The PlaneWave RC24 is a corrected 24" (610 mm) Ritchey-Chrétien (RC) Astrograph with f/10.6. The instrument weighs 109 kg and comes standard with a connection ring on the rear to accept the focuser of your choice. The connection to the mount is made via an 8" prism rail (dovetail).
Ritchey-Chrétien (RC) optics: RC optics made of quartz glass for excellent axial performance with only one hyperbolic primary and secondary mirror and no refractive optics in the light path.
Carbon fibre lattice tube: Minimises thermal expansion, which causes focus shift during a shooting session due to temperature changes. Carbon fibre also adapts quickly to the ambient temperature and is extremely light and torsion-resistant, which helps to obtain excellent image data.
Prism rail expansion joint: Compensates for the different thermal expansion of aluminium and carbon. The expansion joint allows the aluminium to expand and contract without putting pressure on the carbon fibre tube. This means that the image quality is not affected by the different temperature behaviour of the tube materials.
Fans: Three fans at the rear of the telescope draw air through the telescope and past the primary mirror. In addition, three more fans on the side of the telescope blow air over the primary mirror to prevent a boundary layer of air from forming, which would affect image quality. The fans help the telescope reach temperature equilibrium more quickly, further reducing image errors due to temperature differences.
The fans are controlled by a switch on the tube, or alternatively they can be activated by the PWI3 software if the optional PlaneWave Electronic Focus Accessory (EFA Kit) is available.
Built-in heating elements to prevent dew: The heating elements on the primary and secondary mirrors require the separately available Delta-T controller for PlaneWave telescopes with pre-installed wiring for heating.
The quartz glass (fused silica) used is a synthetic amorphous quartz glass of the highest purity and one of the most transparent glasses available. Due to its purity, the optical and thermal properties of quartz glass are superior to other types of glass. Its transmission and homogeneity exceed those of crystalline quartz and avoid the problems of temperature instability that crystalline quartz glasses suffer from.
Fused silica has a thermal expansion coefficient six times lower than that of borosilicate glass (Pyrex). It therefore retains its shape with a very high degree of accuracy when it cools. This results in consistent optical performance and an unchanged focal point during temperature changes.
Scope of delivery:
- telescope
- Cover to protect the primary mirror and the inside of the optical tube
- Flash drive: Contains software and instructions for collimation and spacing of the primary and secondary mirrors
- Tool kit with Allen wrench
- Soft cover for the secondary mirror
- 12V AC adaptors
- Spacer between back plate and focuser (already installed)
