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Please Note

Orion has made the difficult decision to close our warehouse facility in the Netherlands. With the continuing supply chain/logistics challenges and slowness in the economy we have found that it is not economically feasible to maintain operations in the UK and Europe.

We have therefore stopped taking orders on this website. We apologize for any inconvenience.

We will continue to have Orion dealers in Europe to meet the needs of Orion consumers. We will also continue to honor the 30-Day product return period as well as honoring the Orion warranty for purchases made in the UK and Europe.

Our US-based Customer Service Representatives are here to help. Contact them via email at support@telescope.com or in the United Kingdom, via phone at 0-800-041-8146 (Monday-Friday between the hours of 1300 and 2400 GMT).

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Orion Telescopes
Beginner
Orion SkyQuest XT8 Classic Dobsonian Telescope
€ 499.99
Accepted Payment
This product is no longer available for purchase.
  • 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 download, and more!


Learn more
Item #  08945e

A powerful telescope capable of providing night after night of stargazing enjoyment, the Orion SkyQuest XT8 Classic Dobsonian is one of our most popular models due to its elegant combination of precision optics, mechanical simplicity, and rock-solid stability. You and your whole family will appreciate the bright, clear views of the night sky provided by the XT8 Classic Dobsonian reflector. The Moon and planets of our solar system like Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars shine brightly in the SkyQuest XT8 Classic, allowing you to inspect them in detail. The XT8's 8" aperture is also large enough to gather a significant amount of light from more distant celestial objects for great views of sparkling star clusters, cloudy nebulas, and faraway galaxies. The XT8 Classic Dobsonian is a tremendous value considering the high quality views it provides on such a wide variety of celestial objects. The point-and-view simplicity of the Dobsonian design is not as complicated as a telescope attached to an equatorial (EQ) mount and tripod, so with a little practice, your whole family can scan the heavens just like experienced hobbyists. For any amateur astronomer seeking serious adventure, the XT8 Classic Dobsonian telescope has it all!

Classic Dob Chart

The SkyQuest XT8 Classic Dobsonian is built around an 8" (203mm) diameter parabolic primary mirror mounted in a cast-aluminum support cell. The mirror collects 78% more light than a 6" mirror, so you get a significant increase in ability to observe dust lanes in nebulas, resolve the cores of prominent globular star clusters, and to reveal some of the more subtle structures in faint galaxies. The 1200mm focal length (f/5.9) XT8 mirror allows you to obtain clear and crisp views at moderate to high magnifications on clear nights with good seeing conditions. Enhanced-reflectivity mirror coatings boost the XT8 Classic Dobsonian's mirror to 94% reflectivity so as much light as possible is transmitted to the eyepiece, for clear and bright views. The Dobsonian base of the XT8 Classic provides a simple and stable low-profile altazimuth platform for the 8" aperture reflector optical tube.  

The Orion CorrecTension springs make setup easy and keep the telescope balanced.

The tube attaches securely to the base by virtue of Orion's CorrecTension Friction Optimization system, which utilizes heavy-duty springs to both securely couple the tube to the base, and to keep the telescope in constant balance to avoid drifting during observations. Even with large 2" eyepieces and accessories installed, the XT8 Dobsonian telescope optical tube will remain balanced throughout your viewing sessions.

Dial-in celestial details with the smooth and accurate 2" Crayford focuser.

The SkyQuest XT8 Classic Dobsonian features a 2" Crayford focuser with a removable 1.25" adapter so it can accept both 1.25" and 2" eyepieces and accessories. The Crayford mechanism ensures all focus adjustments are smooth, accurate, and virtually free of backlash and flexure, even with heavier 2" accessories installed, so you can achieve precise focus easily.

Explore the night sky with the included 25mm Sirius Plossl Eyepiece.

The included 1.25" Orion 25mm Sirius Plossl eyepiece provides a 48-power view when used with the SkyQuest XT8 Classic Dobsonian telescope. Offering a wide 52° apparent field of view, the 25mm Sirius Plossl eyepiece yields extremely sharp images of impressively high contrast. You can expand your magnification options by purchasing additional 1.25" or larger 2" wide-angle eyepieces of different focal lengths. (Additional eyepieces sold separately.)

The included Orion EZ Finder II red-dot sight makes aiming the telescope nice and easy.

