Astronomy Telescopes

Orion SkyQuest Telescope Reviews

The Orion SkyQuest product line is one of the best valued brands for reflector telescopes. While all the reflectors in this product range are incredibly sturdy, they are also quite well priced which results in an undeniable value.

The SkyQuest series runs on the dobsonian model. A ‘dobsonian’ is a telescope that operates by the Newtonian tube system of bouncing light back into the lens. The size of the mirror lets in varying degrees of light, so the bigger the mirror the more brilliant the image. Newton was able to construct a telescope that was much more powerful than the small telescope operated by Galileo.

Below is a list of all the telescopes from the SkyQuest product line along with an insightful review to help guide you to the best telescope for you:

The 4.5″ is a great beginner telescope. Although the 4.5″ is a baby compared to the larger dobsonians in the Orion series, you will never the less be floored by the strength it wields when put next to your 60mm telescope. Indeed, the 4.5″ is 260 times more powerful! You will be able to see Venus, Saturn and spot some great craters of the moon. This telescope is perfect for your children, and if you’re into the outdoors bring it along on mountain climbing or kayaking trips.

A huge step up from the XT4.5, the larger 6″ gives you 80X more power than the smaller telescope. The general rule is that you shouldn’t spend less than 0 for a sky viewing instrument. The Orion 6″ breaks the norm with style. Put away the 60mm; the 6″ mirror makes for a great second or even first telescope. The XT6 comes with an upgrade, the Intelliscope. This on-board encoder give you the ability to travel the sky using a computerized system.

Next up is the 8″. With this powerful telescope the professional amateur astronomer is born. It is acute enough to capture the ice caps on Mars and a swath of other heavenly highlights with style. The scope is also priced unbelievably well at slightly over 0. The XT8 can be installed with a couple serious additions, the Intelliscope (as mentioned in the description of the 6″) and the GoTo computer, which moves the XT8 using an electronic system. The GoTo system makes the XT8 a superb first telescope for astrophotography.

The Orion XT10 is the largest of the steel SkyQuest dobsonians and is also the deepest reacher. Any bigger and you couldn’t fit in your back seat! The Orion XT10 is a deep star gazer that wolfs down the light and it will without doubt give you looks when you pull it out out on family trips. It is also very well positioned at just over the 0 mark. Almost every star gazer coming in around this budget will forgo picking up a more impressively sized dobsonian for the GoTo system.

The Orion XX12 marks the end of the solid steel reflectors and heralds in the truss bar. The reason behind this will be better understood when you consider transporting this enormous dobsonian. The XX12 has great optics and is truly a tool that can see distant stars and gas clouds with ease. The telescope is installed with either the Intelliscope or the GoTo computer.

The Orion 14″ is the most powerful of the Orion range dobsonians. Orion XX14 has an incredible deep sky ability and can view the planets well. This telescope comes in two models, the XX14i with Intelliscope, and the XX14g with the GoTo system.

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