New optical design
The Celestron EdgeHD 11" SC binoculars combine the compact design of Schmidt-Cassegrain binoculars with a significantly improved image at the edge of the field of view. This optical system not only has the properties of astrographs, but also produces completely undistorted, sharp images to the edge of the visual and photographic field of view. It corrects coma aberrations not only outside the optical axis - like other so-called "coma-free" optics on the market - but also in the image plane!
The difference
Simultaneous optics are distributed as "astrographs"; however, the coveted "accurate" constellation is produced along a curved image plane. In images taken with modern CCD cameras, the result is a noticeable field curvature that increases towards the edge of the field, and the larger the CCD, the more significant the error. The image of the stars remains round but slightly defocused.
With the Celestron Edge HD telescopes, this curvature is corrected outside the coma, all the way to the edge of the field of view, so that even images taken with large CCD chips are perfectly sharp, evenly across the chip - right up to the corners of the image.
The new optical system improves resolution and performance over competing optical systems with similar apertures. The EdgeHD optics also feature Celestron XLT multilayer coating, so performance is significantly better than similar systems on the market.
Celestron EdgeHD telescopes are Fastar-compatible, meaning that, like "conventional" SC tubes, the auxiliary mirror can be removed and, with the help of a suitable adapter, a CCD camera can be directly inserted in its place, in which case the instrument operates as an extra bright F2 system. Of course, common SC accessories can also be easily fitted to the tube. Filtered vents on the telescope tube help to accelerate heat dissipation. The annoying feature of catadioptric binoculars, image-shift, has been minimised by a more mechanically stable focusing system. Special mention should also be made of the practical, robust handle on the tube.
The Celestron Advanced VX mechanics is a highly portable mechanics optimized for astrophotography, for more information see the product page.
