Orion SkyQuest XT8 Classic Telescope with Bonus Accessory Pa

by Orion

Product Details

• ASIN: B000M86EOQ
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: November 1, 2003

Product Description

Our classic XT8 isn't just great bang for the buck, it's a veritable explosion of telescope value. It combines powerful parabolic optics with the ultimate in mechanical stability. The SkyQuest XT8 features an 8" parabolic primary mirror that will tease out detail in nebulas, resolve stars in globular clusters, and reveal subtle structure in galaxies. The enameled steel optical tube sports an upgraded 2" Crayford-style focuser that accepts both 2" and 1.25" eyepieces. The tube moves effortlessly on Teflon/UHMW bearings for point-and-view simplicity. Comes complete with navigation knob, two 1.25" Sirius Plossl eyepieces, eyepiece rack, quick-collimation cap, and hard dust cap.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The ideal amateur telescope, January 6, 2007

By 

Doug Rice (Twin Falls, ID USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Orion SkyQuest XT8 Classic Telescope with Bonus Accessory Pa (Electronics)

This is not only the ideal scope for beginners but 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.

Dobsonians like this one offer by far the most view for the dollar, and the price on this one is superb. Affordable as this scope is, there is no reason to give so much as a glance at the numerous trashy 60mm refractors with exaggerated magnification claims that litter the market.

Some advice on selection. Dobsonians 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 200mm scope like this one is right in the middle of the recommended range. A 250mm (10") 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. Make sure you know what kind of finder is supplied, as the package that comes with this scope varies. If it comes with a 9x50mm finder, great. If if comes with a 6x30mm, discard it and get a a 50mm. Also, get a reflex "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."

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Deciding on what scope to buy? Ready my review!!!!!, May 24, 2007

By 

D. Jones "Delicia1" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Orion SkyQuest XT8 Classic Telescope with Bonus Accessory Pa (Electronics)

Well, I had a long travel with different telescopes. In the past month and a half, I ordered FIVE telescopes. My first telescope was a 70mm refractor. At that time, I didn't know much about telescopes. It was only $99 plus shipping, so I though I got a great deal until I started to read books on telescopes, and I sent it back. I educated myself and learned that you can get more aperture for the buck with a reflector, so I bought a 130mm (5.1")spaceprobe (from Orion), which was great, but as a beginner, I didn't know how to work the equatorial mount very well. Too many gadgets....frustrating! Then I read "Nightwatch" by Terrence Dickinson and according to him, the best scopes for beginners are Dobsinian mounts. They are easy to set up and take down in just minutes. That was another that thing annoyed me about the spaceprobe. I was reluctant to take it down because I spent so much time putting it up (however, that's not the case with everyone). Dickinson recommends reflectors in the range of 6-10 inches (4.5 inch scopes are not bad either), but his optimal preference is 8 inch, so I bought the skyquest XT6 (6 inch), and it was great! It came with a free DVD and software to help me locate celestrial objects and a free laser collimator. Finally for the first time in these light polluted New York City skies, I saw Venus, Jupiter and Saturn very well! The 6 inch was a gem! HOWEVER, everthing on the internet was praising the 8inch Dob including Dickinson himself, so I sent the skyquest XT6 back in exchange for the skyquest XT8 (8 inch). I know I sound VERY indecisive, but I'm putting all this information out there for people who are currently indecisive. I wasted a lot of money on shipping. Thank God my colleague bought my 130mm spaceprobe. Anyways, Orion has great costumer service EXCEPT Sundays is for ordering only. There are no techs on Sundays who can help you with questions beyond what is seen in the catalgue about an item.

Ok getting to the XT8 It's big as compared to the XT6. As everyone mentionned before, it's a bit bulky. You'll have to carry the tube separate from the base even thought there's a handle to carry both as one whole unit. That's the only con. I looked at Venus, Saturn and Juptier last night. All three objects were amazing! Better optics than the XT6 obviously. I'm still a beginner at this. Unfortunately I live in a light polluted area, so I'll have to drive a great distance to see some real DSO.

I also have a short tube 80mm refractor (by Orion) for travelling purposes because you can buy a hard case for it. You can't travel (by plane) with an XT8. You can only buy soft padded case for these types scopes.

If you're still confused about what you want then buy "The Bakyard Astronomer's Guide" By Terrence Dickinson and Alan Dyer FIRST. This book is owned by many amateur astronomers. Had I known about this book before my 2 months of telescope horror, I would have saved a hell of a lot of money. Amazon sells this book. It's no lie, this is the astronomers Bible! Read the reviews on this book and decide for yourself. He discusses many different telescopes, what to avoid, what he recommends, must have accessories, what is a waste of money, how to save money, EVERYTHING is in this book! So buy this book first before making you purchase at least you did your homework before making a big investment or making a big mistake because trust me, lugging that big cumbersome telescope back to the post office is no fun :(

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars SkyQuest XT8 Classic, April 16, 2007

By 

Elizabeth A. Crawley (Houston, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Orion SkyQuest XT8 Classic Telescope with Bonus Accessory Pa (Electronics)

You can't get a better scope without paying twice what this one costs. And the old XT8 that doesn't accept the 2" Crawford, but uses the old rack and pinion 2"/1.25" focuser is even over a hundred dollars cheaper at Orion's website. This is a bargain scope without getting any drawbacks. I did find the flat teflon bearing surfaces seem rather cheap, but perfectly adequate for what they have to do. Their tolerances are right on when assembling the base. Everying goes together simply and easily. I love my XT8 and spend all of my spare time watching and learning about the night sky.