Sky-Watcher 8" f/6 Flextube Dobsonian Telescope

The Sky-Watcher 8" f/5.9 Flextube Dobsonian Telescope is a low cost, large aperture reflecting telescope of the Dobsonian design. It is an ideal telescope for wide-field, deep-space observation of faint galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters. The low-power dramatically captures wide swaths of sky in a single view. Galaxies and nebula appear to pop out of the heavens as bright, expansive masses of stars, gas, and dust.

If you have never before observed through a high-quality, wide-field Dobsonian, like the Sky-Watcher 8" DOB, you are in for one of the sweetest experiences in amateur astronomy. Some of amateur astronomy's most revered and enthusiastically observed extra solar-system objects are now within your reach. Observing with a Dobsonian has been described akin to shooting ducks in a gallery because it is so easy to find your target. Just swing your Sky-Watcher DOB to the quadrant of sky to be searched, and scan the vicinity. An 8x50 mm optical viewfinder helps your search for those elusive fuzzies when star-hopping. At low power, deep-space objects leisurely drift through the field of the Sky-Watcher 8" DOB, so constant mechanical adjustment of the telescope's orientation isn't needed to keep objects in the field of view.

The standard-equipment backlash-free 2" Crayford Focuser insures ultra smooth focusing adjustments. Multi-coated, 4-element Plossl eyepieces (20 mm and 12.5 mm) provide a spacious 70 degree Apparent Field of View. To ensure mechanical ease-of-use, Sky-Watcher uses a high-performance Teflon bearing system in both axes combined with tension adjustment in altitude to facilitate setting the appropriate amount of friction, assuring smooth vertical and horizontal manual movement without free-play from small bumps or gusts of wind. This also eliminates the need to have a balanced optical tube as in an equatorial mount.

Sky-Watcher's revolutionary truss-support concept allows the optical tube's front and back cells to collapse together, aligning on the truss support rods which can then be locked down for easy and secure telescope transport. This innovation provides a one piece, low-hassle OTA design, mechanically simple and results in large aperture telescopes that can be reasonably handled and transported by one individual.

The polishing process for primary and diagonal mirror yields smooth mirror surfaces ensuring good contrast, and properly corrected optics show minimum alterations to the optical wave-front. On each primary mirror, and elliptical diagonal mirror aluminum is vacuum deposited to the front glass surface and then over coated with hard quartz (SiO4). Additional layers of Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) and (SiO4) are then applied. Dust covers help keep your DOB clean when not in use. The mechanical and structural components of the OTA exhibit rigid construction and outstanding stability. Mount design, while simple, facilitates smooth motions about both axes. Quality accessories enhance your viewing experience.