52° 20mm Waterproof Eyepiece

Protection from the Outdoors - By making the eyepiece body Argon-purged, the waterproof eyepiece internal elements will remain as pristine as the day they were assembled.

Argon atoms are larger than that of Nitrogen and therefore they are less likely to leak or diffuse their way through the seals over the life of the eyepiece. The atomic radius of Argon is larger than Nitrogen by 0.13 angstroms and has a larger atomic volume by 11.2 cubic centimeters/molecule. Argon also has superior inertness vs Nitrogen (i.e. forming few or no chemical compounds with other elements) that prevents adverse reactions with eyepiece components and therefore extends the longevity of the internal components, and also prevents chemical reactions with other elemental contaminants that may be introduced through a weakened seal. And, finally because Argon is less conductive of heat than Nitrogen, Argon cools slower thereby buffering the effects of rapid temperature changes of the optics.

The sealed, dry environment is impervious to internal fogging and contaminants such as fungus growing in between the lens elements. Our waterproof eyepiece is easier to clean, and there is no risk of cleaning solution migrating from the top of the lens and seeping around edges to be trapped in between elements. To insure a perfect seal we test every eyepiece in one meter of water for 30 minutes.

Often considered the perfect mid-range focal length for most amateur telescopes, the 20mm on the ED127 at f7.5 produces a 1 degree true field of view. Perfect for the Messier Marathon, or running down the Herschel Catalog. The 20mm 52° Series is also a good selection for most binoviewers with its relatively small size and magnification range.

Explore Scientific Waterproof Eyepieces - Comfort, Quality, Value. The Explore Scientific 52° Series eyepieces are excellent flat-field multi-element oculars that can transform your visual astronomy experience. With an apparent field of view of 52 degrees, these eyepieces offer incredible value in a very nice eyepiece. Expect exceptional quality and value versus a comparably priced Plossl. 

Another great benefit of these eyepieces is the excellent contrast and ease with which you can gaze, not directly at an object, but slightly to either side. This skill, called using averted vision, is especially helpful when observing faint objects, because using averted vision puts the image on a part of your eye that is more sensitive to light, allowing you to see fainter images.