Orion SkyQuest XT12i IntelliScope Dobsonian Telescope

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Orion SkyQuest XT12i IntelliScope Dobsonian Telescope

Free Starry Night software (a $69.90 value)

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This clever push-to Dobsonian reflector telescope can lead you to more than 14,000 celestial objects with its included IntelliScope Computerized Object Locator
12" aperture f/4.9 reflector telescope gathers enough light for bright close-up views of the Moon and planets
Big reflector telescope provides sharp views of faint deep sky objects like galaxies, nebulas and star clusters
Simple Dobsonian point-and-view ease of use plus IntelliScope smarts equals a telescope for a lifetime
Includes 2" Crayford focuser, two Sirius Plossl 1.25" eyepieces, a 9x50 right-angle correct-image finder scope, eyepiece rack, collimation cap, Starry Night software and more!

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Item # 10020

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The Orion SkyQuest XT12i Computerized IntelliScope takes big-aperture astronomy to a new level of performance and user-friendly fun. With design ingenuity and technical sophistication that make competing models yesterday's news, it will WOW even the most star-savvy enthusiast. And now the XT12 SkyQuest XT12i Computerized IntelliScope comes with a 2" Crayford-style focuser for smooth focusing performance.

Its prodigious 305mm (12.0"), Pyrex parabolic primary mirror pulls down 42% more light than 10" optics and 126% more than 8" optics. What's more, the XT12i is an IntelliScope. Which means you can plug the included IntelliScope Computerized Object Locator into the telescope's base and you're ready to find and view any of 14,000 celestial objects with the push of a button or two. Sound easy? It is.

Intelliscope Dob Chart

The Orion SkyQuest XT12i Computerized IntelliScope is outfitted with an open-ventilation, aluminum mirror cell that features 9-point floating support and mounting holes for an optional cooling fan. The 2" Crayford-style focuser accepts both 2" and 1.25" eyepieces. The Crayford-style focuser is smoother and more accurate than a rack-and-pinion focuser. Roller bearing construction eliminates image shift due to drawtube "rocking". Upgraded metal focusing knobs with rubber grips give you a great feel, and a thumb screw for locking the focus position and adjusting tension give you greater control. The focuser includes an adapter for 1.25" telescope eyepieces.

You also get a 9x50 dovetail finder scope and our exclusive navigation knob for easy slewing. The made-in-USA base boasts non-stick PTFE azimuth bearings for smooth, "stiction-free" movement (not the rumblin', bumblin' roller bearings as on some other brands), and a springless, adjustable CorrecTension system for always-perfect tube balance and motion.

Although it's big, the Orion XT12i is easily manageable by any fit individual. The optical tube, which uncouples from the base for transport, is 4' 10" long and 50 lbs. The base is 30" tall, 26" wide, weighs 33 lbs., and has a convenient carrying handle.

If you're ready for some outrageous aperture, get the smartest big telescope to come along in years - the Orion SkyQuest XT12i Computerized Intelliscope! Mirror, optical tube, and base packaged separately; some assembly required.

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 800-676-1343.

Warning

Please note this product was not designed or intended by the manufacturer for use by a child 12 years of age or younger.

Product Support

Visit our product support section for instruction manuals and more

Specs

Best for viewing

Fainter deep sky
Best for imaging

Lunar & planetary
User level

User level

Beginner - Suited for a wide range of uses, Level 1 telescopes are simple to operate and set up. Some initial assembly may be required. Very good optical and mechanical quality. Great for families, young people, and folks who don't want to mess with equipment but just want to take a look. Any of these scopes will show you countless lunar craters, Saturn's rings and a myriad of star clusters and nebulas! Referring to the manual is recommended.

Intermediate - These scopes offer higher performance and more advanced features than Level 1 models. They typically take a bit longer to learn and need some set-up or adjustments. But anyone with the slightest technical bent will have no problem getting familiar with these models. Referring to the manual is recommended.

Advanced - These scopes provide the best performance but may require more skill to master and appreciate. They have exceptionally fine optics and mechanics. Some are easy to use but are but on the large or heavy side. Some are intended for specialized uses. These scopes will appeal to the more technically inclined. Referring to the manual is highly recommended.

Expert - Expert telescopes offer uncompromising optical and mechanical quality for the most demanding amateur astronomer. They may be technically involved or designed for specialized use, such as astrophotography or detailed deep sky observation. They carry a premium price, but are designed to provide the ultimate performance in the field. Referring to the manual is highly recommended.

Advanced
Optical design

Optical design

Reflector telescopes use a pair of large and small mirrors to direct incoming light to the eyepiece. Refractor telescopes refract, or "bend" incoming light to a focus by means of an objective lens. Cassegrain telescopes, such as Maksutov-Cassegrains, "fold" incoming light using two mirrors and a front "corrector" lens.

