Orion SkyQuest XT4.5 Classic Dobsonian Telescope

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We Made This Scope for Beginners, But Experts Can't Resist It Either!

Orion SkyQuest XT4.5 Classic Dobsonian Telescope

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#09804

$219.95

Status: In Stock

Products in stock ordered by noon pacific time M-F will ship the same day

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Orion SkyQuest XT4.5 Classic Dobsonian Telescope

".... a new standard for the beginner's telescope" -- Sky & Telescope (4/01)
114mm aperture and 910mm focal length for views of lunar craters, planets, nebulas, and galaxies
Sturdy Dobsonian mount and handy grip knob allow for effortless maneuvering
Includes two eyepieces, finder scope, focuser, collimation cap, and FREE Starry Night astronomy software
One-year limited warranty

Now everyone with a curiosity for space can explore its mind-boggling wonders to their hearts' content. With an Orion SkyQuest XT4.5 Dobsonian Telescope stargazing is easy and fun. Its compact size, innovative design, and point-and-view simplicity make it the user-friendliest telescope for beginners to come along in years. Beginners ages 8 to 88, that is, because adults will also appreciate its portability and excellent optical performace!

Show Me the Cosmos!
The Orion SkyQuest XT4.5's Newtonian reflector tube assembly features a big 4.5"(114mm) light-gathering mirror housed in an enameled steel tube. This mirror pulls in 260% more starlight than the lens of a 60mm refractor (the classic beginner telescope), bringing hundreds more objects boldly into view! Think of it: in a given evening you could survey the Moon's myriad craters, then study Jupiter's cloud bands, then star-hop among the Milky Way's diverse star clusters and nebulas. The SkyQuest XT4.5 Dobsonian Telescope is one very revealing telescope!

Designed for Ease of Use
It's also a true "Dobsonian" telescope, having all the great features that make Dobsonian's so popular. Such as intuitive up-down, left-right maneuverability (without lock knobs or other adjustments to mess with) and sturdy support of the optics. The SkyQuest XT4.5's base features Teflon/Nylon bearing pads, so the scope glides smoothly with just a gentle nudge of the tube. The base provides far greater stability than the tripods included with most beginner scopes, so the views are always steady.

Like our other, critically acclaimed SkyQuest Dobsonians, the XT4.5 sports our exclusive CorrecTension Friction Optimization for superior tube balance and motion control. The CorrecTension springs also keep the tube fastened to the base, so the whole telescope can be carried as a single unit by the handle installed on the tube. There's literally no setting up or dismantling needed each time the telescope is used. That's a big plus, especially for kids.

Not Your Average Accessories!
The Orion SkyQuest XT4.5 Dobsonian Telescope comes complete with great accessories. Instead of a small 5x nonachromatic finder scope like you get with most beginner scopes, you get a 6x26 achromatic correct-image finder scope and a "navigation knob" for easy slewing of the telescope. You also get two fully coated 1.25" Sirius Plossl telescope eyepieces: a 25mm for low-power views at 36x, and a 10mm for getting in close at 91x.

Don't kill a budding interest in astronomy with a flimsy department store telescope. The SkyQuest XT4.5 is a real telescope, not a toy. It's a quality astronomical telescope capable of delivering high-resolution images of astronomical objects; which is why Mom, Dad, and the rest of the gang will enjoy using it, too. Hey, the line forms at the telescope eyepiece!

Focal length, 910mm (f/8). Base assembly required. Complete instructions included. Total weight, 17-1/2 lbs. (tube 9 lbs., base 8-1/2 lbs.). One-year limited warranty.

Media Buzz

Sky & Telescope Magazine — December 2005
"When it comes to raw performance, the Orion XT4.5 Dobsonian and StarBlast were the hands-down winners. Both provided brighter, more detailed views than the other scopes.

"The best of the bunch — solid combination of optics and mechanics.

"The Orion XT4.5 had the best finder [scope] — a nice 6x26 noninverting finder mounted in a superb spring-loaded bracket."

Astronomy Magazine — May 2003
"This little Dob can 'dig deep.' .... The XT4.5 is an ideal beginner's scope for the upcoming astronomer,...."

Sky & Telescope Magazine — April 2001
"Tough-as-nails design .... well-designed optical system and quality accessories. The Orion Nebula showed lots of texture .... Lots of star groupings showed up crisply in the Double Cluster .... On Jupiter, we could see the Great Red Spot .... Saturn showed four moons, the Cassini Division .... and subtle zones on the globe.

