The Best Telescope to Buy & How to use it | Orion SkyQuest XT8 Dobsonian Review | Astronomy

Are you looking to buy a new telescope to view the Moon, planets, nebulas and galaxies? I'll walk you through what you need to know when looking to make your next big purchase in amateur astronomy.
Recommended Telescopes for You:
Please consider buying through these links to support this channel. If you do, I may earn a small commission.
Orion SkyLine 8" Dobsonian Reflector Telescope
www.pjtra.com/t/S0BMQ0pFQEVHR...
Apertura AD8 Dobsonian 8" Telescope with Accessories - AD8
www.highpointscientific.com/a...
Celestron StarSense Explorer 8" Dobsonian
www.highpointscientific.com/c...
More Great Dobsonian Telescopes from Orion:
www.pntra.com/t/S0BMQ0pFQEVHR...
More Great Dobsonian Telescopes from High Point Scientific
www.highpointscientific.com/t...
Videos referenced:
Great Budget Eyepieces for your New Telescope
• Great Budget Eyepieces...
The Best Telescope to buy a Child
• The Best Telescope to ...
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0:00 Types of Telescopes
2:14 Orion SkyQuest XT8
6:15 How to use a Telescope
“The heavens declare the glory of God”-Psalm 19:1
#telescope #dobsonian #review #astronomy

[@galaxyguy92]

Hy! I bought a 12inch (305/1500) Dobsonian telescope as my very first telescope in May this year, and I love it! The view of Jupiter, Saturn, Mars, and the Pleides ...ect are just facinating!

[@LateNightAstronomy]

I'm so glad to hear that! Which specific brand did you go with? I am considering moving up to a 12 inch dobsonian in the near future and would love some suggestions!

[@galaxyguy92]

@@LateNightAstronomy I have the SkyWatcher Skyliner 300/1500 Dobsonian (or 12 inch) as my very first telescope, but I would like to buy the 400/1800 one (16 inch) in the future, might be next year. I purchased the 12inch Dob in April this year. I love your KZbin channel! I also have a channel but it is way less popular than yours!

[@LateNightAstronomy]

@@galaxyguy92 I am actually looking at the Truss Tube version of your exact telescope! Keep making content for your channel. It took me years to get to this point! The more of us doing this the better!

[@LowOutput]

So for prospective noobs like myself, this dimension on a dobsonian style refers to the primary reflector diameter, which is proportional to how much light is gathered as opposed to amount of magnification? Or is it both?

[@stevencarpentier9981]

Great video! I purchased a 70mm refractor just in time to see the "Great Conjunction" of Jupiter and Saturn. Unfortunately, the clouds came in just in time, too. I started looking at the moon with it and noticed Mars one day without knowing what it was. Then I started looking around with my camera itself, and the telescope. I was looking for Mars one time and found the Pleiades. I noticed a "blur" of light in a photo I took of the Orion constellation and realized later it was the Orion Nebula. I kind of accidentally found myself in this hobby, and it started with that 70mm refractor. On a personal note, I think anyone who is thinking that they might be interested in the hobby should start with an inexpensive, but quality refractor - those people who are sure will have a start point and get some practice; and those people who aren't sure will have a taste and be able to decide from there if they want to invest more. So much the better for those people who live in areas with a local library that lends out a telescope. My next purchase was an 8" Newtonian. I spent $740 on the telescope/stand setup. I think by that time I knew that it needed a sturdy stand and that purchase came with everything I needed. It's an Orion telescope, like yours, and came with a 25mm and 10mm eyepiece. The Orion has been my workhorse, and I'm out with it when I can. I agree that 8" can be a "sweet spot". When I saw Jupiter and Saturn through that telescope for the first time I was amazed. Compare "Oh cool!" when seeing it through the 70mm with "Oh wow!" when seeing it through the 8" refractor. I'm happy to work with it and I've done a lot of experimentation with it. I'll hear someone say "Don't stack Barlow lenses because it reduces light" and I'll stack the Barlows to see just what they're saying, and I'll still get a decent photo from it. "Don't magnify too much because you'll lose resolution" and I'm out there stacking my 5x and my 3x Barlow lenses together, again, just to see what they're saying. I've tried an eyepiece camera on it. I don't have a motorized mount on it so I manually track. I've found that the closer I have the telescope aligned to North, the easier it is for me to track, since what I'm tracking follows a line rather than a diagonal. On a side note, Mars moves rather quickly across the screen compared to Jupiter/Saturn. Maybe one day I'll remember to bring a notebook and pencil to jot down ISOs again so that I can make note of the best ISOs to use for the different planets. The telescope, and hobby, have taught me a few things, and I'm having fun. I agree with what you said about saving money for getting accessories. I have purchased a set of eyepieces from Celestron that came with some filters. Recently I purchased a set of eyepieces from SVBony. On one of your videos I noticed that you said you used a 3x Barlow so I purchased one of those ... then purchased a 5x Barlow from Orion as well because I wanted a bit more magnification on my photos. I use part of an adapter to set my camera directly on the Barlow lens and that has been a game-changer for me. Last year I took a photo of Jupiter and it was nothing more than a fuzzy dot with a few lines if you magnified the photo. This year ... they're much more sharable. My telescope did not come with a right-angle finder, and I may get one to replace the one it came with. Would you consider doing a video with some suggestions about some affordable accessories that nearly everyone could benefit from? I mentioned a few which might be better for someone who is getting further into the hobby; the $100 5x Barlow lens I purchased for photography might have more of a specialty use. On the other hand, I think everyone, especially people who are just starting, can benefit from some things. For example, the less expensive telescopes come with "hobby killer" stands - they wobble a lot. I actually solved that by getting a decent camera tripod. It was about $100 but it was designed to hold video cameras and the max load was less than the weight of my telescope. Another thing that I think could make everyone's life easier is a right-angle finder scope. I finally have one on a different telescope and it's a game changer. I also believe that getting a decent book, such as the one you recommended (and that I purchased), is a good starter.

