The Best Telescope For Beginners

With its large 8” of aperture, the Apertura AD8 delivers outstanding views of thousands celestial objects! Jupiter’s cloud bands are a stunning sight through your eyepiece, with its Galilean Moons also on full display. The second gas giant of our solar system, Saturn, is well resolved, and the view of its rings is truly spectacular. You can also catch sights of Mars, its surface details, and even its polar ice caps. With this Apertura AD8, it will feel like you’ll be able to reach out and touch the Moon with the level of detail it provides. Not only is our solar system impressive, but deep sky objects are well within your reach as well, such as the Ring Nebula, the Hercules Globular Cluster, the Pleiades Open Star Cluster, and plenty, plenty more!

This Apertura AD8 features a focal length of 1200 mm, making it well suited for viewing distant objects with clarity. It’s perfect for exploring both our solar system and deep-sky targets, and helps spark a deep passion for the night sky. With the included 30 mm eyepiece, the entire disk of the Moon is on display, showcasing its lava fields, the endless mountains and valleys, and of course its stunning craters. This wide field eyepiece is wonderful for viewing large diffuse objects as well, such as the Orion Nebula or the core of the Andromeda Galaxy. For a closer look, Apertura has included a 9 mm eyepiece within this kit. This eyepiece offers 133x magnification for stunning sights of the Tycho and Copernicus craters, Saturn’s ring system, as well as the Trapezium Cluster!

The 8” parabolic mirror is crafted with materials of the highest quality to ensure peak performance. Its solid construction is finished with an aluminum and silicon dioxide coating that presents a remarkable 93% reflectivity. The result? Crystal clear and incredibly bright views!

After the quick and easy initial assembly of the base, this entire AD8 breaks down into just two parts—the Newtonian OTA and Dobsonian base—for effortless setup and transport. This telescope system is crafted with high quality materials and weighs approximately 52 lbs., with the Newtonian OTA weighing 24.5 lbs., and the Dobsonian rocker box weighing 27.7 lbs. By disassembling into two parts, the Apertura AD8 can be taken just about anywhere, ensuring quick setup without sacrificing performance.

With a system this simple, you’ll be able to set up in your backyard or driveway in a cinch, and trips to star parties or dark skies are proven effortless. This also means you’ll spend less time assembling and more time observing, helping you get the most out of your Apertura AD8! If you’d like to make transport even easier, we highly recommend the Apertura AD8 Soft Carrying Case. This high quality case houses straps to assist with portability, and includes heavy duty padding to offer ample protection when not in use.

As a beginner, having a telescope that streamlines your visual sessions by making it simple to find objects is essential. The easier it is to operate, the more often you’ll use it, and the deeper your passion for astronomy can become. This is why a high quality Dobsonian base is chosen to support this 8” Newtonian, combining ease of use and high performance! The base features a “Lazy Susan” style mechanism, allowing for smooth 360° horizontal rotation, while the OTA moves up and down, as demonstrated in this graphic. This combination of up, down, and side to side movement gives you the freedom to point to any position in the night sky, while tension knobs located where the base meets the OTA assist you with precise control. With no electronics or external power sources necessary, the Apertura AD8 is a perfect first telescope for those eager to explore and learn the night sky!

The Apertura Performance Upgrade Kit is a wonderful choice if you’re looking to improve your Apertura AD8 experience. This comprehensive package comes complete with numerous upgrades such as flocking paper to reduce stray light from entering your optics, collimation knobs for a more streamlined collimation routine, and upgraded collimation springs to help maintain precise mirror alignment. With these small adjustments, you’ll enjoy a significantly enhanced viewing experience, helping you get the most out of your Apertura AD8. Check out our comprehensive video below for a detailed guide on installing this helpful kit!

Another upgrade available is the Apertura Roll Easy Kit. Fitted with high-performance wheels, this tool greatly enhances the ergonomics and portability of your Dobsonian telescope. Simply set your Apertura AD8 atop the platform and effortlessly roll the entire system out to your backyard or driveway! By significantly improving your telescope’s mobility, you’ll be able to get even more use out of your AD8, allowing you to spend more time under the night sky.

Apertura's incredible ecosystem of tailor-made and compatible accessories doesn't stop there!

• Extra Safety and Security - The Apertura AD8 Soft Carrying Case makes it easy to travel with your telescope, and provides protection when not in use. If you're looking to simply add a convenient carry handle to the scope itself, the Apertura Dob Lifting Strap is an excellent option!
• A Different Point of View - The Apertura AD8 Soft Carrying Case makes it easy to travel with your telescope, and provides protection when not in use. If you’re in the market for more eyepieces, Apertura offers a wide variety of premium Panorama eyepieces to enhance your viewing experience. These high quality eyepieces provide a vast range of viewing opportunities, allowing you to explore everything from the planets to far distant galaxies and nebulae, all while providing an immersive 82° FOV.
• Dabble in Astrophotography - The Apertura Smartphone Adapter clasps around your eyepiece and allows you to snap quick photos of the Moon with just your smartphone. Be sure to check out our Astrophotography with a Dobsonian article for a detailed guide on how to capture even more targets with your DSLR or astroimaging camera.

As a beginner, investing in a telescope may feel a bit daunting. However, thanks to the high quality craftsmanship from Apertura and their comprehensive warranty program, you can feel fully confident in your purchase, knowing that your AD8 is your gateway to discovering our universe.

With a firm belief in the quality of their products, this Apertura AD8 is backed by the Apertura Absolute Warranty, the most inclusive warranty program available for Apertura products! Two years of coverage protects against product defects, ensuring the telescope you receive is of the highest quality. After the initial two years, your Apertura AD8 is covered by the 3 year SHARP Warranty program. Understanding accidents happen, this program makes it easy to process a replacement for your AD8 for almost any reason. With a total of 5 years of premium service at your side, you can rest assured knowing you’re in good hands.