One of the most important advances in telescope control in the past 25 years, the Meade #497 Autostar Computer Controller turns the LX90-LNT into an automatic celestial object locating system. Just plug the Autostar into the telescope's HBX port, do a quick (less than one minute!) telescope alignment, and you're ready to observe any object in the Autostar's 30,000-object database.Best of all, the Meade Autostar is easy to use. Most Autostar users see more celestial objects in one night's viewing than typical first-time telescope owners previously have in a lifetime.

Any of Autostar's database objects can be called up and entered on the hand controller display in seconds. The observer then simply presses the GO TO pushbutton and watches as the telescope automatically slews (moves) to the object and places it in the field of view. The effect of Autostar is to bring objects easily within reach which were previously unreachable for all but the most dedicated of amateur astronomers.

The LX90-LNT's standard-equipment Autostar controller connects to the telescope's control panel and permits an incredible array of telescope options.

• Automatic GO TO capability at 6.5°/sec on both axes to over 30,000 database objects including:
• The 8 major planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus, and Pluto
• 5,386 objects from the Index Catalog (IC) Galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters of all types
• 7,840 objects from the New General Catalog (NGC) Additional galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters
• 109 objects from the Caldwell Catalog of the best objects for small telescopes
• 110 Messier (M) objects (the complete Messier catalog of objects)
• 16,800 stars from the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) catalog
• 26 asteroids including all of the brightest asteroids, 15 periodic comets and 50 Earth-orbiting satellites
• Automatic GO TO capability to any object of known RA and Declination.

• Automatic GO TO capability to any astronomical object of known coordinates (RA and Dec.). Enter an object's coordinates to the Autostar display, press GO TO, and Autostar moves the telescope to locate the object and place it in the telescopic field.
• Digital Readouts of telescope position, continuously in RA and Dec.
• Precise sidereal-rate tracking Once Autostar locates an object, it directs the telescope to track the object automatically on both telescope axes, simultaneously, keeping the object centered in the field.
• GO TO capability to any of 200 user-defined objects

The LX90's drive system uses 4.9" diameter worm gears on both telescope axes that permit smooth sidereal-rate tracking of celestial objects as well as precise guiding corrections during long-exposure imaging.

The included chromed-steel variable-height tripod provides all the rigidity required in sensitive field applications - in fact it's the same tripod provided with the Meade 8" LX200GPS.

The LX90 is powered by 12 volts DC from 8 C-cell batteries loaded through the top of the telescope's drive base. The telescope may also be powered from an 12 volt automobile cigarette lighter plug (using the optional #607 Power Cord) or from a standard home outlet (using the optional #547 AC Adapter).

Meade's optional UHTC (Ultra-High Transmission Coatings) Group provides a series of highly specialized, exotic optical coatings which dramatically increase image brightness. Averaged over the entire visible spectrum (450 nm. to 700 nm.), total light transmission to the telescope focus is increased by about 15%. Meade LX90-LNT telescopes equipped with UHTC present a quantum leap in image brightness on the full range of celestial objects.