Founded 1975 | ||
Astro-Physics, Inc. is a manufacturer of amateur telescopes, mounts, and accessories. Founded in 1975 by former Sundstrand Corporation engineer Roland Christen, the company is noted for its line of apochromatic refractors. The company is located in Machesney Park, Illinois.
The company is owned by Roland and Marjorie Christen. Author and Astronomy magazine contributing editor Philip S. Harrington wrote in his 2011 book Star Ware: The Amateur Astronomer's Guide to Choosing, Buying, and Using Telescopes and Accessories that Astro-Physics is "a name immediately recognizable to the connoisseur of fine refractors on rock-steady mounts".
Astro-Physics was profiled by Travel Channel's Made in America, a TV program hosted by John Ratzenberger, on October 25, 2006. In 2006, the company employed 18 people. The company's finished telescopes, which include mounting and lens, cost between $10,000 and $25,000.