| 摘要 |
A scanning optical apparatus includes scanning units, a deflector. Each of the apparatuses includes a light source, an imaging optical system including imaging optical elements imaging a beam deflected by the deflector on a scanning surface. The scanning surfaces are scanned with beams in opposing directions. When a main scanning direction of the first scanning unit is a Y positive direction, a sign is the same between &thetas;1h(Y1min)×&thetas;1r and &thetas;2h(Y1min)×&thetas;2r. Here, &thetas;1h(y), &thetas;2h(y) denote orientation angles between the Y axis and a slow axis at a Y direction position y of first/second imaging optical elements from an optical axis, the imaging optical elements each being an imaging optical element having a largest thickness among them of the imaging optical systems, &thetas;1r and &thetas;2r denote angles between the Y axis and polarization directions of the beams reaching the imaging optical elements, and Y1min denotes a Y position where &thetas;1h(y) becomes minimum.
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