Eyepiece and telescope pairing

Celestron Omni 4mm Plossl in the Sky-Watcher Skymax 127: magnification and field

What the Celestron Omni 4mm Plossl does in the Sky-Watcher Skymax 127, worked from the published focal lengths and apparent field.

Field of view

ring = 0.13 degrees true
dot = 0.3 mm exit pupil

Computed optics

Magnification
385x1540 mm / 4 mm
True field
0.13 degrees50 deg / 385x
Exit pupil
0.3 mm127 mm / 385x
Max useful mag
about 254x2x aperture
Barrel match
1.25 in eyepiece in a 2 in focuser
No fit

Over-powered. At 385x this pair exceeds the highest useful magnification of about 254x for the Sky-Watcher Skymax 127, so the image dims and softens without showing more real detail. Use a longer eyepiece.


Magnification is the telescope focal length divided by the eyepiece focal length: 1540 mm divided by 4 mm is 385x. The true field of view is the eyepiece's 50 degree apparent field divided by that magnification, 0.13 degrees.

The exit pupil, the width of the light beam leaving the eyepiece, is the aperture divided by the magnification, 127 mm over 385x, which is 0.3 mm. That makes this a high-power lunar, planetary and double-star setting.