Written in collaboration with Claire Gibson, Lowell Educator
Each of the Giovale Open Deck Observatory (GODO)’s six state-of-the-art telescopes were hand-selected to provide a breathtaking stargazing experience that is unrivaled by any other public observatory in the continental United States. In this blog series, we’ll be taking a deep dive into what makes each of the GODO telescopes the best of their kind.
Meet the GODO Telescopes: 16” Meade ACF Catadioptric Reflector
This 16″ Meade telescope is a catadioptric reflector, meaning that it combines both lenses and mirrors to create a focal length of over 13ft, though the telescope itself is much smaller. Its optical path uses two mirrors and a corrector lens to fold the light inside the telescope. This particular design corrects errors at the edge of the field of view, so that every star looks sharp.
The Meade’s hybrid nature allows a narrow-field view which is suited to smaller objects like planetary nebulae, smaller star clusters and double stars, and it can show great detail on planets like Jupiter and Saturn. When looking straight through the opening of the telescope, you can see the blue tinted 16” front glass plate. This is the Schmidt Corrector Plate, which adds aberration corrections to the Cassegrain optical design, referring to the idea that this telescope uses both lenses and mirrors. Overall, the Meade telescope does well with just about anything in the night sky, from bright planets to the Ring Nebula.
The telescope is mounted on an articulating pier, which allows the height to be easily and quickly adjusted to allow comfortable viewing for all guests.
Telescope Specs
| Manufacturer | Meade Instruments |
| Model | LX200 ACF (Advanced Coma Free optics) |
| Aperture | 406 mm (16 in) |
| Focal Length | 4064 mm |
| Focal Ratio | f/10 |
| Mount | Astro-Physics 1600 GTO |
About the Manufacturer: Meade Instruments
Since its foundations in 1972, Meade Instruments has been acknowledged as one of the most innovative and dynamic companies in the telescope market. Known for its groundbreaking telescopic designs, Meade has introduced dozens of improvements to their telescopes over the years that have made amateur astronomy easier and more enjoyable than ever. In addition to standard telescopes, the company creates binoculars, eyepieces, solar viewing equipment, astrophotography tools, software, and more. The Meade Instruments website is an excellent resource for those who wish to get into backyard astronomy, but aren’t sure where to begin. There are a wide variety of digital resources available for stargazers of all levels, including articles, manuals, and helpful how-to’s!
More About the GODO Telescopes
- Meet the GODO Telescopes: 16” Meade ACF Catadioptric Reflector
Written in collaboration with Claire Gibson, Lowell Educator Each of the Giovale Open Deck Observatory (GODO)’s six state-of-the-art telescopes were hand-selected to provide a breathtaking stargazing experience that is unrivaled by any other public observatory in the continental United States. In this blog series, we’ll be taking a deep dive into what makes each of… Read more: Meet the GODO Telescopes: 16” Meade ACF Catadioptric Reflector - Meet the GODO Telescopes: Starstructure 32” Dobsonian
Written in collaboration with Claire Gibson, Lowell Educator Each of the Giovale Open Deck Observatory (GODO)’s six state-of-the-art telescopes were hand-selected to provide a breathtaking stargazing experience that is unrivaled by any other public observatory in the continental United States. In this blog series, we’ll be taking a deep dive into what makes each of… Read more: Meet the GODO Telescopes: Starstructure 32” Dobsonian - Meet the GODO Telescopes: 8” Moonraker Victorian Refractor
Written in collaboration with Claire Gibson & Hailey Osborn, Lowell Educators Each of the Giovale Open Deck Observatory (GODO)’s six state-of-the-art telescopes were hand-selected to provide a breathtaking stargazing experience that is unrivaled by any other public observatory in the continental United States. In this blog series, we’ll be taking a deep dive into what… Read more: Meet the GODO Telescopes: 8” Moonraker Victorian Refractor - Meet the GODO Telescopes: TEC 140FL 5.5” Refractor
Each of the Giovale Open Deck Observatory’s six state-of-the-art telescopes were hand-selected to provide a breathtaking stargazing experience that is unrivaled by any other public observatory in the continental United States. In this blog series, we’ll be taking a deep dive into what makes each of the GODO telescopes the best of their kind. … Read more: Meet the GODO Telescopes: TEC 140FL 5.5” Refractor