ED Air-Spaced Triplet APO Refracting Telescopes

Apochromatic (APO) lenses are designed to bring three wavelengths of light (red, green, and blue) into focus in the same plane. In contrast, achromatic lenses are corrected to bring two wavelengths into focus in the same plane.

Achromatic Doublet Lens Diagram. Image source: Wikipedia

The classic achromatic doublet made from optical crown and flint glasses bring two colors of light to a common focus. This diagram shows the image forming lens in the front and the correcting lens in the back. 

Apochromat optics were first developed by Peter Dolland in 1763. His air-spaced triplet design ushered forth many optical improvements but lacked the use of ED glass that we see in most apochromatic optical designs today. ED glass enhances apochromatic lens design by producing extra-low dispersion of the wavelengths of light passing through it thereby giving an even better apochromatic performance.  For more specifications and information on the different types of glass used in Explore Scientific apochromatic triplets, please click here.

Example of Apochromatic Optical Performance. Image source: Wikipedia

Explore Scientific true apochromatic telescopes utilize three air-spaced elements with the ED element in the middle to bring the light of three different frequencies to a common focus, thus mitigating the effects of chromatic aberration.

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16 products

ED80 Essential Series Air-Spaced Triplet Refractor TelescopeED80 Essential Series Air-Spaced Triplet Refractor Telescope
Explore Scientific ED102 Essential Series Air-Spaced Triplet APO Refractor Telescope - ES-ED10207-02Explore Scientific ED102 Essential Series Air-Spaced Triplet APO Refractor Telescope - ES-ED10207-02
Explore Scientific ED127 Essential Series Air-Spaced Triplet Refractor Telescope - ES-ED127075-04Explore Scientific ED127 Essential Series Air-Spaced Triplet Refractor Telescope - ES-ED127075-04
Explore Scientific ED80-FCD100 Series Air-Spaced Triplet Refractor Telescope - FCD100-0806-01Explore Scientific ED80-FCD100 Series Air-Spaced Triplet Refractor Telescope - FCD100-0806-01
Explore Scientific ED102-FCD100 Series Air-Spaced Triplet Refractor Telescope - FCD100-10207-02Explore Scientific ED102-FCD100 Series Air-Spaced Triplet Refractor Telescope - FCD100-10207-02
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Explore Scientific FCD100 Series 127mm f/7.5 Aluminum Air-Spaced Triplet ED APO Refractor TelescopeExplore Scientific FCD100 Series 127mm f/7.5 Aluminum Air-Spaced Triplet ED APO Refractor Telescope
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Explore Scientific FCD100 Series 127mm f/7.5 Carbon Fiber Triplet ED APO Refractor Telescope with 2.5" HEX FocuserExplore Scientific FCD100 Series 127mm f/7.5 Carbon Fiber Triplet ED APO Refractor Telescope with 2.5" HEX Focuser
ED152 Air-Spaced Triplet Apochromatic Telescope in Carbon FiberED152 Air-Spaced Triplet Apochromatic Telescope in Carbon Fiber
ED80-FCD100 Series Air-Spaced Triplet Refractor Telescope and Field Flattener f/5 to f/7Explore Scientific ED80-FCD100 Series Air-Spaced Triplet Refractor Telescope - FCD100-0806-01
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ED80 Essential Series Air-Spaced Triplet Refractor Telescope with 0.8x Focal ReducerED80 Essential Series Air-Spaced Triplet Refractor Telescope with 0.8x Focal Reducer
ED80-FCD100 Air-Spaced Triplet Refractor Telescope with 0.8x Focal ReducerExplore Scientific ED80-FCD100 Series Air-Spaced Triplet Refractor Telescope - FCD100-0806-01
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ED80 Essential Series Air-Spaced Triplet Refractor Telescope with 0.8x Focal Reducer and iEXOS-100-2 PMC-Eight Equatorial Tracker SystemED80 Essential Series Air-Spaced Triplet Refractor Telescope with 0.8x Focal Reducer and iEXOS-100-2 PMC-Eight Equatorial Tracker System
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ED80 Essential Series Air-Spaced Triplet Refractor Telescope with Field FlattenerED80 Essential Series Air-Spaced Triplet Refractor Telescope with Field Flattener
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ED80 Essential Series Air-Spaced Triplet Refractor with iEXOS-100-2 PMC-Eight Equatorial Tracker System and Field FlattenerED80 Essential Series Air-Spaced Triplet Refractor with iEXOS-100-2 PMC-Eight Equatorial Tracker System and Field Flattener
ED102-FCD100 Series Air-Spaced Triplet Telescope in Carbon FiberExplore Scientific ED102-FCD100 Series Air-Spaced Triplet Telescope in Carbon Fiber - FCD100–10207-CF
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ED102-FCD100 Carbon Fiber Triplet + iEXOS-100-02 MountED102-FCD100 Carbon Fiber Triplet + iEXOS-100-02 Mount

ED APO Triplet Refractors for Color-Free Views

Explore Scientific's ED air-spaced triplet apochromatic refractors are among the most respected telescopes in amateur astronomy. Using three precisely figured lens elements, including extra-low dispersion (ED) glass such as HOYA FCD100 and FCD1, these APO refractors bring red, green and blue light to the same focus, producing razor-sharp, color-free images with outstanding contrast.

An apochromatic refractor is a top choice for astrophotography and high-resolution visual observing. Stars appear as tight, clean points, planets show fine detail without false color, and wide-field images of nebulae and galaxies display natural color balance. Air-spaced triplet designs also cool down quickly and hold collimation, so they are ready to perform when you are. Our ED APO lineup includes 80mm, 102mm, 127mm and 152mm apertures in aluminum and lightweight carbon fiber tubes.

To get the most from an ED APO triplet for imaging, pair it with a matched field flattener or 0.8x focal reducer and a tracking equatorial mount such as the iEXOS-100 or a PMC-Eight GoTo mount. For visual use, add a quality dielectric diagonal and wide-field eyepieces. Whether you are a seasoned astrophotographer or a visual observer seeking the finest views, an Explore Scientific triplet APO refractor delivers premium optical performance for years to come.