Ultra-High Transmission Coatings (UHTC) Available optionally with the ETX-90AT, ETX-105AT, or ETX-125AT, the Meade UHTC group permits the highest levels of light transmission (about a 15% increase in total telescope light transmission compared to the standard coatings) ever offered on amateur telescopes. The UHTC group, if desired, must be specified at the time of telescope order.

"Our [ETX-105] sample, purchased from stock at a local telescope dealer, was in perfect collimation...the version-22Et Autostar we tested behaves like mature technology...we sent the scope to a series of targets spread across the sky. It found each one with 100 percent success...Indeed, 90 percent of the targets were positioned within the center half of the field of view...Views of the Moon and planets were all satisfyingly crisp. The rings of Saturn, including the Cassini Division, were sharply rendered, and Jupiter's faded Red Spot was easy to see as it crossed the planet's central meridian...One of my most enjoyable moments with this Mak came while I was viewing Castor on a foggy evening that offered very good seeing. The scope split this unequal double star very cleanly and displayed the sort of Airy disks and diffraction rings that one sees in optical textbooks but seldom in real life."

Standard Equipment: Meade ETX Astro Telescopes are supplied as complete instruments. Standard equipment includes a premium-grade Meade Series 4000 Super Plössl 26mm eyepiece for 48X with the ETX-90AT, 57X with the ETX-105AT, or 73X with the ETX-125AT. The 8 x 21mm viewfinder of the ETX-90AT incorporates an internal roof prism that results in an erect-image orientation, facilitating the quick location and field-centering of both terrestrial and astronomical objects. ETX-105AT and ETX-125AT models are supplied with an 8 x 25mm right-angle viewfinder for comfortable object-sighting with the larger instruments. The #884 Deluxe Field Tripod is included for rigid mounting of the telescope during standing or seated observing in either the altazimuth or equatorial mode. Use the standard-equipment #497 Autostar controller for automatic GO TO object locating.

Optional Accessories: Fifteen optionally available eyepieces permit magnification ranges of from 31X to over 300X with the ETX-90AT, from 37X to over

For terrestrial observing with the ETX-90AT, ETX-105AT, and ETX-125AT Astro Telescopes the #932 45° Erecting Prism attaches to the telescope's rear cell and presents correctly-oriented images, viewed at a convenient 457deg; angle. Also shown in this photo are the Declination lock, focuser knob, and flip-mirror knob.

400X with the ETX-105AT, or from 48X to over 450X with the ETX-125AT. Meade Super Plössls are excellent eyepieces with any ETX model, or use a Meade Super Wide 13.8mm, 18mm, or 24.5mm ocular for spectacular moderate-power, wide-angle observing. The #126 2x Barlow Lens, a special short-focus Barlow ideally suited to ETX systems, doubles the power of any eyepiece. For terrestrial photography or astrophotography of the Moon and planets, the #64 T-Adapter threads to the telescope's rear cell and, with the appropriate T-mount, accepts any 35mm camera with removable lens.

The #64 T-Adapter converts ETX telescopes into long-focus telephoto lenses for attachment to 35mm camera bodies by means of the appropriate T-Mount. In this way ETX models may be used for terrestrial photography or for astrophotography of the Moon and planets. (With the ETX-70AT telescope use the #64ST T-Adapter.)

One of the most important advances in telescope control in the past 25 years, the Meade #497 Autostar Computer Controller turns the ETX-90AT, ETX-105AT, or ETX-125AT into an automatic celestial object locating system. Just plug the Autostar into the telescope's HBX port, do a quick (less than one minute!) telescope alignment, and you're ready to observe any object in the Autostar's 30,000-object database.Best of all, the Meade Autostar is easy to

use. Even the most novice observer will find himself or herself locating dozens of fascinating celestial objects the very first night out - from commonly-observed objects such as the rings of Saturn, the satellites of Jupiter, and the Orion Nebula (M42); to more difficult objects such as the Ring Nebula (M57) in Lyra, the Spiral Galaxy (M33) in Triangulum, and the Sombrero Galaxy (M104) in Virgo; to very obscure objects near the telescope's threshold of visibility such as the diffuse nebula NGC 6559 in Sagittarius, the galactic star cluster NGC 1778 in Auriga, and the spiral galaxy NGC 3310 in Ursa Major.

Any of Autostar's database objects can be called up and entered on the hand controller display in seconds. The observer then simply presses the GO TO pushbutton and watches as the telescope automatically slews (moves) to the object and places it in the field of view. The effect of Autostar is to bring objects easily within reach which were previously unreachable for all but the most dedicated of amateur astronomers.