Reflector
Optical diameter

Optical diameter

The optical diameter (also known as aperture), is the size of the telescope's main light collecting lens or mirror, measured in millimeters or inches. As the diameter increases, more light is collected and the resolution increases.

305mm
Focal length

Focal length

The focal ratio of an optical system is the ratio of a telescope's focal length to its aperture. Short focal ratios (f/5, f/4.5) produce wide fields of view and small image scales, while long focal lengths produce narrower fields of views and larger image scales.

1500mm
Focal ratio

Focal ratio

The focal ratio of an optical system is the ratio of a telescope's focal length to its aperture. Short focal ratios (f/5, f/4.5) produce wide fields of view and small image scales, while long focal lengths produce narrower fields of views and larger image scales.

f/4.9
Optics type

Optics type

Newtonian reflectors will have either a spherical shaped mirror, which is less expensive to produce, or a higher quality parabola, which does not result in spherical aberration. Cassegrain telescopes routinely use spheres in addition to other lenses in the optical path to correct for residual spherical aberration. Refractors use a series of lenses to provide a clear image. Designs range from a standard air-spaced doublet (two lenses in a row) to exotic designs such as oil-spaced triplets and 4-element multi group lenses.

Parabolic
Glass material

Glass material

Refractors use glass lenses to focus the light, and the glass material plays an important role in the quality of the resulting image. Standard achromatic refractors routinely use Crown and Flint for the two elements, but more expensive apochromatic refractors can use ED (extra low dispersion) glass for one or more of the lenses. Reflector mirrors are made from glass with different levels of thermal expansion. Standard mirrors are made from material such as Soda-Lime Plate glass and BK-7 glass. Glass with Pyrex or other low thermal expansion material will not change shape as dramatically during the cool-down period, resulting in more stable images during this period.

Low thermal expansion glass
Eyepieces

Sirius Plossl 25.0mm, 10.0mm
Magnification with included eyepieces

60x, 150x
Resolving power

Resolving power

The theoretical resolving power of a telescope can be calculated with the following formula: Resolving power (in arc seconds) = 4.56 divided by aperture of telescope (in inches). In metric units, this is: Resolving power (in arc seconds) = 116 divided by aperture of telescope (in millimeters). Note that the formula is independent of the telescope type or model, and is based only upon the aperture of the telescope. So the larger the telescope's aperture, the more it is capable of resolving. This is important to keep in mind when observing astronomical objects which require high resolution for best viewing, such as planets and double stars. However, it is usually atmospheric seeing conditions (not the telescope) which limits the actual resolving power on a given night; rarely is resolution less than one arc-second possible from even the best viewing locations on Earth.

0.38arc*sec
Lowest useful magnification

Lowest useful magnification

Lowest useful magnification is the power at which the exit pupil becomes 7mm in diameter. Powers below this can still be reached with the telescope to give wider fields of view, but the image no longer becomes brighter at a lower power. This is due to the fact that the exit pupil of the telescope (the beam of light exiting the eyepiece) is now larger than the average person's dark adapted pupil, and no more light can fit into the eye.

43x
Highest useful magnification

Highest useful magnification

The highest practical limit is different from the often used "highest theoretical magnification" specification. The "theoretical" limit generally is 50x the aperture of the scope in inches (2x the aperture in mm). So for example, an 80mm refractor is capable of 160x, and a 10" telescope is theoretically capable of 500x magnification. But after approximately 300x, theory breaks down and real world problems take over. The atmosphere above us is constantly in motion, and it will distort the image seen through the telescope. This effect may not be noticeable at lower powers, but at higher powers the atmosphere will dramatically blur the object, reducing the quality of the image. On a good night (a night where the air above is steady and the stars aren't twinkling), the practical upper limit of a large telescope is 300x, even thought the theoretical limit may be much higher. This doesn't mean the scope will never be able to reach those higher "theoretical" powers - there will be that rare night where the atmosphere is perfectly still and the scope can be pushed past it's practical limit, but those nights will be few and far between.

300x
Highest theoretical magnification

610x
Limiting stellar magnitude

Limiting stellar magnitude

The limiting stellar magnitude is a measure of the faintest star you can see through the telescope.

15.1
Optical quality

Optical quality

"Diffraction Limited" means that the limits of image detail are determined by the physical properties of light, and not by optical defects in the telescope.

Diffraction limited
Finder scope

9x50 Correct-image, right angle
Focuser

2" Crayford
Secondary mirror obstruction

70mm
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

Astro-imaging capability

The astro-photographic capability of the telescope is based on the style, stability, and accuracy of the mount and tripod. Telescopes on either very lightweight mounts or non tracking mounts (such as Dobsonians) are capable of only very short exposures such as lunar photographs. If a motor drive is attached to an equatorial mount, even a small lightweight mount is capable of capturing some planetary detail. Larger EQ mounts that utilize very precise tracking and excellent stability are capable of longer exposure deep-sky photography.

