Orion Skyquest Telescope Free Useful Info
This is enough of an instrument to show you new things in the sky for years to come. It is sturdy and simple to operate. It has enough light-gathering power (more important than magnification) to reveal dim star clusters, nebulae, and galaxies and good enough optics to show you the surface of planets like Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars.
Some advice on selection. Dobsonians like this one come in a range of sizes. A 114mm (4 ½”) is a bit on the small side but still a fine instrument, especially if your ability to carry large objects is limited. A 150-200mm (6-8″) scope is right in the middle of the recommended range. A 250mm (10″) like this one is on the big side, and you should buy one only if you are able-bodied.
Some advice on use. Viewing through a telescope is less like playing a CD and more like playing a guitar. Finding objects takes a little bit of practice. The 9×50mm “crosshair” finder supplied with this scope is great for fine searching, but I recommend supplementing it with a red-dot finder to aid in initial pointing. You will also need to buy an atlas (Sky & Telescope’s Pocket sky Atlas is the best available), a red flashlight to view the charts without blowing out your badly-needed night vision, and a guidebook to lead you to interesting objects. These investments will greatly add to your enjoyment.
What more can I say? This is the kind of scope that experienced observers have been trying to steer novices towards for decades. Although, I recommend that you do your homework before buying any scope–learn the sky and get to know experienced stargazers who can advise you–when it comes time to purchase, you could hardly do better than this scope.
For more advice, see my encyclopedic guide here on Amazon, “So you want to buy a telescope.”
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Orion SkyQuest XT6 IntelliScope Telescope US $300.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Thursday Jul-09-2009 9:41:35 PDT Bid now | Buy it now | |
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Orion Reflector Telescope Skyquest Dobsonian XT4.5 4.5 US $39.95 (1 Bid) End Date: Thursday Jul-09-2009 10:48:36 PDT Bid now | |
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Orion SkyQuest XT8 Dobsonian (480 x 203mm) Telescope US $500.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Saturday Jul-11-2009 11:01:11 PDT Bid now | |
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Telescope Solar - Sun Filter (600P1) Fits Meade ETX 125 US $49.00 End Date: Tuesday Jul-21-2009 7:17:43 PDT Buy it now | |
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Orion SkyQuest XT6 IntelliScope Telescope US $300.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Thursday Jul-09-2009 9:41:35 PDT Bid now | Buy it now | |
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Orion Reflector Telescope Skyquest Dobsonian XT4.5 4.5 US $39.95 (1 Bid) End Date: Thursday Jul-09-2009 10:48:36 PDT Bid now | |
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Orion SkyQuest XT8 Dobsonian (480 x 203mm) Telescope US $500.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Saturday Jul-11-2009 11:01:11 PDT Bid now | |
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Telescope Solar - Sun Filter (600P1) Fits Meade ETX 125 US $49.00 End Date: Tuesday Jul-21-2009 7:17:43 PDT Buy it now | |
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Celestron 21045 114mm Equatorial PowerSeeker Telescope US $122.92 End Date: Monday Jul-27-2009 17:41:32 PDT Buy it now | |
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Telescope Solar - Sun Filter (600P1) Fits NexStar 5/5SE US $39.95 End Date: Tuesday Aug-04-2009 12:40:09 PDT Buy it now | |
Post from: Orion Telescope
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