Orion SkyQuest XT8 Classic Dobsonian Telescope Kit for Adults & Families - High Power Scope for Astronomy Stargazing with Accessories & MoonMap

This is a great telescope for seeing objects in the sky that you can see with the naked eye. It gives amazing views of the Moon (the Moon looks best when it is not full so you can see more shadows and details IMO), Mars (kind of boring but you can definitely see that it looks red), Saturn (if everything is just right you can see the rings), and Jupiter ( it is so cool to see Jupiter's moons and you can even see the colors of the planet). I also really enjoy looking at Sirius (it is amazing to see all the colors in this star).It took me about 30 minutes to assemble and it took me a bit to learn how to aim it at objects. (Hint: follow the directions to co-witness the aiming red dot and the eye piece. We take this out 3 or 4 times a week and look at the objects I mentioned above. It is really simple to use and the view is amazing.It is a really big scope though and transporting it is a littlest cumbersome. It is moveable and it can be set up in just a few minutes ut transporting it in a car would fill the entire back seat and does list the ability to take it out to really dark sky areas.All in all, this has been an amazing telescope for us and we are loving using it often.

This telescope was a gift for my Dad! He loves it. You will need to watch a youtube video to assemble, and you may need to rewind a few times over certain parts! It is not intuitive. It took about an hour and a half to assemble. This is a big BOY, I believe it will be staying at the home for star gazing parties. My Dad is going to try and take it on a few day trips, but I would not recommend as a travel scope!The moon is CLEAR and BRIGHT. This is a great value for the money!

I have had this telescope since for 7 months as of now and bought as something to use with my kids.Pros-I have found this telescope to be very user intuitive, easy to put together and easy to use. The instructions were slightly unclear as some modifications done with extra parts and old parts were included, but I was able to figure that out in the end.The alignment of the mirrors was spot on and remains so to today.The clarity of the scope is exceptional compared to junk that I have used in the past. My kids have enjoyed viewing the Orion nebula, Jupiter, Saturn, Mars, Venus, and I was able to view a haze which I assume was the andromeda galaxy as well as the green comet that came close in February 2023 it too looked like a haze with a sometimes noticeable speck in the center. I am still a beginner and I also live in the middle of a large city with lots of light pollution in the south west of the U.S.A. I even bought a kit of lenses and filters so I might play around and experiment. I have yet to take this scope out of the city, however with the intense light pollution I am impressed with how much more is visible through the scope, I cant wait to take this out into an area where I and my kids can view the sky with out interference.Quality - The build of this scope feels amazing, and the alignment of the mirrors has not moved even with all the bumps and rattles from moving it around. The only issue I have is with the focuser, as it does feel a little cheap and friction based rather than gear based. I am worried about it wearing out after a while as well as maybe breaking off if I bump it wrong. Other than that I think this scope with the steel tube, solid fixtures and high quality mirrors is worth every penny.Neutral-Weight - The weight on this telescope combined with the size makes it a little unwieldly at around 40lbs, it is definitely something I need to be careful with for safety to myself and the scope. I like to break it down into two parts for ease of carrying as the whole thing together is kind of awkward to carry. However the weight is not something I consider to be in the way of using this telescope for the experiences I have had and will continue to have.Size- Playing into the weight factor, this telescope is quite large standing almost 4' tall and 10" around not including the base. I do not want anything bigger at this time and I find that for consistant use this is probably about the biggest I would go. As Ed Ting on you tube would say, and I am paraphrasing, use what will get you out the most because you will see more. I find this scope to be just right for me in terms of size and weight.Cons-Finder- I really dont like the finder that came with this scope. It is plastic and feels very very cheap which I worry about the stem breaking especially if I were to hit it on a door frame taking the tube out of my house or my garage. However this is not the biggest issue that I have with this. I can deal with the fragility of it if not for 2 things. 1. The biggest issue I have is with the viewing apparatus. The plastic it is made of looks like a filter of sorts, Much like sunglasses filter block light, I have found that I can only see the brightest of objects through this finder with the red dot laser at its minimum power. 2. The other issue with the red dot finder is that depending on your eye position the red dot appears to move. This does affect alignment with the scope and if you can find the same spot each time to place your eye, then you will be ok but it is still an annoyance to deal with and the scope usually is not spot on each time with me but I can get it in the ball park so this issue is only minor.Summary- I absolutely love this telescope and it is worth every penny of this purchase. The minor negatives are just that, Minor, and if you are looking for a good size observing telescope, this one has not done me wrong. I highly recommend that you replace the finder as I have with anything. I chose a telrad finder for the view through it is not obscured in any way and the sight on it acts like a peep sight, so I can put my target in the center with out it being obscured in any way by the light on the sight itself. That is just my preference though.I would not let the negatives about this scope keep me away from it, as there is something about seeing the unrivaled, undisturbed beauty of what is out there with your own eyes, and for me, this scope has allowed me to accomplish just that and more.

Hi Wendy.Your review hit a nerve on me because I can totally understand your frustration. I got this telescope 11 years ago and as a 25 years old back then it was pretty fun to put it together and finally get to use it. Must admit, tho, I sweated like a pig through the process. Fun still.This telescope was always a blast to use, even with zero portability and that for my height (5-4), the base can only be carried if my back goes crooked to the side. One day I actually hurt my back so bad it ruined the rest of my vacation with 30+ friends who we all went out star gazing. Pain lasted for a few days and I ended up going to the doctor, having to take days off and buying a lotion for the back. For a 25 years old, that was not a good sign. I eventually sold it and went the complete opposite, doing research with changed requirements and found the smallest TeleVue 60. It fits no a motorcycle saddle bag!!!Unfortunately, that telescope has always been stored as the lenses are more complicated and expensive to get right so I have never been able to see beyond the moon, which is trivial.A few weeks ago I got this one again and just like you its been sitting on its package. I'm now almost 37 years old and after assemblying myriads of Ikea/Amazon/YouNameIt furniture, my appetite for using this is not big enough to even bother. I will find the time this weekend hopefully.However, I must say, every single person I shared this telescope with was blown away. You can easily see planets, you can if you go to a dark place even see the bright of some galaxies (I was able to distinguish Leo's triplet once and I hadn't push the limists on darkness/pupils/setting) All the Messier objects are also worth looking at (Pleyades, Orion's Nebulae, and so on). One additional wonder, is just pointing the telescope to ANYWHERE in the sky and find a beautiful random disposition of starts. EVERY.SINGLE.TIME. Close stars tend to be boring to watch as they are always just dots, no matter the zoom. But the entire starry picture you only get to see through these lenses is amazing.I hope your problem is sorted out and if you are still having it packed and happen to live in Southern California, I have no issues assemblying it for you (since I will assembly mine, the recent learned curve would be more useful before i forget again). It will still be a nightmare to bring out, but with the proper dolly-cart it should be no problem. Once that is solved, using it is the simplest thing ever!!!!

Finder scope is junk. Everything else so far is primo. Suggest Orion include a better finder scope with the XT8 classic.