[@LateNightAstronomy]

I really appreciate that and thank you for sharing such a wonderful story of your journey into this hobby! That's a great suggestion for a overall accessories video and I'll consider adding that to my 2023 video list. Again, I appreciate such a thoughtful and detailed post. Keep me updated on what you are up to and clear skies!

[@glenngorden867]

You're more informative than the video, fantastic, Thank you for the information

[@djoHn548]

I’ve enjoyed astronomy for a few years now, got my daughter into it, bought her a cheap National Geographic telescope from fleet farm, and got myself addicted. Now I’m looking for a better telescope. Great. I can’t be a musician AND obsessed with astronomy. Why are my hobbies so expensive 😫 thanks for the great video!

[@LateNightAstronomy]

I'm so glad to hear of your family's interest in astronomy. It isn't a cheap hobby but it is very rewarding! Let me know if you ever have any questions and clear skies!

[@alexrichardson9125]

This one of the best talks Ive seen on which telescope to buy. Thank you from Australia.

[@LateNightAstronomy]

I appreciate that and am envious of the skies you have in Australia! Let me know if you ever have any questions!

[@shawnstatzer95]

Great video. I have really been pondering on getting the Orion SkyQuest XT10.

[@LateNightAstronomy]

I have really enjoyed my Orion for the past decade. If you do purchase one consider doing it through my affiliate link in the description of the video, it should say "More great dobsonian telescopes from Orion". Let me know if you have anymore questions!

[@ahamadromen]

Thank you, I just bought mine and can't wait . Thanks again for your generosity in sharing the knowledge and experience.

[@LateNightAstronomy]

I am so glad to hear that! Clear skies and please stop back by to let us know how it is going.

[@speechlesssoul2348]

Hey mate, how has it been going with your telescope? I'm thinking about buying one of this for the girl I love but I'd like know more about its performance :D

[@journetsjourney7893]

I used to have the 18" Obsession telescope. Michael's right - the views were fantastic, but it was hard to transport and set up regularly. I now have an 8" Nexstar that's much easier to transport and set up. And I like the goto/auto-tracking functionality - saves A LOT of time and opens up so much more to look at for me. My biggest challenge now is simply the weather.

[@LateNightAstronomy]

I bet the views through that 18 inch obsession were just incredible! It's always a balancing act between price, experience and portability! Thanks for sharing your thoughts and keep enjoying the views through that Nextstar 8"

[@johndoiron9615]

I literally helped someone pick this exact telescope yesterday! I have the XT10i myself.

[@LateNightAstronomy]

You helped that person make a good choice! A few months ago Orion had pulled the Intelliscopes from their website. When I called customer support they said it had been discontinued but that they were considering reintroducing the line in the future. It looks like they have done just that and I'm glad they did! Although I didn't cover the Computer Object Locator in the video because I thought they were no longer producing it, it's a great starting tool and fairly easy to use for most beginners!

