P.M. BRIEFING : FTC Opposes Telescope Merger

WASHINGTON — The Federal Trade Commission said today it has authorized its staff to seek a preliminary injunction to block a proposed joint venture between two large Southern California telescope makers.

The FTC said it believes the proposed joint venture--between Meade Instruments Corp. of Costa Mesa and Celestron International of Torrance--”would create a virtual monopoly” in the manufacture and sale of mid-sized Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes.

The telescopes cost about $1,000 and are used by amateur astronomers for observation of nearby planets and “deep-sky objects,” the FTC said. Meade and Celestron are two of the largest makers of Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes. The parent companies of both telescope makers have announced plans to combine the two into a new joint venture, Celestron Meade International.