Following a simple alignment procedure, you can use the EZ Finder II sight to accurately aim the SkyQuest XT8 Classic Dobsonian telescope at objects in the sky like the Moon and bright planets. Once aligned with the telescope, just turn on the EZ Finder II and peer through the sight's small circular viewing window so you see the red dot, and move the telescope until the red dot is on the object you want to see. Look in the telescope eyepiece, and the object will be there!

Learn about the night sky with the included Starry Night Special Edition software.

Explore starry skies anytime - even when it's cloudy! The Orion AstroView 90mm Equatorial Refractor telescope includes a FREE Special Edition of Starry Night astronomy software. With realistic sky simulations and a many useful features including telescope control, the user-friendly Starry Night Special Edition software will help you plan your observations and understand what you see. Requires PC running Windows XP, Vista, 7 or 8. Requires Macintosh running OS X 10.4 or higher.  

 

The popular Orion SkyQuest XT8 Classic Dobsonian also includes a quick collimation cap for easy mirror alignment, and dust caps for the reflector telescope tube and focuser.

The Orion XT8 Classic Dobsonian telescope can conveniently be separated into two pieces for easy transport and storage. By unhooking the two CorrecTension springs from the Dobsonian base you can detach the 46.5" long optical tube. The XT8 reflector optical tube weighs 20.3 lbs., while the 19" diameter Dobsonian base tips the scales at 20.7 lbs. With an assembled weight of 41 lbs., the XT8 Classic Dobsonian can be easily moved to and from your favorite observing site, whether it's just a few steps out the back door, or many miles down the road.

A great telescope with the optical strength to please serious beginners and veteran skygazers alike, the Orion SkyQuest XT8 Classic Dobsonian reflector will provide years of astronomical adventure for you and your whole family.

Meets or exceeds all California State Environmental Quality & Safety Regulations (CARB 93120 Phase 2 Compliant).

Warranty

Limited Warranty against defects in materials or workmanship for one year from date of purchase. This warranty is for the benefit of the original retail purchaser only. For complete warranty details contact us at sales-eu@telescope.com

Product Support
Visit our product support section for instruction manuals and more
  • Best for viewing
    Brighter deep sky
  • Best for imaging
    Lunar & planetary
  • User level
    Beginner
  • Optical design
    Reflector
  • Optical diameter
    203 mm
  • Focal length
    1200 mm
  • Focal ratio
    f/5,9
  • Optics type
    Parabolic
  • Glass material
    Low thermal expansion borosilicate glass
  • Eyepieces
    Sirius Plossl 25,0 mm (1,25")
  • Magnification with included eyepieces
    48 x
  • Resolving power
    0,57 arc*sec
  • Lowest useful magnification
    29 x
  • Highest useful magnification
    300 x
  • Highest theoretical magnification
    406 x
  • Limiting stellar magnitude
    14,2
  • Optical quality
    Diffraction limited
  • Finder scope
    EZ Finder II
  • Focuser
    2" Crayford
  • Secondary mirror obstruction
    47 mm
  • Secondary mirror obstruction by diameter
    23 %
  • Secondary mirror obstruction by area
    5 %
  • Mirror coatings/over-coatings
    Aluminum & Silicon Dioxide
  • Mount type
    Dobsonian
  • Astro-imaging capability
    Lunar & planetary
  • Computerized compatibility
    Not compatible
  • Bearing material
    PTFE and UHMW bearings
  • Tube material
    Steel
  • Tripod material
    Wood
  • Length of optical tube
    118,1 cm
  • Weight, optical tube
    9,2 kg
  • Weight, mount/tripod
    9,4 kg
  • Weight, fully assembled
    18,6 kg
  • Additional included accessories
    Collimation cap, Eyepiece rack
  • Other features
    CorrecTension system, Navigation knob, Integral carry handle
  • Warranty
    One year

Orders received by 5pm UTC for in-stock items ship the next business day. When an item is not in-stock we will ship it as soon as it becomes available. Typically in-stock items will ship first and backordered items will follow as soon as they are available. You have the option in check out to request that your order ship complete, if you'd prefer.

A per-item shipping charge (in addition to the standard shipping and handling charge) applies to this product due to its size and weight. This charge varies based on the shipping method.

Economy Delivery (3-5 business days): €0,00
Expedited Delivery (1-2 business days): €42,35

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