Aurel Alder 72 achromatic refractor, tube only

Specifications

Description

The Alder 72 is an achromatic refractor with 72 mm of clear aperture and 504 mm of focal length, which gives a focal ratio of f/7. At that ratio the telescope produces a wide field with low-power eyepieces, and it still offers enough magnification for lunar craters and the disks of Mars and Jupiter. The objective is a two-element cemented achromat that brings red and green light to a shared focus. Bright objects such as Venus and the lunar limb may show a faint violet fringe, a common trait of achromats at this focal ratio. Keeping a bright planet near the center of the field reduces the fringe and sharpens the view.

The optical tube is made of aluminum and has an internal baffle near the objective, along with a retractable dew shield that limits stray light from nearby streetlights. The 1.25 in rack-and-pinion focuser moves smoothly under a light eyepiece and star diagonal, but it has no dual-speed fine adjustment, so planetary focusing depends on careful hand control. A 6x30 finderscope on a bracket lets you locate targets before you move to the main eyepiece. The tube accepts 1.25 in eyepieces directly, and the dew shield slides back for storage.

At 1.4 kg for the tube, the Alder 72 sits well on a small alt-azimuth mount or a lightweight tripod, and it packs into a soft case for transport. Small refractors reach the outdoor temperature quickly, so you can start observing soon after you set up. Typical targets include the Moon, the phases of Venus, the double star Albireo, and the Pleiades, which fill a wide field with a 32 mm eyepiece. Under suburban skies, the telescope also shows the brighter open clusters and larger diffuse nebulae. Faint galaxies and small planetary nebulae need more light than 72 mm collects, so you will see more structure in them through larger apertures.

About this configuration

The Aurel Alder 72 achromatic refractor is offered in several configurations, and the notes below describe what this particular combination adds or changes. Buying the tube alone makes sense if you already own a suitable mount or plan to choose one separately. Without a mount in the package, check the tube weight against the payload rating of your mount, with some margin to spare. Matte black paint gives the telescope a low-key look, although a dark tube is harder to find on a moonless night.

The starter kit adds two eyepieces and a Barlow lens, which gives you four magnifications from three pieces. The optics in the 2024 edition match the other years; the changes concern hardware details only. The optical figures in the specifications table apply to this configuration and to every other version of the Aurel Alder 72 achromatic refractor.

What's in the box

• Optical tube with retractable dew shield
• Dovetail mounting bar
• 1.25 in star diagonal
• 6x30 finderscope with bracket
• Front and rear dust caps
• 25 mm and 10 mm eyepieces (1.25 in)
• 2x Barlow lens (1.25 in)

Compatibility notes

• Accepts 1.25 in eyepieces directly through the focuser.
• The dovetail bar fits common Vixen-style mounts.
• The focuser has a T-thread at the drawtube end for camera adapters once the diagonal is removed.