An optical scanning apparatus includes a light-source unit, an incident
optical system for directing light beams emitted from the light-source
unit to a deflecting unit, and an imaging optical system for guiding the
light beams deflected from the deflecting unit to a surface to be
scanned. The imaging optical system includes a toric lens whose power in
the main scanning direction is different from that in the sub-scanning
direction; the toric lens having the curvature centers of the meridians
of a first toric surface connected to form a curved line located in a
common plane Ha, and the curvature centers of the meridians of a second
toric surface connected to form a curved line not located in a common
plane.