[@anthonynappi7541]

Just discovered your channel about a week or so ago and have really enjoyed your content. Your communication style is clear, professional, pleasant and respectful. I really like your Monthly night-sky review videos. My first telescope was the Orion 130ST with equatorial mount (not a goto). I must say that I wouldn’t recommend it for a true beginner with the exception of it being for someone that wants to learn how to use an equatorial mount and sort of knows what their getting into. After using the 130ST for about 4 years (saving up my money) and doing a lot of research and learning I decided that the Meade LX90 8inch was best for me. I’ve had the scope for 3-4 months now and must say that I’m in love. I own 3 telescopes now but use the other two for friends and family that show interest in Astronomy. Although I’ve always been interested in Astrophotography, I only recently started the hobby, again after learning as much as I could before making big purchase decisions, 1 in order to save my money but 2 to make sure that my decisions worked well with my interest and knowledge level. I hope that your channel and supporters continue to grow and that you keep up the good work of promoting Astronomy and Astrophotography, two great endeavors, that to my sorrow too few people show interest in or know too much about, at least in my experiences. Thank you again and keep up the good work.

[@LateNightAstronomy]

I really appreciate you taking the time to share that with me! I enjoy creating content for this channel and hope to continue doing it for quite some time! That's some good advice you have regarding your experience with the Orion 130ST. Keep going out to observing the heavens above and let me know what all you are about to see and image.

[@hdemetri]

Excellent overview. I've had my Orion Skyline 6 inch since Spring 2022. I wanted the 8 inch but supplies were wiped out at that time. I am able to move the 6 inch in and out of the house without having to disassemble it. I have also been getting amazing planetary astrophotography with just my cell phone and cheap adaptor. This scope has also been good enough to visualize many deep sky objects and nebulae. I'm in a Bortle 5 area and wonder how much better the 8 inch would be but so far I am happy with my scope.

[@LateNightAstronomy]

It sounds like you are having a wonderful experience with your dobsonian. The Skyline models are a nice addition from Orion. Please share any images you've taken with me over on Instagram, @latenightastronomy. I'd love to see what you can capture with your scope!

[@hdemetri]

@@LateNightAstronomy Thanks! I'd be happy to share my work. I'd love to know your thoughts too. Clear skies!

[@dBFreqs]

Excellent video. Not one “as you can see” lol. The Orion brand seems like a really decent value. Im all about best bang for the buck. Subscribed for sure. Thank you. 👊

[@LateNightAstronomy]

I appreciate that! Orion, Sky-Watcher and Apertura are the three brands I have the most experience with. Just bought a new Sky-Watcher myself a few months ago.

[@tuunaes]

Would be best to have GSO builts like Apertura AD8/Zhumell Z8 (StarField in Canada/StellaLyra in UK) as first recommendation: Those come bundled with dual speed focuser, RACI finder and actually wide view giving eyepiece to see the Pleiades.

[@LateNightAstronomy]

Those are excellent telescopes with great accessories. In fact the Apertura D8 from High Point Scientific is one of the telescopes I recommend in the links provided below.

[@ishanr8697]

Nice video, thanks for sharing. If you like compact scopes and you're into planets and the Moon, consider Skywatcher Skymax series of MCTs (even 100 mm+ is a good start) or Celestron C6 as somewhere between an MCT and Dob. MCTs and SCTs are also closed-tube, lower maintainance than Dobs. They will not compete well with a Dob on the deep-sky stuff as they have a smaller field of view and less light-gathering capability. I have a 60mm baby MCT (it weighs literally 1 kg or 2 pounds, including tripod), which I sling in my backpack when going on hikes or short trips. It can provide up to 100x magnification which is enough to see the Moon in wonderful detail, Saturn's rings and the Cassini Division plus Jupiter's Great Red Spot if you are patient and don't expect miracles. Now that Mars is close, I'm going to try it out when I get a clear night.

[@LateNightAstronomy]

Great suggestions and thanks for your comment!

[@Stephen-gp8yi]

I’ve just ordered my first scope a stellalyra 8 inch dob comes with a right angled finder a mirror fan for mild nights a Crayford focuser and good eyepieces all for 460 pounds!