Simple moon shots
Computerized compatibility

Computerized compatibility

Some mounts are compatible with a motorized Go-To system for fully automated computer finding of objects in the night sky. Others mounts are compatible with computer finding systems which require the user to manually move the mount to the object's position as indicated by the computer finder.

Intelliscope included
Alignment procedure

2-Star Alignment
Number of objects in database

14,000+
Bearing material

PTFE and UHMW bearings
Power requirement

9-volt battery
Available ports

Available ports

Ports allow the mount to connect to devices such as autoguiders (for long exposure photography without tedious manual guiding), PC's running planetarium software (via the RS-232 port) and GPS receivers (through the Aux port).

RS-232
Tube material

Steel
Tripod material

Wood
Length of optical tube

58.3 in.
Weight, optical tube

50.0 lbs.
Weight, mount/tripod

33.0 lbs.
Weight, fully assembled

83.0 lbs.
Additional included accessories

IntelliScope Computerized Object Locator HC, Eyepiece rack, 1.25" Eyepiece adapter
Other features

IntelliScope object locator (w/ 9-volt battery), Navigation knob
Warranty

One year

In the Box

Orion SkyQuest Computerized IntelliScope XT12i Optical Tube Assembly
25mm Orion Sirius Plossl telescope eyepiece (1.25")
10mm Orion Sirius Plossl telescope eyepiece (1.25")
Orion 2" - 1.25" eyepiece adapter
Computerized IntelliScope object locator hand controller
9x50 finder scope
Finder scope bracket with O-ring
Collimation cap
Telescope eyepiece rack
Dust cap
Eyepiece rack mounting wood screws
Tensioning/Retaining knobs
Tensioning knob nylon washer
Tensioning knob metal washer
Nylon retaining knob spacer
Handle
Handle mounting hex-head screws
Handle mounting screw washers
Crescent wrench
Azimuth encoder board
Encoder connector board
Encoder disk
Left panel
Right panel
Front brace
Top base plate
Ground base plate
Base assembly wood screws
Hex key
Plastic feet
Feet attachment wood screws
Encoder board mounting wood screws
Brass bushing
Azimuth axis hex-head screw
Fender washers
Hex lock nut
Altitude bearing cylinders
Altitude bearing cylinder screws
Vertical stop knob
Flat washers
Altitude encoder assembly
Coil cable
Altitude encoder cable (53")
Azimuth encoder cable (24")
Wire retaining clips
Hook-and-loop strips
Plastic bumper
Wood screws
Nylon washers
9V battery
Starry Night special edition software

Shipping Info

Orders received by noon Pacific Time for in-stock items ship the same business day. Orders received after noon will 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.

Standard Delivery: $80.00
3 Day Delivery: $651.00
2 Day Delivery: $651.00
Next Day Delivery: $654.00

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Since 1975 Orion Telescopes & Binoculars has been offering telescopes for sale direct to customers, with an unswerving commitment to best quality products, value and unmatched customer care. Our 100% satisfaction guarantee says it all.

Orion offers telescopes for every level: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, and Expert. From our entry level beginner telescopes for amateur astronomers to our Dobsonian telescopes to our most advanced Cassegrain telescopes and accessories, you can find the best telescope for you. And you'll enjoy discount prices by buying your telescope online, direct from Orion. Not sure how to choose a telescope? Orion's Telescope Buyer's Guide is a great place to start.

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Orion's telescope and astrophotography accessories will enhance your telescope enjoyment without breaking the bank. Expand your viewing experience with accessories ranging from moon filters to power-boosting Barlow lenses to advanced computerized telescope mounts. Capture breathtaking photos with our affordable astrophotography cameras. And when you're stargazing, Orion's telescope cases and covers, observing gear, red LED flashlights, astronomy books and star charts will make your observing sessions more convenient, comfortable and meaningful.

At Orion, we are committed to sharing our knowledge and passion for astronomy and astrophotography with the amateur astronomy community. Visit the Orion Community Center for in-depth information on telescopes, binoculars, and astrophotography. You can find astrophotography "how to" tips and share your best astronomy pictures here. Submit astronomy articles, events, and reviews, and even become a featured Orion customer!

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Advanced

User level

Optical design

Optical diameter

Focal length

Focal ratio

Optics type

Glass material

Resolving power

Lowest useful magnification

Highest useful magnification

Limiting stellar magnitude

Optical quality

Astro-imaging capability

Computerized compatibility

Available ports

Why Buy From Orion

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