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Sky-Watcher

Sky-Watcher Skymax 180mm Maksutov-Cassegrain - Large Aperture Compound-Style Reflector Telescope (S11540)

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Style: 180mm Maksutov-Cassegrain


Features

  • EXPERTLY MATCHED OPTICS: The Skymax series of Maksutov-Cassegrain optical tubes features matched primary and secondary mirrors with an expertly coated corrector plate that delivers contrast-rich views with charcoal-black skies.
  • 94% REFLECTIVITY MIRROR COATINGS: Using a borosilicate primary mirror with an aluminum coating and a quartz overcoat, Sky-Watcher Maksutov-Cassegrains produce a 94% reflectivity rating for outstanding light transmission.
  • VIXEN-STYLE DOVETAIL: An industry standard, the Vixen-style dovetail is the most commonly used dovetail bar for astronomy.
  • FULLY BAFFLED TUBE: Utilizing a fully-baffled tube, Sky-Watcher Maksutovs prevent stray light from interfering with your viewing experience.
  • EVERYTHING YOU NEED: The 180mm Skymax Maksutov-Cassegrain telescope comes equipped with everything you need to get started, including: 28mm 2-inch eyepiece, 2-inch 90-degree star diagonal, and a 9x50 straight-through finderscope.

Description

Sky-Watcher’s premiere line of Maksutov-Cassegrain telescopes create a perfect blend of aperture and lightweight portability. This telescope design has a reputation for sharp, high-contrast views, ideal for planetary observation. Maksutov-Cassegrain telescopes serve as an alternative to Schmidt-Cassegrains and Newtonians, and offer astronomers a large visual aperture, high contrast, and long focal length in a compact package. Maksutov’s deliver better planetary detail than other telescopes due to a focal length that’s 5-7 times longer, increasing overall magnification. Maksutov-Cassegrains also uses a meniscus-shaped corrector plate, eliminating any spherical aberration caused by the primary mirror. Our Maksutov series telescopes deliver refractor-like views and superior contrast while allowing for larger apertures at a fraction of the cost. Our Maksutov series features a borosilicate primary mirror with an aluminum coating and a quartz overcoat, producing 94% reflectivity. The corrector plate utilizes our proprietary Metallic High -Transmission Coatings™ (MHTC™), giving visual astronomers professional-grade optics, creating a unique viewing experience. In addition to the visual benefits of Sky-Watcher Maksutovs, these serve as excellent optical tubes for imaging planetary, lunar, or solar (with use of a solar filter). For astronomers looking to start in astrophotography, the Sky-Watcher Maksutovs deliver exceptionally long focal lengths, necessary for imaging planetary detail. This provides an increased image scale, forgoing the need of a barlow lens or other accessories that may increase exposure times. As customary with all Sky-Watcher products, the Maksutov series includes a bundle of accessories, including: a 28mm 2-inch eyepiece, 2-inch 90 degree star diagonal, and a 9x50 straight-through finderscope.

Brand: Sky-Watcher


Model Name: Sky-Watcher Maksutov-Cassegrain 180mm


Optical Tube Length: 180 Millimeters


Eye Piece Lens Description: Barlow


Objective Lens Diameter: 182 Millimeters


Telescope Mount Description: Altazimuth Mount


Product Dimensions: 30"D x 12"W x 14"H


Focus Type: Auto Focus


Power Source: manual operation without any external power source


Finderscope: Reflex


Product Dimensions: 30 x 12 x 14 inches


Item Weight: 19 pounds


Item model number: S11540


Is Discontinued By Manufacturer: No


Date First Available: May 21, 2015


Manufacturer: Sky-Watcher


Frequently asked questions

If you place your order now, the estimated arrival date for this product is: Thursday, Jan 8

Yes, absolutely! You may return this product for a full refund within 30 days of receiving it.

To initiate a return, please visit our Returns Center.

View our full returns policy here.