[@LateNightAstronomy]

Congratulations on a wonderful purchase! You will get years of enjoyment out of it. Please stop back by and let me know how it all works out!

[@ChrisOfAllTrades]

Love the verse at the bottom of your dob. My favorite is ps. 8:3-9

[@LateNightAstronomy]

I appreciate you noticing that! My wife gave me that as a gift to add to it years ago! Clear skies and keep enjoying the heavens above!

[@gihanilangakoon]

Hi. Thank you very much for this informative and well presented video. Subscribed without any hesitation ! I am convinced now that my 2nd telescope must be an 8" Dobsonian. I wonder - 1) Should it be an Orion or an Apertura. 2) Should it be from pjtura or Highpoint Scientific? Are you able to advise?

[@LateNightAstronomy]

Thanks for joing our community! I would go with the Apertura from Highpoint Scientific. They are my goto reatiler for astronomy gear. If you buy from them or Orion please consider using my affiliate link in the description of the video to support the channel!

[@tuunaes]

There's no contest: Aperture AD comes with accessories worth $300 over Orion.

[@EYEVISIONINDIA2020]

Nice guide sir

[@LateNightAstronomy]

Glad you think so! Take care and clear skies!

[@karnliberated]

Hey I'm thinking about buying this Telescope actually! Curious, why didn't Jupiter's moons show in the video? Also, what do nebulae and galaxies look like in this Telescope? My entry level refractor from Celestron has been great, but I'm ready to jump up to see farther away objects. Is this Telescope a good jump up to see deep sky objects, I'm willing to spend around 1000 or 2000 if the extra dollars will help excessively. But I'm seeing this Orion XT8 highly recommended by folks such as yourself! BY THE WAY! I totally just subbed, I really appreciate that you have that night sky series telling us what's gonna happen month by month so I know what to look for. I just downloaded stellarium and am trying to get the hang of it to do that myself, but it would be great to learn from someone! Looking forward to your answers and more content!!!

[@LateNightAstronomy]

The Moons of Jupiter didn't show up in the video because it's hard to expose both them and Jupiter in a video. Through the eyepiece you will see them just fine. Deep sky objects are why I bought this telescope and under good skies you will be able to see the entire messier list of 110 of the best deep sky objects. They will appear as gray blobs in space but on brighter ones such as the Orion Nebula I can make out a teal color. I appreciate you support and please consider buying one of the telescopes listed through the links in this video to support me and the channel! Take care and come back with more great questions!

[@MountainFisher]

Optical Wave Laboratory had a sale to re-aluminize primary and secondary 6" mirrors to 96-97% for $88. So I sent my mirrors from an old C6-N Newtonian as they were scratched up from being cleaned with paper towels. Most paper towels have a fine abrasive in them, just FYI. They also guaranteed they could refigure my primary to at least 1/10 wave and a Strehl of .950 with 1.00 being perfect which they never are. It came back .98 Strehl and 1/12th wave with a near perfect knife test. I couldn't believe how good it was. Not counting the JMI focuser it was less than $500. I acquired Takahashi quality for $800 focuser included. I'm only into visual and it is about as good as a 6 inch scope can get. Mount and scope are under 30 lbs. as I put it on a CG-4, nice and solid with the option to motorize it if I get the photo bug.

[@LateNightAstronomy]

Congrats on your recoating and upgrades to a great telescope. You will get years of use out of it! Thanks for sharing all that wonderful info for everyone and keep me updated on your observations!

[@spwb2k]

Useful

[@LateNightAstronomy]

Glad you think so!

[@deltacx1059]

1:24 and chromatic aberration is a problem. Especially if you do anything more than visual.

[@dennisgreiwe2078]

Can dslr camera bodies connect to the eyepiece area? If so, is it only good for video or can you get a good picture even though it probably has to be very short exposure.

[@LateNightAstronomy]

You can go videos or pictures. I do videos of the planets and pictures of the Moon using this method. Check out my astrophotography playlist and look for the video I made on imaging Jupiter, Saturn or Mars. That will show you a bit more on how it works.

[@aaronwaters7358]

I'm probably late to the show but I have the Orion xt8 which is what I believe you have in this video. I have a red dot finder on it but I'm not sure if it's zeroed in or not. How can I zero a red dot for planetary viewing ?

[@LateNightAstronomy]

Go outside and align it to a fixed object right after the sunsets using a low powered eyepiece. I normally use the top of an electrical pole.

