That peering into the vastness of space and observing celestial bodies in our galaxy is exciting, but the thought of buying a new telescope is equally if not scarier
If you enjoy astronomy, experts will most likely tell you to buy a Dobsonian telescope. So why are they so popular? Well, that answer lies in its simplicity and that they’re economical, you shouldn’t be fooled. However, these telescopes are used worldwide by beginners and experts alike because of their feasibility and functionality.
Now, these telescopes can range from small 6 inch sizes up to 30-inch large Dobsonian telescopes. Generally, 8-inch is considered a good size with the perfect balance between portability and light gathering capability. If you’re worried about ending up buying the wrong telescope, then stop worrying; this guide was made just for you. After weighing in all the options and doing extensive research, we’ve managed to compile this list of The Telescopes below.
Things to consider before buying:
Aperture: Arguably the most important component of a Dobsonian telescope is the aperture size. Simply put, the aperture size is the size of the primary mirror, and the larger the mirror, the greater amount of light that it can capture. The greater the amount of light captured means brighter images with better resolution; simply put, a larger aperture size allows you to view more objects with greater clarity. This doesn’t mean you should go for the biggest aperture size that your wallet allows. You need to realize that larger aperture sizes mean the bigger and less transportable your telescope will be. Don’t make the mistake of buying a large aperture telescope and never using it due to its bulky nature. Always remember the best telescope is one that is used often. As a general rule of thumb, 6-8” aperture strike the perfect balance between form and function.
Best 8-inch Dobsonian Telescope 2022
Here are the top Dobsonian 8 inch telescopes you can find in the market:
Focal Length: Another important aspect to look out for when buying a Dobsonian is the focal length of the telescope. Focal length is the distance from the objective lens to the eyepiece and has a major role in determining the telescope’s magnifying power. As a general rule of thumb, telescopes with larger focal lengths tend to be longer, and those with short focal lengths are shorter and smaller. Generally, the smaller the focal distance, the larger field of view you’ll have when using the telescope, making it great for viewing star clusters, large nebulae, etc. Longer focal distance translates to a narrower field of vision, allowing you to zoom in and magnify the image more on your target, giving you a more detailed close-up view of smaller objects.
A large 8-inch aperture telescope at a great price
Includes a 25mm Sirius Plossl eyepiece and many other great accessories
Easy to set up and collimate
Versatile and can accept 1.25” and 2” eyepieces
Pros
Cons
✅Our favorite telescope in the 8” aperture size range
❌ The mount is not as smooth as some other telescopes
✅ Several great accessories
❌Included accessories are good for beginners but might need to upgrade in the future
✅ A great quality primary optic
❌Not particularly light weighing at 40lbs total
✅The Dobsonian base is easy to point and use
This Orion 8 inch Dobsonian telescope is an excellent pick for anyone trying to enter their way into astronomy. The telescope is considered the best 8 inch Dobsonian telescope in the Reddit community due to its outstanding features. Here are some of the 8-inch Dobsonian telescope pictures and features you should check out.
Powerful 8-inch (203mm) Primary Mirror
There are many reasons that this is one of the highest-rated and leading 8-inch telescopes for sale with excellent reviews on Amazon, and the amazing quality 8-inch primary mirror is one of them.
The 8” mirror is small enough for spontaneous camping trips and big enough to capture large amounts of light and give you an amazing view of the cosmos. With this setup, you can observe almost everything in this solar system with detail, and even further, you can observe some nebulae and distant galaxies.
Extra-stable Dobsonian Base
The telescope’s mounting makes the telescope very easy to use for beginners; it’s easy to point and use even kids to have a blast exploring what the cosmos has to offer. Thanks to the spring tension system of the mount dubbed as Orion’s “CorrecTension” system, the mount will stay fixated and stable until you need to change it to a new target.
Included Accessories
This is such a great value and an inexpensive telescope. The telescope offers only the bare essentials, which can and should be upgraded after gaining some experience in stargazing.
A Sirius Plössl eyepiece
An EZ-Finder 2 scope
A 2” Crayford focuser that is compatible with 1.25” and 2” eyepieces
A collimation cap
Orion’s Starry night software.
