Orion Telescopes we recommend

Orion 8974 SkyQuest XT8 PLUS Dobsonian Reflector Telescope

• Deluxe upgrade of our popular XT8 Classic Dobsonian boasts multiple key feature enhancements and additional included accessories
• Eye-catching metallic blue optical tube rides on a redesigned base with adjustable altitude tension knobs
• Convenient thumbscrew-adjustable secondary mirror for easy collimation without tools
• Features a 2" dual-speed Crayford focuser with 11:1 fine-focus provides precise focus adjustments for sharp views
• Upgraded accessories include a 2" 28mm DeepView eyepiece, 1.25" 10mm Sirius Plossl eyepiece, Safety Film Solar Filter, Shorty 2x Barlow, eyepiece rack, EZ Finder II reflex sight, collimation cap, and more

Orion 27191 StarBlast 6i IntelliScope Reflector Telescope

• Clever tabletop reflector telescope can lead beginners and experienced amateurs to more than 14,000 celestial objects with its easy to use push-to IntelliScope Computerized Object Locator
• Substantial 6" aperture optics reveal sharp views of the Moon and bright planets like Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn
• 750mm focal length (f/5.0) optics provide contrast-rich views of brighter deep sky objects like nebulas, galaxies, and sparkling star clusters
• Compact design gives the Orion StarBlast 6i great grab-and-go portability - weighs just 23.5 lbs.
• Includes IntelliScope Computerized Object Locator, 25mm and 10mm Sirius Plossl 1.25" telescope eyepieces, EZ Finder II aiming device, eyepiece rack, Starry Night software, and more!

Orion 10012 SkyScanner 100mm TableTop Reflector Telescope (Burgundy)

• An ideal entry-level reflector telescope with 100mm parabolic primary mirror optics - no plastic lenses as found in some other telescopes made for beginners
• See hundreds of craters on the Moon, detail on Jupiter and other planets, even when viewing from relatively bright city locations
• A tabletop telescope big enough to find and observe objects in the night sky, but small enough to easily store in a closet or display on a desk
• Perfect reflector telescope for wide-angle, low-power viewing of the Milky Way and other deep sky objects when viewing from relatively dark skies
• Includes two 1.25 inch telescope eyepieces: 20mm (for 20 power magnification) and 10mm (for 40 power magnification), EZ Finder II aiming device, Starry Night astronomy software, and more!

Orion 8945 SkyQuest XT8 Classic Dobsonian Telescope

• A large aperture Classic Dobsonian reflector telescope at a very affordable price!
• 8" diameter reflector optics lets you view the Moon and planets in close up detail, and has enough light grasp to pull in pleasing views of faint nebulas, galaxies and star clusters
• A perfect Dobsonian telescope that can last a lifetime for the beginning astronomy enthusiast or whole family
• The ultra-stable Dobsonian base keeps the reflector optical tube perfectly balanced for point-and-view ease of use
• Includes a 2" Crayford focuser that accepts 1.25" and 2" telescope eyepieces, a 25mm Sirius Plossl eyepiece, an EZ Finder II reflex sight, collimation cap, Starry Night software, and more!
  
  
  

A Summary of the Orion Product Line

by Bill Georgevich, Chief Astronomer

Overall, I would say as a science educator for over 40 years, that a large investment in an instrument of over $3,000 should be looked at in person and "touched" first either in a retail store or most ideally, experienced in the dark with a friend at a star party. Orion attempts to share with you what your observing experience will be at night under actual dark sky conditions, but nothing can rival actually star testing the instrument yourself. Ergonomics is key here and you don't want ot find yourself practicing "Macho Astronomy" because you purchased a telescope unseen out of a catalog.

That said, Orion does provide for a generous 30 day return policy. Just remember that mirrors, lenses, and eyepieces are precision pieces of equipment that can be scratched, dented, or damaged very easily - especially if your fumbling around in the dark.

The other accollade for the Orion company is that they have done a good job providing the novice observer with a healthy combination of direct light viewing experiences in the eyepiece along with the more high tech and fashionable CDD imaging systems that allow you to take quick and easy photographs of celestial objects, guided under high exposure. Orion balances these 2 world quite nicely. They provide large trussed dobonian telescopes that set up quickly for the casual observer, along with clock-driven equatorial mounted instruments that allow time-exposures that can last for hours.