[@koofdome]

I like the Apertura AD8 for only $50 more and a bunchhhh of awesome accessories

[@LateNightAstronomy]

I've used the AD6. Those are great telescopes and a really nice deal!

[@xrvgamers1189]

Can you do a video on how to clean the mirror? I checked around and got an estimate of $300 for my 8" Dob.

[@LateNightAstronomy]

This is a great idea. The main reason I haven't done a video on that is because I have never cleaned my mirror. The telescope in this video is almost 15 years old so it's probably time to. If I do, I'll be sure to make a video tutorial about it.

[@danielbrowniel]

How it went for me Bought an XT8 now we are 2 years later, drooling at Televue eyepieces. Eventually we will upgrade, but we need to rebuild the deck first. (you better believe it will have an isolated section.)

[@LateNightAstronomy]

I am so glad to hear this. I used the 8 inch telescope for over a decade. Its a great size scope. I've just jumped into buying Televue eypeieces myself and hope to have some review videos up this Spring. What are you looking to buy. The 24mm Panoptic was my first purchase from them.

[@danielbrowniel]

We have a 12.5 Baader Planetarium Morpheus as out nice eye piece now and that is 76degrees. I very much like the enveloping feeling eyepieces that shoot the light from different angles at your eye, it feels natural and almost like you are somewhere else. So naturally that has me interested in the Naglers (I want a large 2in either 31 or 22mm) I want to use the whole telescope basically. Of course it also makes me wonder about the ethos. You kind of cant go wrong with them? I feel like if I don't like it, don't look around then.. lol In regards to picking 22mm or 31mm? I have no idea, I imagine they are fairly similar in how they feel, so why get the big boy? To be honest I'm even more tempted to get something like a 5-7mm nagler, to make the baader eyepiece obsolete (we use it with a decent 2x Barlow and it kind of ruins the contrast and clarity) and worse, the field of view makes the planet go out of frame quickly. So I personally would probably use that more, I just feel like I want to know what it is like to have a big 2in eyepiece that actually gets something from being 2inches. @@LateNightAstronomy

[@LateNightAstronomy]

I've read very good things about the Morpheus line of eyepieces. You've picked one of the best out there. I'm waiting on a 10mm Delos to ship once they come back in stock. Keep enjoying those views and let me know how your future purchases go.@@danielbrowniel

[@tuunaes]

@@danielbrowniel Except for 17.5mm one, Morpheus line has actually 78° AFOV meaning there's no meaningfull difference to Naglers. Especially when eye relief of Morpheus is better and whole field is quite easy to see. Around that AFOV seeing whole field starts getting harder even without shorter eye relief like in Naglers. And 100° "XWAs" would be even harder for seeing outer field already without shorter eye relief. Morpheus line is basically as wide as it gets with comfortable good eye relief viewability. And to replace lackluster narrow 25mm Plössl, $200 level 28mm UWA or 30mm Ultra Flat Field would be superb bang for the buck choises. Astrotech/SkyRover etc 28mm UWA is that literal 82° AFOV "hand grenade", but its eye relief is mediocre (keeping size "reasonable") needing peeking around the corner to see field edges and definitely isn't compatible with glassses. APM/SkyRover/StellaLyra 30mm UFF is little narrower, but has good glasses compatible eye relief and very high optical quality and is callaed as honorary Morpheus or Delite/Delos by some.

[@Matt-li5is]

Over 10 years of owning the 8" dob, have you ever needed to replace those Teflon pads beneath the rocker box?

[@LateNightAstronomy]

Great question! No, I haven't.

[@johnnyfearlesszrx]

Do you take it away from home to a darker sky area? If you do, where do you set up? I'm looking to buy a StellaLyra 8 inch Dob but my home area is a Bortle 7 so I will have to travel to get darker skies occasionally. Just wondering if you would set up in a random field near a road or at a country layby.

[@LateNightAstronomy]

I do 95 percent of my observing and imaging from my home under Bortle 5 skies. I have gone to Bortle 4 and 3 skies to observe some of the fainter objects in the Messier list. State parks and official dark sky locations with an hour of where I live are where I like to start looking for better views.

[@johnnyfearlesszrx]

@Late Night Astronomy Thanks, that helps a lot. I wasn't sure If I could just set up in a park in the late evening.