Overall the accessories are nothing to write home about but are perfect for beginners who will choose to upgrade regardless, and since it’s such a great bang for your buck telescope with an 8-inch aperture, there’s not much we can complain about.
Tension controlled handles that allow for accurate movement
Good mid-range price
Pros
Cons
✅Sturdy but not too heavy
❌ Large and difficult to transport
✅ A good option for beginners
✅ Tension handles for accurate adjustment
✅8-inch lens made from Borosilicate that makes it shatterproof
What can you see with an 8 inch Dobsonian telescope? With the magnification SkyWatcher 8 inch Dobsonian Classic offers, there is so much you can see in the skies; it is mind-blowing. Rated as the ultimate 8 inch telescope in the UK, this 8 inch Dobsonian is unarguable a great choice.
Borosilicate Coated Primary and Secondary Mirrors
This telescope offers something that isn’t seen much in this price range. Borosilicate coated primary and secondary mirrors, which gives this Dobsonian’s mirrors added strength and high-quality images. You can experience fine details on the moon and planets and even beyond into distant galaxies with such a powerful lens!
Ultra-Stable Alt-Azimuth Dobsonian Mount
This telescope comes with an Alt-Azimuth Dobsonian mount with something that Skywatcher has patented and called “Proprietary Tension Control Handles,” which helps make accurate adjustments to help target anything in the cosmos easily. Not only that but the bearings included are made from Teflon, giving smooth movement but are also weather resistant.
Included Accessories
A 2 inch Crayford focuser with a 1 ¼ adapter that is compatible with both 2” and 1 ¼” eyepieces
A 9×50 finderscope
Two eyepieces super wide-angle eyepieces (25mm and 10mm)
The skywatcher 8-inch Dobsonian telescope comes with the finest eyepieces for 8 inch Dobsonian. With an affordable price and great features, it is one of the greatest picks on this list.
More or less the same great “SkyWatcher 8-inch Dobsonian Classic 200” telescope with the added feature of collapsibility
Large 8-inch aperture
Skywatch’s patented “Proprietary Tension Control Handles.
Fully multi-coated Borosilicate primary and secondary mirrors
Teflon bearings gives greater flexibility
Pros
Cons
✅Collapsibility makes it portable and easy to carry for camping trips or backyard viewing
❌ Cradle drifts during use
✅ Included 8x50 Right Angle Viewfinder
❌ Weight downplays benefit of collapsibility
✅ 2” Crayford Focuser with 1.25” adapter
❌ Some issues of parts quality reported by users
✅Great aperture per dollar value/strong>
Collapsibility and Portability
The biggest selling point of this 8 inch Dobsonian is the collapsibility feature that makes this telescope portable and easy to carry in the back of your car and reassembled where needed, which is a huge benefit for those that like to use it in different locations. However, this comes at the cost of added weight due to external struts needed for collapsibility.
Super-Stable Dobsonian Mount
The telescope is a Newtonian style reflector sitting on a Dobsonian style mounting from the same company as the previous product. This also touts the Skywatcher company’s patented “Proprietary Tension Control Handles,” making adjusting for objects a lot easier.
Included Accessories
A 2-inch Crayford-style focuser with 1 1/4-inch adapter
Two super wide-angle eyepieces (25mm and 10mm)
An 8×50 right-angle finderscope
I would recommend checking the Dobsonian telescope on Amazon with telescope images to get an idea of the product. Reviews will help you find out more about what the owners think about the products.
The cheaper and smaller version of our Editor’s favorite Orion SkyQuest XT8 Dobsonian
Lightweight
No need to polar align
Affordable
Pros
Cons
✅Good aperture per dollar value
❌ Only one eyepiece included
✅ Sturdy and durable Dobsonian design
❌ Sturdy and durable Dobsonian design
Plastic components for example the focuser knobs leaves a bit to be desired
✅Easy to set up and carry
❌ The red dot finder is of cheap quality
✅Long focal length (1200mm)
While you might be looking for an 8 aperture telescope, I would like to bring forth something extra-ordinary.
Large 6″ Parabolic Primary Mirror
This Dobsonian comes with a reasonably large 6” (150mm) f/8 primary parabolic mirror with a focal length of 1200mm that is perfect for beginners who wish to observe the solar system with greater clarity. With this powerful lens, you can observe the moon, planets in our solar system and even delve into deep-sky viewing of galaxies and star clusters.
