Aurel Solstice 180 Schmidt-Cassegrain, tube with alt-az mount

Specifications

Description

The Solstice 180 is a Schmidt-Cassegrain catadioptric telescope with 180 mm of aperture and 1800 mm of focal length. Its f/10 ratio sits between the fast Newtonians and the long-focus refractors, giving high magnification on the Moon and planets while still framing larger planetary nebulae and bright galaxies at moderate power. A full-aperture corrector plate, a spherical primary mirror, and a secondary mirror mounted on the plate fold the light path into a tube roughly half the length of its focal length, so the optical tube is much shorter than a refractor of the same focal length.

The sealed tube keeps dust off the optics, but it also takes longer to reach outdoor temperature than an open Dobsonian of similar aperture. Allow about an hour after carrying it outside before working at high power, and keep the tube out of direct sun and away from warm car interiors while it cools. The central obstruction from the secondary mirror slightly lowers contrast on faint, low-surface-brightness objects, though the effect is small on planets, the Moon, and double stars. In humid conditions, a dew heater strap on the corrector plate keeps the front surface clear through the night, and the dew shield slows condensation on the plate.

The 2 in rack-and-pinion focuser accepts standard 2 in eyepieces through the diagonal, and the 1.25 in adapter handles smaller eyepieces. At 12.4 kg for the tube alone, the Solstice 180 needs a sturdy equatorial or fork mount rated well above that payload, with a head that holds the weight steady at high magnification. Typical targets include the Moon's craters and terminator, Jupiter's cloud belts, the Cassini Division in Saturn's rings at high power, and planetary nebulae such as the Ring Nebula in Lyra, which shows more structure from a dark site. Double stars such as Epsilon Lyrae and Albireo separate cleanly at this aperture.

About this configuration

The Aurel Solstice 180 Schmidt-Cassegrain is offered in several configurations, and the notes below describe what this particular combination adds or changes. An alt-az mount keeps setup short: level the tripod, attach the tube, align the finder, and start finding targets. Manual alt-az motion suits visual observing, though you need to nudge the tube now and then to follow objects as the sky turns. The carbon fiber tube expands less as the temperature drops, so the focus point drifts less as the night cools.

With the starter kit, begin with the low-power eyepiece whenever you search for a new target, then switch up. This is the 2024 edition, which revised the packaging and the accessory fittings of the Solstice line. Check the specifications table for the optical figures, since they stay the same across every configuration of the Solstice line.

What's in the box

• Optical tube with corrector plate
• Retractable dew shield
• 2 in star diagonal with 1.25 in adapter
• 8x50 right-angle finder with bracket
• Dovetail bar with tube rings
• Front and rear dust caps
• Alt-az mount with aluminum tripod
• 25 mm and 10 mm eyepieces (1.25 in)
• 2x Barlow lens (1.25 in)

Compatibility notes

• Accepts 2 in eyepieces directly and 1.25 in eyepieces through the supplied adapter.
• The dovetail bar fits mounts that accept standard dovetail saddles.
• The focuser has a T2 thread for camera adapters once the 2 in nosepiece is removed.