[@LateNightAstronomy]

@@johnnyfearlesszrx I would check on the park hours and with the local government to be sure it's ok. That can be a great way to share the sky with others too!

[@jackg7225]

What would you inspect in buying a used, specifically xt8? Good timing on coming across this video. I’m going back and forth with a person on Craigslist selling one he says is in mint condition for $400. But now I’m wondering about the xt8 plus

[@LateNightAstronomy]

If you don't go with one of the telescopes linked in this video and look to Craigslist I would check out the quality of the mirror (cracks, dirt, etc), make sure the base is solid and not chipped too bad and also that the finder scope and most of the original accessories that came with it are being offered. If you could meet the person at a safe public place right after sunset you could even test it out on the Moon or a planet before making the final purchase. Let me know if you have anymore questions!

[@gothicm3rcy426]

8inch dob... the best starter scope by a mile

[@LateNightAstronomy]

I couldn't agree more!

[@joshuariddensdale2126]

I've been gradually going larger and larger with my scopes. My first was a little 2" refractor that my dad got from one of his old co-workers. For Christmas of 2012, I upgraded to a 4" reflector. I still have that scope. It's a Newtonian with an included equatorial mount. But I've been looking at the Orion XT8 Dobsonian. Considering the size, the price seems pretty reasonable ($700 on Amazon. That includes two lenses, a red-dot finder, and a smartphone adapter for taking pictures).

[@LateNightAstronomy]

Let me know what purchase you end up going with and stop back by to let us know how things are going for you!

[@gonja619]

@@LateNightAstronomy can you recommend a similar telescope that has a 10 to 1 fine tune focuser like you mentioned in your video?

[@LateNightAstronomy]

@@gonja619 I believe the Apertura telescope linked in the description of the video has a 10 to 1 focuser.

[@dreamingissleeping]

I set mine up and it literally doesn't work and nothing online is helping. the telescope can pick up light but it only shows the mirror whenever I look at an object, and focusing doesn't do jack. please help.

[@LateNightAstronomy]

What specific telescope do you have?

[@insane7718]

Is the JWST for sale? I want to buy it as a beginner telescope yes!

[@LateNightAstronomy]

Good question. Check with NASA and see if they are running a sale anytime soon.

[@Shadow-ek6qb]

Do you recommend this for a 14YO beginner? I believe this is the best one for me within my budget.

[@LateNightAstronomy]

Yes. a 6 or 8 inch dobsonian is a wonderful scope for that age range and budget. Look at the Apertura line through High Point Scientific as well. Consider using my links in the description when you purchase to support this channel! Thank you!

[@tombeaty6470]

Does the scope come with the Bible verse on the base, or did you add that?

[@LateNightAstronomy]

My wife got me that as a Christmas gift many years ago!

[@Iamcharlesbaird]

I am looking for a telescope for my wife that she can have a starter and to keep and learn what should I do?

[@LateNightAstronomy]

Do you or your wife have any experience with amateur astronomy? And if you don't mind me asking, how much are you looking to spend?

[@Stephen-gp8yi]

Wonder if you can help me out I’ve just put my dobsonian together but can’t get the Crayford focuser to work?

[@LateNightAstronomy]

Check the bottom screw to make sure it isn't too tight. It's designed to keep focus but can sometimes lock it in place accidently.

[@Stephen-gp8yi]

@@LateNightAstronomy thanks I’ve sorted the focuser and am looking forward to looking at my first target Mars tonight!

[@soureel]

couldn't help but notice the Intelliscope port on the mount. What is this?

[@LateNightAstronomy]

Nice question. This model can also use an included computer controller to help push the telescope from on object to another after a two star alignment. After learning they night sky, I don't use this feature anymore and sadly Orion doesn't appear to offer it at this time to purchase.

[@soureel]

@@LateNightAstronomy I also noticed it was no longer available. Emailed customer service and was told their stock was depleted with no immediate plans to offer it again. I wonder if supply-line issues over the past couple of years have affected availability. That said, do you have a preferred method for finding sky objects manually with a Dobsonian mount? I have been out of backyard astronomy for a couple of decades but remember getting frustrated aligning an equatorial mount and never got very good at star-hopping to a target.

[@LateNightAstronomy]

@@soureel My goto method is to star hop from one bright star to another using the 9x50 finder scope, a low powered eyepiece and SkySafari 7 Plus.

