Meade #1220 field de-rotator for 7" through 14" LX200 models
Meade #1220 field de-rotator for 7" through 14" LX200 models
You can do astrophotography with the LX200 scopes in the standard altazimuth mode, but for longer exposure times, an effect called field rotation becomes evident. Stars at the edge of the field will appear as small concentric arcs or streaks on the film, rather than as star points. This effect, which does not relate to the accuracy of the telescope's computer or internal alignment, occurs on all altazimuth-mounted telescopes. It's simply a side effect of the altazimuth-type mount itself.
To prevent field rotation, your LX200 can be polar-aligned by using Meade's field de-rotator. The Meade field de-rotator allows you to align the telescope's axis of rotation with the Earth's rotational axis. This eliminates the effects of field rotation and gets the streaks out.
The field de-rotator attaches to the rear cell of your telescope.
