Catadioptric Telescopes

A catadioptric telescope pairs a mirror with a corrector lens and folds the light path, so a long focal length fits in a short, portable tube. The long focal ratio gives high magnification with ordinary eyepieces, which suits the Moon, planets and double stars.

Ours are Explore Scientific FirstLight Maksutov-Cassegrains: the 100mm f/14 on a Twilight Nano mount, and the 127mm f/15 as a tube for a mount you already own.

Want to know how focal ratio shapes the view? See our guide to understanding telescope specifications.