Houdini 20 eyepiece

Robert Houdart’s long-discussed vision for a coma-correcting eyepiece has now become a reality. The Houdini 20 mm 86° coma-correcting eyepiece, using Houdart's optical design, has undergone extensive testing over the past week, demonstrating remarkable performance and setting the stage for a new era in visual astronomy.

The eyepiece has been tested with a variety of telescopes, including an 1100 mm f/3.6, a 25" f/5 Newtonian, and a 6" f/8 refractor binoscope. The results were impressive, with the Houdini 20 offering sharp, clear views and showing significant improvement over traditional eyepieces without the need for a separate coma corrector like the Televue Paracorr.

In side-by-side comparisons with the Ethos 21 and Paracorr system, the Houdini 20 performed similarly, even at the demanding f/3.6 focal ratio. At 200x magnification, the Houdini 20 offered a sharp, sharp image with almost no visible coma, outperforming the larger and heavier Ethos 21 at a significantly reduced weight (570 grams versus 1400 grams). Even at a faster f/3.6 focal ratio, the Houdini 20 excelled in minimizing parabolic coma and delivered a similar image quality to the Ethos 21 + Paracorr combination.

Testing the Houdini 20 eyepiece with 1100 mm (43") f/3.6 and 25" f/5 Newtonian telescopes

Testing continued with the 25" f/5 telescope at 160x and 175x magnification, where the performance remained outstanding. Both the Houdini 20 and the Ethos 21 with Paracorr provided nearly perfect images with sharp stars across the field. The slight edge softness observed was minimal and comparable to the Panoptic 24, demonstrating the Houdini 20’s excellent performance at f/5.

On the third night of testing, Houdart used the 6" f/8 refractor binoscope, where the Houdini 20 offered a comfortable 86° field of view, despite some minor challenges with interpupillary distance. The image was sharp and flat with only slight inverted coma at the edges. This confirms that the eyepiece is also effective in longer focal length telescopes such as those with f/8 ratios.

Switching between the Houdini 20 and the Ethos 21

The Houdini 20 mm 86° eyepiece is manufactured by Kunming United Optics, a well-known producer of high-quality optical components, including the XWA and UFF series. The plan is to release the Houdini 20 eyepiece within three months, with a full lineup of coma-correcting eyepieces to follow, including models in 28, 20, 12, 9, and 7 mm focal lengths.

The Houdini 20 removes the parabolic coma, even at f/3.6, and rivals the Ethos 21 + Paracorr in image quality

The eyepiece is designed to offer a significant advancement in observing comfort and image quality for Newtonian telescope owners. By eliminating the need for a separate coma corrector, it offers a more ergonomic solution with a lighter, more compact design without sacrificing performance.

Houdart's work represents a significant step forward in coma-correcting technology. After years of research and design, the Houdini 20 is poised to become a valuable tool for serious astronomers, especially those using faster Newtonian telescopes. The success of the prototype has been encouraging, and the upcoming product release will likely have a substantial impact on the astronomical community.