Smooth Mount
The mount of this Dobsonian is more or less the same as the more expensive XT8 model from Orion and features the same “CorrecTension” springs that provide smooth and accurate movement.
Two multi-coated eyepieces included, a 2” 30mm eyepiece for wide-field views and a 1.25” 9mm eyepiece for higher magnification.
Collapsable tube for easy transportation
Large 8” parabolic primary mirror
Great value for the price
Pros
Cons
✅Large 8-inch aperture
❌ A bit higher price than other beginner telescopes
✅ Right angle finderscope for easier time finding objects
❌Ships in two different boxes
✅ Can be broken down into 2 pieces and put back together for portability
❌A bit on the heavier side
✅2 fully multi-coated eyepieces included
What is the best Dobsonian telescope? This question pops up in everyone’s mind when searching for an 8-inch Dobsonian. If you are looking for the finest 8-inch telescope in the UK, Zhumell Z8 is definitely worth checking out.
Powerful 8-inch Parabolic Primary Mirror
The Zhumell Z8 Deluxe Dobsonian Reflector Telescope comes with an 8-inch parabolic primary mirror that produces clear, crisp, and fine detailed images. To make things better, this telescope comes with two fully multi-coated eyepieces: a 30mm one for wide-angle view and another 9mm one for higher magnification. This gives you an extra option that not many other telescopes offer in this price range.
Right Angle Correct Image
The Zhumell Z8 Deluxe comes with a right-angle correct image (RACI) finder scope that makes it immensely easy to find targets. With the help of its 8-inch primary mirror, you can absorb all the universe has to offer with amazing contrast and fine detail.
Included Accessories
This telescope comes with a lot of great accessories. Apart from the center marked 8-inch mirror, the telescope includes:
A right-angle correct image finderscope
Two eyepieces: a 30mm eyepiece for wide-angled views and a 9mm one for higher magnification
A Crayford focuser that is compatible with 1.25-inch and 2-inch eyepieces,
For easier collimation, this telescope also comes with a laser collimator and collimation screws!
Buying a telescope can be a scary ordeal and not so mention expensive! Telescopes can range from well under $300 to as much as a few thousand dollars. There are many kinds of telescopes out there, and choosing the wrong one might discourage you from star gazing altogether. Therefore it’s important to choose the right type of telescope with the perfect balance between performance and price.
Cost
Luckily though, Dobsonian telescopes are a thing, and they’re quite popular! The main reason they’re so popular is because of three things, they’re economical, simple, and offer the most aperture per dollar. In the world of astronomy, the aperture is key (as you’ll find out in the section below).
Simplicity
Everything about telescopes is simple and effective; take, for example, the mount, usually made up of wood or metal that can be moved by hand in the Altitude (up/down) axis and Azimuth (left/right) axis. This makes this type of telescope easy to use; physically adjust the mount and place the object you want to see in the finderscope, and you’re ready to enjoy the spectacular view.
Dobsonian telescopes are basically altazimuth-mounted Newtonian telescopes. They use the same mirror setup as Newtonian reflectors because they are cost-efficient and simple, having just two mirrors. Compared to other more complex setups like the Schmidt-Cassegrain, which includes more mirrors and is, therefore, more expensive.
Portability
Another neat feature of the Dobsonian telescopes is that they’re still practical, even if they are somewhat large. You can disassemble the main tube from the base and reassemble the telescope within minutes. This makes this kind of telescope easy to carry for camping trips in your car or even to and from your backyard.
These features make Dobsonian telescopes the obvious choice for someone who wants to experience the universe without breaking the bank. Telescopes are known for their affordability and ease of use. They’re not only perfect for beginners but experienced astronomers alike, and you can always upgrade to larger-sized variants if and when you desire.
Buying Guide
If you’re new to the realm of astronomy and don’t know much about telescopes but want to get started, then this section is just for you. Here we’ll discuss what aspects and features to look out for when buying a new telescope and some things you should definitely avoid. Hopefully, you’ll have figured out the perfect telescope that fits your needs at the end of this section.
