Askar SQA55 55mm f/4.8 Petzval Astrograph

The Askar SQA55 55mm f/4.8 Petzval Astrograph is a compact wide-field refractor designed specifically for astrophotography. Featuring a precision quintuplet air-spaced optical design incorporating both SD and ED glass elements, the Askar SQA55 delivers excellent colour correction and a naturally flat imaging field without the need for an additional field flattener.

With a 264mm focal length and fast f/4.8 focal ratio, the Askar SQA55 is well suited for capturing large nebulae, star fields and wide deep-sky objects when paired with modern CMOS astronomy cameras.

Advanced Petzval Optical Design

The Askar SQA55 uses a quintuplet Petzval optical configuration that integrates field correction directly into the telescope. This design combines one SD glass element and one ED glass element to minimise chromatic aberration while maintaining excellent contrast and sharp star profiles across the image field.

On-axis star PSF performance reaches approximately 2.5 μm, with corner performance around 4 μm. This ensures tight, round stars across the frame and consistent resolution from centre to edge. The telescope supports a generous 44mm image circle, making the Askar SQA55 suitable for full-frame astrophotography cameras.

Simplified Imaging Setup

Thanks to the Petzval optical architecture, the Askar SQA55 simplifies the imaging setup by eliminating the need for an external field flattener. Optimal performance is achieved with a camera spacing of approximately 55mm from the rear M48×0.75 thread, although a range of 50–60mm is supported.

This flexible spacing allows the telescope to integrate easily with filter wheels, rotators and dedicated astronomy cameras used in modern astrophotography systems.

Compact and Portable Design

The optical tube assembly features a removable and reversible lens hood, allowing the telescope to be stored in a more compact configuration for transport. This makes the Askar SQA55 particularly well suited for portable astrophotography setups and travel to dark-sky locations.

The OTA weighs just 1.84kg (approximately 2.18kg including handle and dovetail), making it compatible with a wide range of equatorial tracking mounts.

Wide-Field Astrophotography Performance

The short focal length and fast focal ratio make the Askar SQA55 ideal for imaging wide deep-sky targets such as emission nebulae, molecular clouds and large star fields. When paired with modern APS-C or full-frame CMOS cameras, the telescope can capture expansive regions of the night sky in a single frame.

Astrophotographers looking for longer focal lengths may also consider larger models such as the Askar SQA106 or the Askar 80PHQ, while the full range of Askar telescopes includes astrographs designed for a variety of astrophotography targets.

Specifications

Astrophotography Examples

NGC 7000 – captured with the Askar SQA55 and ZWO ASI6200 camera

M20 & M8 – captured with the Askar SQA55 and ZWO ASI2600MC Pro

NGC 6888 – captured with the Askar SQA55 and ZWO ASI2600M

Recommended Camera Pairings

The Askar SQA55 pairs exceptionally well with modern cooled astronomy cameras. Many astrophotographers combine this telescope with Player One Astronomy cameras such as the Poseidon and Neptune series to take advantage of their high sensitivity and low read noise performance.

For wide-field deep-sky imaging the telescope works particularly well with the Player One Poseidon-C Pro and Player One Neptune-C II, delivering excellent colour imaging across the full frame.