Brightwell Classic 10 mm Plössl eyepiece

Specifications

Description

The Classic 10 mm is a four-element Plössl eyepiece with a 52-degree apparent field and a 1.25 in barrel. It gives medium to high magnification in most telescopes: 70x in a 700 mm refractor, 120x in a 1,200 mm Dobsonian, and 150x in a 1,500 mm Maksutov.

That range suits the Moon, the planets, and small deep-sky objects such as planetary nebulae and globular clusters. Jupiter shows its belts and moons, Saturn shows its rings and often the Cassini Division, and the Moon shows craters along the terminator in sharp relief.

The Plössl design gives clean, contrasty images with little scattered light, which helps on the planets. The lenses are fully multi-coated, and the barrel is threaded for 1.25 in filters, so a color filter or a nebula filter screws on directly.

Short focal length Plössls have short eye relief. At 7 mm, the Classic 10 mm requires you to place your eye close to the lens, which can be uncomfortable for observers with glasses and for long sessions. Observers who wear glasses often prefer a longer focal length eyepiece with a Barlow lens to reach the same magnification.

The field stop of 8.8 mm gives a true field of about 0.42 degrees in a 1,200 mm telescope, enough to frame a planet with its moons and to give a minute or two before a target drifts out of the field in a telescope that does not track.

The Classic 10 mm pairs naturally with the Classic 25 mm: together with a 2x Barlow lens, they give four magnifications that cover most observing needs in a small telescope.

About this configuration

The Brightwell Classic 10 mm Plössl eyepiece is offered in several configurations, and the notes below describe what this particular one adds. This configuration comes without a case, which suits observers who keep their eyepieces in a shared foam box. No case is included, so the eyepiece ships in a simple box with its two dust caps fitted. The fold-down rubber eyecup blocks stray light, and you can fold it back if you observe with glasses.

Titanium gray shows dust and fingerprints less than black, and it keeps a uniform look over time. The optics in the 2024 edition match the other years; the changes concern the housing only. The true field in your telescope is roughly the apparent field divided by the magnification you reach with this eyepiece.

What's in the box

• Eyepiece with fold-down rubber eyecup
• Top and bottom dust caps
• Plastic storage case

Compatibility notes

• Fits any 1.25 in focuser, diagonal, or Barlow lens.
• The barrel accepts standard 1.25 in filters (M28.5 x 0.6 thread).
• Eye relief of 7 mm is short for most glasses wearers.