[@simulatedpilot3441]

Picked up the Orion skyquest 8 in 1219 focal length with 2 25 mm One two times Barlow a 10 mm and a 4 mm for 460 bucks The guy used it two times, My only complaint is somehow there is a spider inside.

[@LateNightAstronomy]

Looks like you got a good deal on that scope! Best of luck and check back in to let us know what all you have been out to observe.

[@3dfxvoodoocards6]

I bought a Bresser 4 inch - 102/1000 mm F10 refractor for 300 $ because I don’t want to bother with collimation.

[@LateNightAstronomy]

I can appreciate that! Collimation does take some trial and error. I hope you are enjoying your telescope!

[@3dfxvoodoocards6]

@@LateNightAstronomy I had a Bresser 70/700 mm achromat until now. Last night I could finally use my new Bresser 102/1000 mm telescope. Looking at the Moon and Saturn I was really impressed with it, it’s clearly better than it’s smaller brother the 70/700 mm.

[@scrumpymanjack]

Really excellent video. Thanks. I'm a little disappointed in the views of the planets (much smaller than I had imagined with such a telescope!) but I know that my surprise is based on ignorance more than anything else.

[@LateNightAstronomy]

Thanks so much. Which telescope do you own and what eyepieces are you using to view the planets?

[@scrumpymanjack]

@@LateNightAstronomy I don’t have a telescope (yet). My comment was a reference to the images you presented here if the planets - they’re much smaller and less defined than I thought they would be with this telescope. Again, though, I’m a total noob so…!

[@LateNightAstronomy]

@@scrumpymanjack I understand. Yeah, I tried to show more realistic example because often we think everything will look like a textbook image of space. I can tell you though, the views of things through the telescope are more impressive than watching on KZbin through a TV or phone. I'm always impressed by Jupiter in particular!

[@tuunaes]

Moon is the only celestial object showing truly high amount of details visually in hobbyer telescope.

[@attila5078]

is this a good telescope for beginner ?

[@LateNightAstronomy]

Yes. I recommend a 6 or 8 inch dobsonian telescope for a beginner who is serious about getting into the hobby!

[@conchobar]

"Save some budget for eyepieces..." is probably the best advice no one gives.

[@LateNightAstronomy]

I appreciate that! It's so tempting to overbuy, especially with a first purchase. My advice, buy a solid 6 or 8 inch dobsonian from one of the big companies if you are serious about getting into this hobby! Then look to slowly build up that eyepeice collection.

[@deltacx1059]

3:19 anything more than a 6 is going to blow s beginners budget unless they are rich.

[@LateNightAstronomy]

I agree and have found a 6 or 8 inch dobsonian to be the perfect point of entry for most people looking to seriously get into amateur astronomy. Everyone's budget is different, for some that will be 6 for others 8.

[@siendbhcixisj]

You never told us how to use it. I'm lost with all these pieces. Hunt goes on

[@LateNightAstronomy]

Let me know any specific questions you have that weren't covered in the video on how to find things or use a new telescope!

[@LeeGee]

My main problem is finding gear not made in the CCP

[@ishanr8697]

Very hard these days... and pricey!

[@brucea9871]

I didn't realize Orion was into proselytizing. They put Bible verses on their scopes (4:16)? They should leave preaching to the churches and street preachers. I get more than enough preaching from those religionists. I certainly won't tolerate it with products I pay for. If it is Orion's policy to deface their scopes with Bible verses I won't be buying anything from them.

[@LateNightAstronomy]

Good catch. Tha is a quote that my wife got me for the telescope after I bought it. It does not come installed on the telescope! I appreciate your thoughts on that topic and hope that clears it up for you.

[@brucea9871]

@LateNightAstronomy Yes some time after I posted my comment I realized it was unlikely Orion would put explicit religious messages on their products. I then assumed you put it on the scope after you bought it. Sorry for my confusion.

[@LateNightAstronomy]

No problem at all! @@brucea9871

[@richardwarren1718]

Does the scripture Psalm 19:1, "The heavens declare the glory of God" come inscribed on the base or did you add that? Either way, that's a peaceful and inspiring thought. When asked why I observe and explore the skies, I simply reply; it helps keep me grounded. Thanks and take care of yourself and those around you.🔭🪐

[@LateNightAstronomy]

Good question. My wife bought that for me as a christmas gift to add it to the telescope. It does not come standard!