noon will ship the next business day. 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. You have the option in check out to request that your order ship complete, if you'd prefer.

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

Standard Delivery: $0.00
3 Day Delivery: $15.00
2 Day Delivery: $15.00
Next Day Delivery: $21.00

SHIPPING RESTRICTIONS APPLY FOR THIS PRODUCT

This product is available to ship Standard delivery within the 50 US states, APO/DPO/FPO addresses and US territories/protectorates. Delivery is not available to Canada.

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