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Top Amazon Reviews

    • Beautiful Viewing Through A 180mm Maksutov
Style: 180mm Maksutov-Cassegrain
This a great "little" scope. This review is for the 7" (180mm) maksutov cassegrain. Out of the box, the collimation was perfect. Personally, I am a "refractor person", but when those scopes get up there in aperture, the tube length can become cumbersome for transporting. Maksutov scopes can give you the benefits of refactors, in a folded reflector format. Planets look spectacular. With the 7" mirror, you get some good light gathering for deep sky objects. At the same time, it's easier to transport and set up. Match this scope with a celestron AVX mount - or similar. You don't need anything more sturdy - unless you're going to do some very long exposure astrophotography. That said, these kinds of "maks" are best for visual use. At a recent star party with a local astronomy club, many were looking at Saturn rising through the 'scopes. There were big schmidt-cassegrains and newtonians, as well as a couple of small refractors. Everyone thought this 7" mak had the "best" image - at 180x. The rings - while still almost edge on - were crisp. We also saw 4 satellites of Saturn. They were pinpoints sparkling next to the planet. The bigger scopes showed them, but they were more like small "blobs", even in best focus. This mak gave a more "sharp" and detailed view, which everyone enjoyed. As for the focusing, maks (and SCTs) can have a little "wobble" when focusing. This 'scope did have a small shift when focusing, but not horrible. Objects stayed in the eyepiece. Fine focus is possible if you have a steady hand. But there are other focusers you could add, to give even finer focus. But I had no problem with the stock focuser for visual use. As for deep sky objects, again, the views may not have been as bright as in bigger 'scopes, but the views were "beautiful" - the detail and almost 3-d structure of clusters and nebulae was impressive. Double stars are very nice - especially colored ones like Albireo in Cygnus. The colors and sharpness were similar to or better than through a refractor. The Moon is equally stunning. If you're looking for a good, portable 'scope that's primarily for visual use on solar system and brighter deep sky objects , you can't beat these maksutovs. If you're looking to do more astrophotography and deep sky observing, a larger SCT is probably better for you. I would highly recommend also getting an aftermarket fitted carrying case/bag for this scope. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on September 1, 2025 by HockeyNJ
    • Great scope for the money.
Style: 127mm Maksutov-Cassegrain
I started with a small 90mm Orion Mak-Cassegrain and wanted something a bit bigger. The 127mm Sky-Watcher was the perfect choice for me. It is a bit larger and heavier than the Orion, but is still much smaller than a Dobsonian. The added focal length and aperture give me a better, brighter, and sharper image. You may not be able to see large deep sky objects with this scope, but if your interest is the moon and the planets, this may be the right fit for you. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on October 22, 2025 by Dustin
    • Worth every penny.
Style: 127mm Maksutov-Cassegrain
I love this optical tube. I live in the suburbs of Orlando FL, so the light pollution isn't gonna let me see alot of deep sky objects. So a mak seemed like a logical choice for lunar and planetary astronomy. I did see the Orion nebula and the image was sharp. Planets and the moon are amazing and ideal for observing thru this scope. Stock 2in 28mm eyepeice is awesome. It has comfortable eye relief, I'm guessing around 20mm, and the feild of view is (chef's kiss). No need for replacement like with other scopes, not right away anyway. The diagonal is good too, using a mirror rather than a prism, that are usually no good. I still got an upgrade but I didnt feel the need to replace it right away like other cheaper scopes. The only complaint I have is the finder scope. I'm just not a fan of them, it was sturdy and I can't thing of any problems with operating it. I will have this scope for the rest of my life. I can't wait to share my love of astronomy with my children. I loved Meade as a kid, but since meades are now harder to find, Sky watcher will now be my go to brand. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2025 by Brian Koonce
    • Yes, Recommended -- BUT!!
Style: 127mm Maksutov-Cassegrain
Review Image by Dennis Steele Dennis Steele
The Skymax 127 is an EXCELLENT telescope and I love it. BUT, I must say the dovetail is in the wrong place for an alt-az mount and cannot be changed. So, the finder is also is misplaced. BUT, it can be made to work and it works WELL.
Reviewed in the United States on June 23, 2025 by Dennis Steele Dennis Steele
    • Great looking scope with very nice views so far!
Style: 102mm Mak-Cass
Review Image by william padgett william padgett
Review Image by william padgett william padgett
So far so good. The one I bought was sold as "used- very good" and was heavily discounted. The version I received, to my relief, had the collimation screws as advertised on Amazon for the new model. A speck of debris inside the tube immediately caught my eye. Shining a light into the tube (never do that to yourself) revealed a miniscule amount of debris and a slight smudge on the corrector plate; nothing I was concerned would significantly affect performance. This is a nice looking scope. I like the finish. This scope is light but feels substantial for its size. The caution with this scope is that, despite its compact size, it is easy to under mount due to its long focal length. It is designed to be used at medium to high powers and so will amplify any shakiness to the point of nuisance. Desiring this scope to function as a grab-and-go instrument, I was concerned when my lighter eq mount couldn't keep this scope steady when being brought to focus or repositioned with slow motion controls, taking several seconds to stop wobbling. Despite recommendations against doing so, I mounted this on my fluid panhead photo tripod and to my surprise this worked very well. I now experience no wobble at the eyepiece while focusing or viewing. This pairing was my original hope as this setup is extremely portable and versatile, allowing for simple height adjustments, standing or seated. Of course it will be rainy and cloudy for days on end because I have a new scope. However, I have had a couple of less than ideal moments that nevertheless allowed some testing of the optics. A mak cass is said to specialize at sharp, contrasty lunar and planetary observing as well as double star splitting. It gave up an effortlessly sharp saturn in the early a.m. Just tonight I observed the moon. At 140-160x the view was razor sharp and contrasty. I noticed a couple of rimae inside a crater that I now wish I had taken the time to find on a lunar map. I took the power to 195x using a 20mm redline with a celestron 3x barlow. Still effortlessly sharp. After that, I split the double-double in Lyra. No problem. This thing does what it is meant to, beautifully. So, 5 stars. Under better seeing conditions I'm looking forward to seeing what else it can do. I was able to nab the ring nebula no problem before haze and clouds drifted in. I did swap the diagonal out for a William Optics dialectric I already owned. Svbony sells a nice, affordable dialectric. The included diagonal might be fine. The included red dot finder works great. I will probably go back and forth between the red dot and an Orion 9x50 finderscope that I'm happy to be able to use with this scope. The only issue I see limiting this scope's grab-and-go potential is its cooldown time, reportedly 30 minutes or more. Keeping that in mind and planning accordingly sort of flies in the face of the concept of grab-and-go, but it is what it is. Otherwise, it can still be used at lower powers til the unit reaches ambient temperature. Um, I made a temporary dew shield with construction paper. I like the soft carrying case that came with the scope. I guess that's about all I can say for now. Easy 5 stars for performance vs price. Hmm...I just realized this thing can easily handle my binoviewers, which makes this my only small scope that can. It's also my only scope that doesn't require a barlow to bring my binos to focus. Can I give this scope 6 stars? ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2025 by william padgett william padgett

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