Askar N160 - 544mm f/3.4 Newton astrograph

The Askar N160 features a large 160 mm aperture and a focal ratio of f/3.4. It is a cost-effective Newtonian reflector designed for deep-sky astrophotography. 160 mm aperture, 544 mm focal length, f/3.4 focal ratio
576 mm focal length and f/3.6 focal ratio without corrector
Thermally stable borosilicate glass mirrors; enhanced aluminum coating for a brighter image
2" coma corrector with a 3-element design; threaded connection throughout to prevent tilting
Rack-and-pinion focuser with reduction gear for fine focusing; compatible with motor focusers
Adjustable focuser base
Handle with finder shoe; additional finder shoe on the tube
Carbon fiber (CFK) tube

The Askar N160 is a very fast astrograph that stands out significantly from classic Newtonian telescopes.

Optical system: Newtonian reflector

Aperture: 160 mm

Focal length with coma corrector: 544 mm

Focal length without corrector: 576 mm

Focal ratio: f/3.4 (with corrector), f/3.6 (without)

Key Features

Extremely fast (f/3.4):

Gathers a large amount of light in a short time.

Ideal for deep-sky photography of nebulae, galaxies, and star clusters.

Requires approximately half the exposure time of an f/5 Newtonian to achieve the same image brightness.

160 mm primary mirror made of borosilicate glass

Low thermal expansion. 

Stable focus during temperature fluctuations. 

Enhanced aluminum coating

Higher reflectivity than standard coatings. 

More light reaches the sensor. 

3-element 2" coma corrector

Corrects coma inherent in fast Newtonian systems.

Threaded connection prevents tilting with heavy cameras.

Specifically designed for modern APS-C and full-frame sensors. Rack-and-pinion focuser with fine adjustment

Load-bearing capacity suitable for heavy astrophotography cameras. 

Motorized focusing easily retrofitted. 

Adjustable base for precise alignment. 

CFRP tube (carbon fiber)

Very low weight. 

Minimal change in length due to temperature fluctuations. 

Focus remains stable over long imaging sessions.



Field of View

A focal length of 544 mm results in a relatively large field of view:
With a focal length of 544 mm, for instance, an ASI2600 camera yields a field of view of approximately 2.5° × 1.7°—ideal for many large deep-sky objects. 

Large emission nebulae

Dark nebulae

Open star clusters

Large galaxies such as the Andromeda Galaxy

Complexes like the North America Nebula or the Rosette Nebula

...can be captured with ease.

Advantages

Very fast optics (f/3.4)

High-quality mechanics

Carbon fiber tube

High-quality focuser

Coma corrector included

Optimized for modern astrophotography


Design: Newtonian astrograph

Aperture: 160 mm

Native focal length: 576 mm

Native focal ratio: f/3.6

With 0.95× coma corrector:

Focal length: 544 mm

Focal ratio: f/3.4

The included 0.95× coma corrector slightly reduces the focal length while simultaneously correcting the coma that inevitably occurs in such fast Newtonian systems.
Image circle


Mirrors

Primary mirror made of borosilicate glass

Secondary mirror also made of borosilicate glass

Precisely figured parabolic primary mirror surface

Secondary mirror:

Minor axis: 61 mm

Major axis: 86 mm

This results in an obstruction of approximately 38% relative to the diameter (61 mm / 160 mm).

Mechanics

The carbon fiber tube offers several advantages:

low weight,

high rigidity,

virtually no focus shift due to temperature fluctuations.

The integrated finder shoe and additional mounting point allow for the attachment of a finder scope, guide scope, or other accessories. Focuser

The rack-and-pinion focuser is designed for heavy cameras and features:

10:1 reduction for fine focusing,

25 mm of travel,

A mounting point for an electronic focuser (highly recommended),

Adjustment screws for precise alignment of the focuser with the optical axis.

This adjustment capability is a major advantage, especially at f/3.4, as even slight tilting or misalignment can result in blurred stars in the corners of the image. Aperture:    160 mm
Focal length:    576 mm (without corrector) / 544 mm (with corrector)
Focal ratio:    f/3.6 (without corrector) / f/3.4 (with corrector)
Corrector type:    Triplet design
Corrector focal length reduction:    0.95×
Primary mirror type:    Parabolic mirror
Secondary mirror minor axis:    61 mm
Resolution:    0.73 arcseconds
Focuser:    Rack-and-pinion with reduction gear, compatible with motor focusers
Rotatable:    Yes
Back focus:    55 mm (from M48 thread)
Rear thread type (corrector side):    M48×0.75
Format specifications:    APS-C
Finder shoes:    On the tube and integrated into the handle
Mount connection:    Vixen-style dovetail bar, 230 mm long
Tube material:    Carbon fiber reinforced plastic
Tube outer diameter:    193 mm
Total tube length:    467 mm
Optical tube (OTA) weight:    3.97 kg
Gross weight:    5.2 kg (including handle, tube rings, dovetail bar, and corrector)
Corrector weight:    0.22 kg


Tube with optics
- MPCC coma corrector
- M58 to M48 adapter
- Tube rings
- Multi-purpose handle
- Dovetail bar
- Set of tuning rings (2 each of 0.1 mm, 0.2 mm, and 0.3 mm thickness)
- Manual