RC Optical Systems was a high-end American

telescope A telescope is a device used to observe distant objects by their emission, absorption, or reflection of electromagnetic radiation. Originally meaning only an optical instrument using lenses, curved mirrors, or a combination of both to observe ...

and optics manufacturer that specialized in Ritchey-Chrétien telescopes with hyperbolic mirrors. RC also made related mounts and systems for the telescopes, with a focus on open and closed

carbon fiber Carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (American English), carbon-fibre-reinforced polymers (Commonwealth English), carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics, carbon-fiber reinforced-thermoplastic (CFRP, CRP, CFRTP), also known as carbon fiber, carbon compo ...

trusses for low expansion. The basic Ritchey-Chrétien optical system uses two mirrors and no refracting elements, which reduces light loss and its optical characteristics make it popular for astrophotography. Refracting elements may be added to correct for field curvature. RC Optical Systems was started 1998 and was located in

Flagstaff, Arizona Flagstaff ( ) is a city in, and the county seat of, Coconino County, Arizona, Coconino County in northern Arizona, in the southwestern United States. In 2019, the city's estimated population was 75,038. Flagstaff's combined metropolitan area has ...

. Telescopes and systems were sold commercially to individuals, institutions, and governments. The smallest RCOS telescope, the 12.5 inch F/9 Ritchey-Chrétien had a base price of just over twenty thousand US dollars in 2009, with large and/or custom models costing considerably more. RC Optical Systems and Star Instruments won a lawsuit in 2008 against Meade Instruments over Meade's description of RCX400 and LX200R telescopes and the Ritchey-Chrétien classification. RCOS shut down operations in late 2013 and no longer provides support for any of their telescopes or accessories. Known institutional facilities using the telescopes produced by RC Optical Systems include

Moore Observatory Moore Observatory is an astronomical observatory owned and operated by University of Louisville (U of L). It is located on the Horner Wildlife Refuge in Oldham County, Kentucky (USA) approximately northeast of Louisville. It opened in 1978, a ...

of the University of Louisville has a 0.6-meter and a 0.5-meter at its site near Louisville, Kentucky, USA. It also operates its 0.6-meter at Mt. Lemmon Observatory (MLO) on a site hosted by the University of Arizona.

Lulin Observatory The Lulin Observatory (, obs. code: D35) is an astronomical observatory operated by the Institute of Astronomy, National Central University in Taiwan. It is located at the summit of Mount Lulin in Xinyi Township, Nantou County. In 200 ...

0.4-meter in

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...

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telescope (Panchromatic Robotic Optical Monitoring and Polarimetry Telescopes), which was built by the

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States ...

at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (

CTIO The Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO) is an astronomical observatory located on Cerro Tololo in the Coquimbo Region of northern Chile, with additional facilities located on Cerro Pachón about to the southeast. It is approximately ...

) in

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

with six 0.6-meter instruments.

Robinson Observatory The Robinson Observatory is an astronomical observatory owned and operated by the University of Central Florida College of Sciences in Orlando, Florida, USA. Public viewings are held the first and third Wednesday of each month and are sponsored b ...

of the

University of Central Florida The University of Central Florida (UCF) is a public research university whose main campus is in unincorporated Orange County, Florida. UCF also has nine smaller regional campuses throughout central Florida. It is part of the State University ...

, USA, installed a 0.5-meter telescope in 2007. The telescope produced by RCOS has a 20inch diameter aperture.http://www.centralfloridafuture.com/story/news/2016/08/04/ucf-sure-has-changed-over-past-48-years/87934890/ The telescope replaced the 26-inch Tinsley Telescope which was in the dome previously.

Liberty University Liberty University (LU) is a private Baptist university in Lynchburg, Virginia. It is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia (Southern Baptist Convention). Founded in 1971 by Jerry Falwell Sr. and Elmer L. Towns, Liberty i ...

installed a 0.5-meter RCOS telescope in 2012. The telescope is intended for high-quality research, and they intended to equip the telescope with a CCD camera for Astrophotography. TacSat-2 observation system, an experimental satellite launched in 2006, included a 0.5-meter telescope. RCOS telescopes have also been known to be used by amateur astronomers. In one case an amateur astronomer, also a college professor, reported that he had a 10" Ritchey-Chretien telescope from RC Optical Systems among his telescopes along with two refractors. Major designs offered by 2009, over a decade after its founding included ;Telescopes for astronomy *12.5 inch F/9 Truss Ritchey-Chrétien, 12.5 inch F/9 Ritchey-Chrétien *14.5 inch Truss Ritchey-Chrétien *16 inch F/8.4 Ritchey-Chrétien, 16 inch Truss F/8.4 Ritchey-Chrétien *20 inch F/8.1 Ritchey-Chrétien, 20 inch Truss F/8.1 Ritchey-Chrétien *24 inch f/8 Truss Ritchey-Chrétien *32 inch Truss (81 cm) f/7 Ritchey-Chrétien ;Telescopes for ruggedized and military use *12.5 inch f/9 Military Ritchey-Chrétien *16 inch f.8.4 Military Ritchey-Chrétien *20 inch f/8.1 Military Ritchey-Chrétien *24 inch f/8 Military Ritchey-Chrétien *32 inch f/7 Military Ritchey-Chrétien *34 inch f/8 Military Ritchey-Chrétien

References

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External links

RC Optical Systems
Telescope manufacturers Companies established in 1998