Meade 8" f/4 LX85 Astrograph Reflector Telescope (217012)

Meade 8" f/4 LX85 Astrograph Reflector Telescope

• 8" f/4 astrograph reflector optical tube really pulls in the faint light from distant celestial objects, perfect for both visual and photographic work
• Precision-made (8") parabolic primary mirror reflector telescope with fast 800mm focal length (f/4) provides exceptionally bright and crisp images of both solar system and deep-sky objects
• LX85 equatorial mount and tripod with GoTo slewing and tracking, and AudioStar controller for automated pointing to over 30,000 night sky objects
• Requires 12v DC power source, or AC-DC power inverter
• Includes robust 2" linear bearing Crayford focuser with 1.25" adapter, 8x50 finder scope, 26mm Super Plössl eyepiece, 2" diameter steel leg tripod, and more!

Give your astrophotography a major boost with the Meade 8" f/4 LX85 Astrograph Reflector Telescope. Featuring a fast f/4 optical system and light-grabbing aperture, this telescope and GoTo equatorial mount combination is eminently suited for taking high-resolution images of the deep sky.

Fast Optics That Shine for Deep Space Imaging

Pairing this 800mm focal length telescope with a DSLR or other astro camera will yield large and rich swaths of sky, perfect for framing any number of deep-sky objects. Its light grasp is immense, thanks to the large 8" BK7 (Borosilicate) mirror and >90% enhanced reflectivity coatings. This f/4 system can collect a lot of light in a short time, perfect for taking shorter exposures while still recording all sorts of detail in the nebulae and galaxies. And with the 2" linear bearing Crayford focuser, popping in a low power 2" eyepiece will reveal thrilling views that'll knock your socks off! From a dark-sky location away from city lights, objects such as the Veil Nebula will reveal structure you may not have seen before. The focuser features a 10:1 reduction fine focus knob, brass compression rings (so you don't mar the barrel of your eyepieces or camera adapters) and a 2" to 1.25" step down adapter (also with a brass compression ring). The telescope is designed to reach focus with any DSLR camera, along with a host of other imaging accessories, and the long 83.2mm back-focus helps ensure compatibility with various equipment.

The optical path of the LX85 reflector telescope design

Proudly Designed and Manufactured in North America

The LX85 equatorial GoTo mount was designed and is manufactured in North America, with meticulous oversight of quality control throughout the production process.

Enthusiasts will appreciate the stability, pointing precision, and engineering craftsmanship embodied in this fine-quality German equatorial mount, which features fully automated GoTo slewing to thousands of objects via its innovative AudioStar controller. The mount features a Vixen-style dovetail cradle and supports telescopes and camera gear weighing up to 33 lb. Its beefy tripod boasts 2"-diameter stainless steel legs and a wide stance for stability. The mount readily accommodates the optional Meade LX85 Illuminated Polar Scope, ensuring spot-on polar alignment in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Accurate polar alignment is essential for precise tracking, especially at high powers, and for astrophotographic guiding.

Versatility for Visual Use or Astrophotography

The equatorial design of the LX85 lends itself to both visual use and deep-sky astrophotography. For the latter, the equatorial mount allows the precise polar alignment that is necessary to prevent "field rotation," which degrades long exposures taken with telescopes on Alt/Az mounts.

Advanced Tracking and Guiding Performance

The 8" f/4 LX85 Astrograph Reflector telescope's low-cog servo motors ensure smooth tracking and guiding capability. Their integer drive gearing lets you track through long exposures using Meade's Smart Drive feature, which records permanent periodic error correction (PPEC) to improve tracking accuracy over time. Backlash compensation trains out the intrinsic play between gears to further dial in GoTo and tracking precision. Fine slewing and photographic guiding speeds can be adjusted from .01x to 1x sidereal, with faster slewing up to 4 degrees per second.

Take Aim with AudioStar and Its "Astronomer Inside" Tech

With the included AudioStar controller you will enjoy quick access to over 30,000 celestial objects, which you can view with pushbutton ease. The object library includes the planets, double stars, and thousands of nebulae, galaxies, and star clusters from the Messier, NGC, and IC catalogs. Up to 100 custom user-defined objects can also be added, with filters to create custom object lists.

AudioStar's Astronomer Inside technology features a built-in speaker that plays over four hours of educational content about the celestial objects you are viewing — more than 500 of them! Additional helpful functions are right at your fingertips, including directional slewing keys, Guided Tours of the best objects based on date and location, digital positional readouts, several different star alignment procedures, the ability to link with a PC running optional astronomy software, battery monitor, and updating via the internet through its serial port. AudioStar's intuitive menu-driven user interface and two-line red LCD screen make observing the heavens efficient and easy, for new users and experienced stargazers alike. The top of the AudioStar even has a built-in red LED utility light!

The Meade AudioStar features audio files and an internal speaker.

This computerized celestial object locating system plugs into the mount's handbox port. After an easy star alignment, AudioStar is ready to take you to any object in the over 30,000-object database. Enjoy its intuitive object menus and two-line illuminated LCD screen, plus hours of audio descriptions of what you're viewing. What a fun and informative way to explore the heavens!

This complete telescope package includes a 26mm (31x) Super Plössl eyepiece, 8x50 finderscope with crosshairs, 2" diameter eyepiece extension tube, hinged tube rings, Vixen-style dovetail rail, tripod accessory tray, 25' DC power cable, two 9-lb counterweights, and AutoStar Suite software available as a download. Weighs 59.1 lb fully assembled.

Depending on the size of your camera sensor, an optional coma corrector is recommended to eliminate the inherent coma in a reflector design. This would prove beneficial when using low power 2" eyepieces, or camera sensors larger than ~4:3 format.

Take your astrophotography to the next exciting level with a telescope and GoTo mount package that's more than up to the task, the Meade 8" f/4 LX85 Astrograph Reflector Telescope.

Technical Specifications 

In the Box

• Meade 8" f/4 LX85 Astrograph Reflector Telescope
• Steel Tripod
• 26mm Super Plossl eyepiece, 2" diameter
• 35mm long eyepiece extension tube,
• 25' DC power cable

Warranty & Manuals

2-Year Warranty