What Features To Look For When Buying a Dobsonian Telescope
Magnification
Many novice astronomers tend to fall into the more magnification equals better telescope trap, especially when some telescopes advertise magnification as high as 600x (a mind-boggling number). For most intents and purposes, a telescope’s useful magnification is twice its aperture in inches (or 50 times the aperture in inches), so you’d need something with 12 inches (304mm) aperture to get a clear image.
Many other issues arise with extremely high magnification telescopes, such as decreased brightness of the image, increased shake in the image due to wind or vibrations, shorter eye relief, etc. The takeaway here is not to fall into the trap of thinking that higher magnification means getting a better deal. Other factors such as those discussed previously are more important.
Stick To Reputable Brands
You should always stick to brands with a good track record to make sure your hard-earned money isn’t going to waste. Some reputable brands are Orion, Skywatcher, Celestron, Meade, etc.
A 2″ Crayford Style Focuser
Something good to have but not necessarily make or break your deal is the option of having a 2 inch Crayford Style Focuser. This ensures you have options available if and when you desire to change eyepieces. The 2 inch Crayford Style Focuser is compatible with both 1.25 inch and 2.0-inch eyepieces giving you more options to experience the cosmos.
Conclusion
This sums up our comprehensive guide on the finest 8 inch telescopes that you can lay your hands on. Even if you are new to the market, the buying guide will sort the matter out for you. All you need to know is what do you expect from the product, and then the rest is a smooth process to follow. The perfect choice obviously depends on your requirements and budget, and this list covers almost every feature you might be looking for. I would highly recommend researching what features you need and reading the reviews of all the telescopes before you make a decision of buying.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the best 8 inch Dobsonian telescope for sale on Amazon?
There is no one perfect telescope. Each has its pros and cons, but after weighing in the options, our personal favorite 8 inch Dobsonian would be the Orion SkyQuest XT8.
What can I see with an 8 inch Dobsonian telescope?
8 inch Dobsonians are quite versatile. With it, you can observe objects in our own Solar System, such as the Moon in fine detail, Jupiter, and our favorite being observing Saturn rings. You can also go beyond and see star clusters, nebulae, and some galaxies as well.
What are the best eyepieces for an 8 inch Dobsonian Telescope?
There are many eyepieces out there in the market with many varieties and obvious differences in price tags. Our personal favorite for beginners has to be the Celestron – 1.25” Eyepiece and Filter Accessory Kit-14 Piece Telescope Accessory Set. It is currently the leading eyepiece and filter accessory kit on Amazon and is sure to fulfill your needs and serve you for the first few years, starting with this new hobby.
Does Celestron make 8 inch Dobsonian Telescopes?
No. Celestron is a reputable brand known for manufacturing different high-quality Telescopes. However, they only have 10 inch or 6-inch telescopes.
Can you use 8 inch Dobsonian Telescopes for taking pictures?
Yes, you can use them to take images using your smartphone’s camera through the eyepiece. You’ll need to upgrade to a telescope with equatorial mounts with tracking drives for long exposure shots.
Which 8 inch Dobsonian Telescope has good reviews?
As of now, the 8 inch Dobsonian Telescope with the most positive reviews on Amazon has to be our personal favorite, theOrion 8 inch Dobsonian 8945 SkyQuest XT8 Telescope.
What can you see with an 8 inch Dobsonian telescope?
The Moon, bright planets, binary stars, open and globular clusters, nebulae, and galaxies are all potential targets that can be seen by an 8 inch Dobsonian telescope. Additional accessories such as a lens that can help with higher magnification can be helpful to clearly see more celestial things in space.
I am a Space enthusiast and have been into deep space research for over 8 years. Inspired by the likes of Mary Robinette Kowal and others to write great content.
I hope you agree with me when I say:
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Another neat feature of the Dobsonian telescopes is that they’re still practical, even if they are somewhat large. You can disassemble the main tube from the base and reassemble the telescope within minutes. This makes this kind of telescope easy to carry for camping trips in your car or even to and from your backyard.
Many novice astronomers tend to fall into the more magnification equals better telescope trap, especially when some telescopes advertise magnification as high as 600x (a mind-boggling number). For most intents and purposes, a telescope’s useful magnification is twice its aperture in inches (or 50 times the aperture in inches), so you’d need something with 12 inches (304mm) aperture to get a clear image.
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