Without exaggeration the Meade Autostar Computer Controller opens up a new era in astronomical study for the casual or beginning astronomer, just as Meade LX200 and LX200GPS Schmidt-Cassegrains have for the advanced amateur. Most Autostar users see more celestial objects in one night's viewing than typical first-time telescope owners previously have in a lifetime.

Object Database: Included within Autostar's database are all of the following astronomical objects — a range of objects certain to keep even the most active amateur astronomer growing in his or her studies of the skies for years:

Any of the objects in the preceding listing can be located simply by calling up the object from the Autostar database and pressing GO TO. Within seconds Autostar directs the ETX telescope to move automatically to the object and place it within the telescopic field of view with uncanny precision.

Meade ETX-90AT Astro Telescope. Shown packed in optional #774 Hard Carrying Case for easy portability in the field.

"Stellar diffraction patterns were virtually textbook-perfect...the Cassini Division in Saturn's rings popped into view despite the rings' low tilt. [Double-star] Epsilon Lyrae's component stars were cleanly split...The Moon was outstanding even at 75X per inch of aperture. Daytime terrestrial views were tack-sharp with rich color saturation. I could see every wisp of velvet on the antlers of a deer 50 feet away... the ETX [90mm] was totally free of chromatic aberration, making this an ideal all-purpose telescope for anyone wanting to inspect eagles at 100 yards and stars at 100 light-years."

Call-up of an object from the database is facilitated by Autostar's simple menu options. For example, to enter NGC 6960 on the Autostar display, the observer selects in sequence (and in a few seconds of keystrokes): OBJECT/DEEP SKY/NGC OBJECTS/6960. When GO

The ETX-90AT Astro Telescope, mounted in the equatorial mode on the #884 Deluxe Field Tripod. Tripod height is continuously adjustable from 25" to 43". A graduated scale for elevation (latitude) angle permits precise polar alignment of the telescope's fork mount.

TO is pressed, the telescope moves at 5° per second on both axes, simultaneously, to place NGC 6960, the Veil Nebula in the constellation Cygnus, in the telescope's field of view.

Additional Capabilities: In addition to database object selection and observation, Autostar permits a wide array of fascinating and educational capabilities:

Automatic GO TO capability to any astronomical object of known Right Ascension and Declination, plus digital readouts of telescope position, continuously in RA and Dec.

9-Speed Dual-Axis Operation: Use the Autostar pushbuttons to move the telescope on either or both axes, simultaneously, at any of nine drive speeds, from 2x sidereal to 5°/second. Guided Tours: Allows Autostar to choose the best objects for observing on any given night.

Point-and-click astronomy with Meade AstroFinder software, the #505 Connector Cable Set, and an ETX telescope.

With Autostar plugged into your ETX-90AT, ETX-105AT, or ETX-125AT, the astronomical universe is in the palm of your hand: never before has such powerful telescope technology been so easy to operate, even by the most casual observer.

*For PC's with USB ports order the Meade USB to RS-232 Bridge Cable, which premits connection between the telescope's RS-232 serial interface and the PC's USB port.

ETX-90AT Astro Telescope: For the casual or beginning observer the Meade ETX-90AT may be all the telescope ever required. Or, for the advanced astronomer who already owns a larger instrument, the ETX-90AT is the perfect ultraportable, diffraction-limited field telescope. Observe the continually changing cloud-belt patterns on the surface of the planet Jupiter; shadows cast on to Jupiter as one of its four principal satellites transits the planet's disc; the magnificent ring system and satellites of Saturn as well as dusky markings and the ring-shadow

Specifications: ETX-90AT Astro Telescope - Includes Maksutov-Cassegrain optical tube assembly (D = 90mm (3.5"), F = 1250mm, f/13.8) with MgF2 coatings on the correcting lens and standard aluminum coatings on the primary and secondary mirrors (Ultra-High Transmission Coatings available optionally); internal flip-mirror system for either straight-through or 90° observing position; steel-reinforced ABS fork mount with electric slow-motion controls, setting circles and locks on both axes; electronic control panel; 9-speed (from 2x sidereal to 5°/sec) dual-axis motor drive system with #497 Autostar controller; sidereal-rate tracking in either altazimuth or equatorial mode; internal battery compartment accepting eight (user-supplied) AA-size batteries; 8 x 21mm erect-image viewfinder; Series 4000 Super Plössl 26mm eyepiece (1.25"); #884 Deluxe Field Tripod; operating instructions.

