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10.2.3.1. Approximating corrector radii   ▐    10.2.3.3. Maksutov-Cassegrain
 

10.2.3.2. Maksutov-Newtonian

Telescopes with meniscus-type full aperture corrector - usually referred to as Maksutov corrector - are respected among amateurs almost as no other telescope type. Many are inclined to believe that the meniscus gives them some extra optical quality, not achievable with other telescope types. Or, at least, that this kind of telescopes, generally featuring spherical surfaces, is easier to make to higher optical standards. Neither is factual - Maksutov corrector is not perfect optically, and is all but easy to make - and if there is a particular reason that it performs better, it is in the above average fabrication quality.

It could be that it is exactly the high required fabrication accuracy that resulted in the above average fabrication quality of the Maksutovs'. The tolerances are very narrow, and the manufacturer cannot allow for the luxury of relaxed fabrication/control, if planning on any kind of success on the market.

Similarly to the Schmidt-Newtonian, the only difference between the camera and telescope arrangement with Maksutov corrector in the Newtonian configuration comes from the corrector's position. In the Maksutov-Newtonian, the meniscus is closer to the spherical primary, commonly inside its focal point. Corrector position usually nearly coincides with the aperture stop, so that reduction in mirror's off-axis aberrations is very similar to that in the Schmidt-Newtonian. However, unlike the Schmidt corrector, the meniscus induces some coma and astigmatism of its own, which makes the final system properties somewhat different. System properties in the Newtonian configuration with spherical primary (FIG. 184) can be quite well approximated based on the mirror/meniscus combination described in the previous section.

FIGURE 184: Illustration of the Maksutov-Newtonian telescope configuration. The primary is spherical, and the corrector lens is at ~0.8 of the primary's focal length in front of it. Aperture stop at the corrector reduces mirror coma by ~40%. About half of the remaining mirror coma is cancelled by the offset with the opposite coma of the corrector. That puts the coma of a typical MNT at ~30% of that of a comparable Newtonian. Astigmatism and field curvature in Maksutov-Newtonian are also lower, mostly due to the effect of displaced aperture stop.

With σ~0.43, according to Eq. 131, coma is reduced to ~30% of that in a comparable paraboloid. Somewhat lower astigmatism - mostly due to the aperture stop being displaced from the spherical primary, and the rest due to the offset by the opposite astigmatism of the corrector - results in less than half as strongly curved median image surface. Spherical aberration cannot be reduced to zero, as it can - at least in the design stage - with the comparable Schmidt corrector, but the correction level is still impeccable at ~ƒ/4 and smaller relative apertures, and the chromatism is, for all practical purposes, non-existent (FIG. 185).

As a consequence of the corrector being closer to the mirror, its effective power for the mirror is slightly higher. In other words, the corrector's spherical aberration contribution is slightly higher. Since the mirror contribution is unchanged, in order to strike the optimum balance between the two, radii of the corrector need to be slightly more relaxed than in the camera arrangement. Reflecting this, the first corrector radius is better approximated by R1~[1-2τ-(F/100)]R"1, than as given with Eq. 128


FIGURE 185: Ray spot diagrams for 200mm ƒ/4 Maksutov- and Schmidt-Newtonian, for (from left) the violet (436nm), blue (486nm), green (546nm), red C (654nm) and h (707nm) spectral lines. Seemingly greater axial chromatism (secondary spectrum) in the MN  is actually its residual higher-order spherical aberration (not correctable in an all-spherical system, but still only 1/70 wave RMS here). Closer look reveals that the axial chromatic error is actually greater in the SN. However, in either system axial chromatism is, for all practical purposes, non-existent. Some lateral chromatism is noticeable in the MN, insignificant visually, and acceptable for most photographic purposes. Both systems have inferior field performance to that of comparable Houghton-Newtonian varieties (FIG. 130 a/b).                    SPEC'S: MN  SN

Similarly to the Schmidt-Newtonian, alignment of the Maksutov-Newtonian is more complex than that of all-reflecting Newtonian, due to the presence of lens corrector. Ray tracing indicates that sensitivity to decenter of the Maksutov corrector is similar to that of the Schmidt; however, its sensitivity to tilt is several times higher.

    
10.2.3.1. Approximating corrector radii   ▐    10.2.3.3. Maksutov-Cassegrain

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