Dobsonian is simply a Newtonian style telescope that uses classic or traditional optical reflector systems. However, it differs slightly when it comes to the mounting mechanism. Dobsonians come with an azimuth mounted design that pitches up down left and right. Elsewhere in the sky, we had to look at M13, the northern hemisphere’s showcase globular: the wide-field view offered by the 25mm eyepiece was pleasant, but the increased magnification offered by the 10mm eyepiece plus Barlow lens allowed us to see a sprinkling of stars. Another benefit of dobsonians is their unrivalled light gathering capabilities when compared to the cost. Another telescope with the same size and aperture such as a Schmidt would cost twice as much. Seasoned astronomers know that the more light you can gather, the further away you can see and the more you’ll be able to explore. Unfortunately, Dobsonian Telescopes tend to be quite heavy. Key Considerations when Purchasing a Dobsonian Telescope i) Consider the Aperture To attach to its provided mount or any astronomical mount or tripod, the Heritage 100P features a metal Vixen-style dovetail bar attached to the side of the tube, allowing it to be attached and removed from a mount without any tools or adapters. Accessories

Neptune is little more than a fuzzy bluish “star” with the Heritage 150P, but you can see its moon Triton without too much trouble; it’s a full magnitude brighter than Uranus’ moons. Pluto is just barely visible with the Heritage 150P at a similar brightness to the brighter moons of Uranus, but it is hidden among a field of thousands of similarly-dim stars in the constellation of Sagittarius for the foreseeable future and will require careful searching and observations spaced at least a few days apart to be sure. You can also see bright asteroids like Ceres and Vesta fairly easily with the Heritage 150P, though they will be little more than gray or yellowish points of light, far too small to actually resolve. Where the Orion intelliscope really excels is the computerized object locator that gives users easy access to over 14,000 different and equally fascinating celestial objects. So instead of having to spread around charts looking for any signs of light up there, the intelliscope makes things a whole lot easier by giving you something new to look at every night. Flaws But Not Deal BreakersThe primary mirror is aligned when the centre mark on the primary is centred within the hole of the collimation cap. 3. How to store a Dobsonian telescope Aperture– This is the diameter of the front lens or rear mirror of the optical tube. This is usually stated in millimetres, mm, or inches and may be noted as 150 mm or 6” in the specifications. This is the key specification for judging the telescope’s ability to show you dim and distant planets and deep-sky objects. In general, the more aperture the better. Lift them out of the box, set them on a tabletop or other flat surface and you can get on with observing the night sky. Its a shame no one sells a proper shroud for it but making on is easy Astro La Vista has some good instructions on Youtube. Sky-Watcher Deluxe Mirror Coatings: Today's reflectors often feature an aluminium coating on the mirror surface, followed by a protective layer of silicon monoxide or silicon dioxide. Compared to silicon monoxide, silicon dioxide creates a far more durable coat but costs more to apply since it needs specialised equipment. Because the mirror in the majority of reflectors is exposed to the elements and deterioration of the reflecting coating lowers the telescope's resolution, protection is necessary. For maximum durability and long-term performance, Silicon Dioxide Multi-Coating is a standard feature on ALL Sky-Watcher reflectors.

The finder is zero magnification, with its small red dot projected onto a clear screen, and we found it very easy to align with the main telescope. This is a simple, no-fuss telescope that is very likely to see frequent use. Another great starter telescope for kids. You may also want to make a custom stand and a shroud for the Heritage 150P to maximize its usefulness. What can you see with Skywatcher Heritage 150P? If you’re just starting out on your stargazing hobby or want to introduce your child to the universe, then this s the way to do it. The Skywatcher HERITAGE-100P is simple and easy on the bank, but it’s also powerful enough to grab some spectacular views off it. Of course, you might want to upgrade once you become an expert gazer, but for now, this is the best budget model you’ll find.

What's in the Box: Sky-Watcher Heritage-100P Tabletop Telescope

Although small, inexpensive, long-focus refractors or Maksutov-Cassegrains in the 70-80mm aperture range may perform slightly better than the Heritage 100P on the Moon and planets, the 100P’s larger aperture makes it far superior for observing deep-sky objects. It’s also of course much sturdier and more compact than typical small tripod-mounted telescopes You’ll love the Heritage 100P’s wide field of view capability. With the 100P, you’ll be able to marvel at star clusters such as the Pleiades, Hyades, Dragonfly, Double Cluster, and Sailboat Cluster, as well as many other open star clusters like M35 or the Christmas Tree Cluster, even from fairly light-polluted skies. One of the biggest gripes that puts beginner astronomers off getting out and observing the night sky is the prospect of setting everything up. The Heritage-130P has been specially designed to celebrate the International Year of Astronomy 2009 and the 400th Anniversary of Galileo’s first telescope. This is not only a highly functional precision optical instrument but also a beautiful collector’s piece and ideal gift. The telescope tube is adorned with the names of many famous figures that have made significant contributions to the advancement of astronomy over this 400yr period, including Galileo Galilei himself. So what does the SkyLiner 200 P Parabolic Sky Watcher do best? Well, it excels at the very thing that you want your telescope to do – viewing distant objects. Thanks to the Dobsonian’s 0.5mm ultra thin mirror supports, the 200 P has visibly reduced light loss and diffraction spikes. At the same time, the top quality parabolic mirrors help eliminate spherical aberration for an even clearer image. Some of these telescopes can be a lot of money, so you want to make sure you are investing in a great product … especiallyif this is your first one! Our comprehensive list contains the absolute best telescope for its corresponding price. Basic Guide On Choosing The Best Telescope For You

I have successfully used this for EAA with my ASI 585 and 2 second exposures but full blown DSO astrophotography is out. The Heritage 150P attaches to its tabletop Dobsonian mount with a standard Vixen-style dovetail bar bolted directly to the lower half of the tube. Thus, you could theoretically put the telescope on another mount, but it’s possible this could result in the focuser/eyepiece being located in an awkward position. Accessories We then turned to the major bodies of the Solar System. Jupiter was small even with the 10mm eyepiece, but we could see the equatorial bands and the four Galilean moons.The StellaLyra 10″ f/5 Dobsonian possesses the same features, accessories, focal length, and, naturally, excellent value for money as the 8″ variant; the only distinction is the slightly broader tube, and it offers you 56% more light-gathering prowess and 25% more resolution than an 8”. While it’s not much taller than the StellaLyra 8” Dobsonian, the mount is a little fatter and thus transporting it by car might be a little more difficult. It’s also a bit more challenging to collimate. But if you’re willing to accept these compromises, you’ll be rewarded with even brighter images than an 8” telescope and views that simply blow away a smaller instrument. Alternatives Galaxy pair M81 and M82 were seen together even through the 9mm eyepiece. The Whirlpool Galaxy was small but bright in the 26mm. Instructions are included for setup, but like most tabletops, getting started is rather simple: attach the tube to the mount via a Vixen dovetail, slot in the finderscope, diagonal and eyepiece, and you're good to go. Eyepiece– This is an optical device that goes into the focuser or diagonal. The optical tube gathers light but it is the eyepiece that provides the magnification. Eyepieces come in various focal lengths, each providing a different magnification according to the focal length of the optical tube according to the formula Focal Length Optical Tube / Focal Length Eyepiece = Magnification. Therefore a 10 mm eyepiece will provide different magnification depending on the focal length of the telescope. Eyepieces are standardized on 1.25” and 2” diameters. Which size you can use is determined by the focuser and diagonal.