on the surface of Saturn; Moon craters by the hundred, plus lunar rilles, mountain ranges, and fault lines, all visible in brilliant, high-resolution, high-contrast detail; the variable phases of the planets Mercury and Venus; prominent features on the surface of Mars. In deep-space the motivated observer will find it difficult to exhaust the quantity of visible phenomena: the incandescent filamentary structure of the Orion Nebula; the elliptical luminosity of the Andromeda Galaxy with its brilliant nucleus; the shining orb of the Hercules globular cluster with many of its outermost stars resolvable. These

are only a few of the literally thousands of celestial objects within the view of the Meade ETX-90AT telescope. Star catalogs list innumerable double and multiple star systems, variable stars, open star clusters, globular clusters, diffuse nebulosities, planetary nebulae, and spiral galaxies within the grasp of the instrument. The standard-equipment #497 Autostar Computer Controller locates all of these objects automatically, in seconds.

ETX-105AT Astro Telescope: Manufactured with an aluminum fork mount dedicated specifically to its size a

Specifications: ETX-105AT Astro Telescope – Includes Maksutov–Cassegrain optical tube assembly (D = 105mm (4.13"), F = 1470mm, f/14) with MgF2 coatings on the correcting lens and standard aluminum coatings on the primary and secondary mirrors (Ultra-High Transmission Coatings available optionally); internal flip–mirror system for either straight–through or 90° observing position; aluminum fork mount with electric slow–motion controls, setting circles and locks on both axes; electronic control panel; 9–speed (from 2x sidereal to 5°/sec) dual–axis motor drive system with #497 Autostar controller; sidereal–rate tracking in either altazimuth or equatorial mode; internal battery compartment accepting eight (user–supplied) AA–size batteries; 8 x 25mm right–angle viewfinder; Series 4000 Super Plössl 26mm eyepiece (1.25"); #884 Deluxe Field Tripod; operating instructions.

aperture, the ETX-105AT Astro Telescope moves effortlessly across the skies on ball bearing axes, in either manual or electronic modes. And, at a relatively modest increase in purchase price, the ETX-105AT yields 36% more light-collecting power than the ETX-90AT. The entire range of celestial objects - the eight major planets, the Moon, galaxies, nebulae, star clusters - as well as terrestrial objects, may be observed with a significant, and immediately apparent, increase in resolution and image brightness. At the same time, the ETX-105AT maintains most of the compactness and ultraportability of the smaller-aperture ETX-90AT. As a compromise between the larger light-gathering capability of the ETX-125AT and the ultraportability of the ETX-90AT, the ETX-105AT is an excellent, and very popular, choice.

Specifications: ETX-125AT Astro Telescope - Includes Maksutov-Cassegrain optical tube assembly (D = 127mm (5.0"), F = 1900mm, f/15) with MgF2 coatings on the correcting lens and standard aluminum coatings on the primary and secondary mirrors (Ultra–High Transmission Coatings available optionally); internal flip–mirror system for either straight–through or 90° observing position; aluminum fork mount with electric slow-motion controls, setting circles and locks on both axes; electronic control panel; 9–speed (from 2x sidereal to 5°/sec) dual–axis motor drive system with #497 Autostar controller; sidereal–rate tracking in either altazimuth or equatorial mode; internal battery compartment accepting eight (user–supplied) AA–size batteries; 8 x 25mm right–angle viewfinder; Series 4000 Super Plössl 26mm eyepiece (1.25–); #884 Deluxe Field Tripod; operating instructions.

ETX-125AT Astro Telescope: With twice the light-collecting area of the ETX-90AT, the ETX-125AT permits a much broader range of astronomical study. Jupiter's cloud belts, for example, are observable at a significantly heightened level of detail, with whirls and festoons and the Great Red Spot readily visible as they transit the planet's disc; the Cassini Division in Saturn's rings is routinely seen, as are additional features of the planet's surface, even under less than perfect seeing conditions; microfine lunar detail beyond the reach of smaller telescopes can be resolved in the ETX-125AT. In deep-space the ETX-125AT's larger aperture enables the observation of galaxies and nebulae in much wider extension and permits the resolution of celestial objects as faint as magnitude 12.5. The entire Messier listing of 110 objects is now not only visible, but, in addition, every object takes on a readily discernible structure. The observer who accepts astronomy as a serious field of interest will find the Meade ETX-125AT a deeply satisfying instrument for a lifetime of high-resolution astronomical study.