Meade 10-Inch "Advanced Ritchey Chretien"

[mikemarotta]

Our local club lends telescopes to members. The program has several goals, one of which is to give people the opportunity to try out different instruments and configurations. It is also true that the club's inventory is pretty much aligned on Dobsonians, 6 to 12-inch (150 to 300 mm) and above when we can. Everyone likes dobs. As an officer I defer on first choice and take whatever is around; and right now, I have a Meade 10-inch "Advanced Ritchey Chretien." 

That is in quotes because - as I found out from some googling - the design is not truly an RC. The Ritchey-Chretien has two hyperboloids. This arrangement is different than that with the typical Schmidt-Cassegrain lens alleviating the compromises. The primary is a paraboloid and the secondary is a hyperboloid and the corrector plate makes up for the primary. I have about a dozen printouts about suits at law over the telescope. Meade at first claimed that it was the same design as the Hubble space telescope.  They responded with the adjective "Advanced" to modify their advertising.

I have not had an opportunity to use it yet. The weather is not cooperating. I would like to have three clear nights in a row because it is such a bear to set up. My previous loaner was a 10-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain that I used once and has been in my garage since April. I finally got the equipment chair to take it back. All he had in place of it was this other behemoth.

My goal here is just to do some different kinds of observing from my backyard.