Varrow Cinder 90 refractor, tube only

Specifications

Description

The Cinder 90 is an achromatic doublet refractor with 90 mm of clear aperture and 630 mm of focal length, giving a focal ratio of f/7. Its objective uses two elements of crown and flint glass that bring red and blue light to a common focus. Some residual color remains, so bright planets and the Moon can show a faint violet halo along high-contrast edges, a trait typical of achromats at this focal ratio. At f/7 the instrument gives a moderately wide field at low power and still reaches useful magnification on the Moon and the planets.

The lens is multi-coated on all air surfaces and sits in a tube with internal baffles, which keeps stray light down when a bright planet sits near the edge of the field. The 1.25 in rack-and-pinion focuser holds a standard diagonal and eyepiece steadily, and the fine-focus knob makes small adjustments easier to judge when you are looking at planetary detail. A dew shield on the front of the tube helps slow dew on the objective on humid nights.

At 2.4 kg for the tube, the Cinder 90 suits a light alt-az mount or a small equatorial mount and fits in a compact case for transport. A small refractor reaches outdoor temperature faster than a reflector of similar aperture, so you can start observing soon after carrying it outside. Typical targets include double stars such as Albireo and Epsilon Lyrae, the phases of Venus, the brighter lunar craters near the terminator, and open clusters such as the Double Cluster in Perseus, which fits within one field at low power. Under dark skies you can also see the brighter galaxies and globular clusters, though their structure is subtle at this aperture.

About this configuration

The Varrow Cinder 90 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. A matte white finish reduces glare from nearby lights while keeping the tube easy to see at night.

The starter kit adds two eyepieces and a Barlow lens, which gives you four magnifications from three pieces. The 2025 edition keeps the same optical figures as the earlier years of the Cinder line. If you plan to add accessories later, compare the compatibility notes with the parts you already own before choosing a configuration.

What's in the box

• Optical tube with dew shield
• Tube rings with dovetail bar
• 1.25 in star diagonal
• 6x30 finder scope 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 and filters directly in the focuser.
• The dovetail bar fits most small and medium alt-az and equatorial mounts.
• A 1.25 in camera adapter can be fitted to the focuser after the diagonal is removed.