ASKAR FRA500 f/5.6 Quintuplet Astrograph APO Apochromatic Refractor Telescope

5-LENZ PETZVAL-LIKE DESIGN - TWO ED ELEMENTS - SUPERIOR 15-STEP QUALITY CONTROL - SUPERB VALUE AND QUALITY FROM SHARPSTAR!

The ultimate portable astro photo and nature photography instrument in this size and quality!

Look no further for the highest quality "Flatfield Refractive Astrograph" - FRA in the 108mm aperture.

Sharpstar Optics introduces the Askar FRA500 astrograph, into the well-known FRA- family.

Compared to its siblings, the 500mm-focal-length apochromatic refractor has an aperture size of 90mm (f/5.6), so the Askar FRA500 can be a better fit for some deep-sky imaging compared to the Askar FRA400 (i.e. imaging smaller objects like galaxies).

Otherwise, its lighter and more compact than the Askar FRA600, which makes it a great choice for outdoor observation and portable astrophotography.

Askar FRA500 has inherited the legacies of the superior FRA- series design. It boasts a quintuplet air-spaced APO optical structure, a “three plus two” Petzval lens combination. The front lens group consists of three lenses (including two pieces of ED glass) for excellent correction of aberrations. The posterior group is composed of two lenses separated by small space which is able to provide fine sharpness across the whole image. You may barely detect any blurry star at the edge of the image.

The FRA500 supports an image circle of an amazing 55mm, much larger than the standard 44mm full-frame image circle. Its special back-focus design frees users from calculating confusing back-focus distance or rummaging around for a proper spacer. What you need to take care of is just to make your target stay in focus.

WATCH ON YOUTUBE: Askar FRA500 Quintuplet Astrograph Unboxing and Demonstration

The Askar FRA500 is a wonderful mix of pragmatism and aesthetics. The astrograph shows smooth lines and a sound layout of components. From the front, the Askar FRA500 has an impressive dew shield decorated with a classic bright-red bezel ring. The total length of FRA500 is 452mm when the dew shield is extended and 410mm when retracted back. At the back end of the astrograph located a 3.5" massively built focuser with dual-speed hand knobs (twin knobs for coarse adjustment and one 1:10 fine adjustment knob), which is of great use in visual observation and astrophotography.

The astrograph wears smooth coating and is evenly finished. The graduation inside of the focuser is quite clear and easily readable. The focuser is tough and solid, and on the left side of it, there is a standard finder base with a silver thumb screw. So the FRA500 can piggyback carry finders, guiders or other potential astronomy accessories.

Askar FRA500 comes also with a pair of sought-after tube rings. On the top of the tube rings attached a handle and at the bottom, there is an Askar Losmandy-style dovetail plate. The combination of milk-white main tube and dew shield together with a high-gloss piano-black focuser makes the optical tube assembly calm and deep which is offset by the bright red decorative ring and tube rings.

 The Askar FRA500 is 410mm long and weighs about 4kg , so it’s quite convenient for users to carry around or mount on an EQ mount. It’s particularly suitable for astronomy enthusiasts who frequently engage in long-distance trips or outdoor astrophotography.

Askar FRA500 together with the FRA- family is well received for large aperture, fast speed, delicate focusing system, unique optical design and the subsequently high-quality imaging results. Wish the Askar FRA500 be a loyal companion alongside your journey of astrophotography.

Aperture size：90mm

Focal length：500mm

Focal ratio：f/5.6

Objective lens：Quintuplet air-spaced APO (including two ED glass)

Image circle：55mm

Back focus：158mm（from base of M48×0.75 thread on the conical extender to focal plane）

                       85mm（from base of M86×1 thread on the rotator to focal plane）

Total length：452mm（410mm when the dew shield is contracted）

Net weight：4.1kg

Gross weight：5.2kg

Rear-end thread type：M86×1

Conical adapter：M48×0.75

Package items：an FRA500 OTA, a pair of tube rings, a handle, an Askar Losmandy dovetail plate, a conical extender, a manual