"For those seeking that mythical ideal first telescope, your search may be over .... The SkyQuest [XT4.5] has set a new standard for the beginner's telescope."

Need Instructions?
Download a PDF file of the Instruction Manual for this product.
Requires Adobe Reader version 3.0 or higher.

Product Specifications:

Use	Astronomy
User level	Beginner
Optical design	Reflector
Optical diameter	114mm
Focal length	910mm
Focal ratio	f/8.0
Optics type	Spherical
Glass material	Soda-lime plate
Eyepieces included	Sirius Plossl 25.0mm, 10.0mm
Magnification with included eyepieces	36x, 91x
Resolving power	1.02arc*sec
Lowest useful magnification	17x
Highest useful magnification	228x
Limiting stellar magnitude	12.9
Optical quality	Diffraction limited
Finder scope	6x26 Correct-image
Focuser	1.25" Rack-and-pinion
Secondary mirror obstruction	28mm
Secondary mirror obstruction by diameter	24%
Secondary mirror obstruction by area	6%
Mirror coatings/over-coatings	Aluminum and Silicon Dioxide
Mount style	Dobsonian
Astro-imaging capability	Simple moon shots
Computerized compatibility	Not compatible
Bearing material	Teflon and UHMW bearings
Tube material	Steel
Tripod material	Wood
Length of optical tube	35.0 in.
Weight, fully assembled	17.6 lbs.
Additional included accessories	Collimation cap, Eyepiece rack
Other features	CorrecTension system, Navigation knob, Integral carry handle
Warranty	One year

4/21/09 7:53 AM

Orion SkyQuest XT4.5 Classic Dobsonian Telescope

Reviewer: chad

The XT 4.5 dob is pretty cool. I wanted something more portable so that is why I decided to go this route. The size is a bit of an issue when viewing so you really need a nice little table to set the scope on and w right angle finder. After that its all good! I have been able to see many objects so far and a few planets. Saturn and its rings are really cool the first time. Assembly is easy and the construction is solid. I would buy again and do highly recommend for the beginner. If you want to advance your skills you will probably have to upgrade the scope in a year or two but I am sure I will still use it beyond that time.

1/24/09 2:32 PM

Orion SkyQuest XT4.5 Classic Dobsonian Telescope

Reviewer: Jorge

This is a great beginners telescope, way more than expected, is really easy to handle and the views through it are breath taking, also the dobsonian mount gives to the telescope a steady support preventing it from shaking. Size and portability are important issues for me because i live in the city on a 3rd floor apartment with no elevator so i need to bring the telescope three floors downstairs to put it inside my car (a small car), go to the country and then walk carrying it for 3 to 5 minutes looking for a good spot for sky observation, for that and other reasons the XT 4.5 is just the right size and weight for me.

12/8/08 9:35 AM

Orion SkyQuest XT4.5 Classic Dobsonian Telescope

Reviewer: Ryan Chandler

We are unstoppably pleased with this telescope. My 7-year old son has been wanting a telescope for a while, and after much study, we had zeroed in on the SkyQuest XT4.5 from Orion. We had purchased a telescope from the biggest of the big box stores, but were disappointed when we could pretty much see the same thing with the naked eye. Orion staff was extremely helpful and patient in answering our questions. We weren't really looking to spend the money on an astrophotography rig, since there are plenty of shots available online that are better than I could ever hope to capture anyway. Even though my son is very interested in space and astronomy, I didn't want to invest a huge amount since this was essentially a starter scope and we're not sure what our viewing patterns will be. The XT4.5's simplicity, size and capability confirmed to us that this was the scope for us. We also purchased an additional eyepiece that doubled the power. Assembly was simple and took perhaps about 45 minutes. Once we were set up, we took it outside. Living in the San Francisco Bay Area unfortunately meant that we had fog rolling in, but we took advantage of what time we had. The first thing we keyed in on was the moon. The finder scope got us quickly into close range. The doubler and one of the included eyepieces, fit precisely as they were designed. We quickly had the moon in view. The craters were extremely exciting to view, as was the Earth's shadow as we could see the shadow highlight the landscape. We viewed a few star clusters before the fog started to affect the deeper space views. We went back to the moon, and enjoyed it until the fog got too thick. My son and I are looking forward to countless nights using this incredible scope. If and when we do upgrade down the line, we will definitely start with the other Orion scopes. Thanks Orion for a great product and a great experience!

10/15/08 5:07 PM

Orion SkyQuest XT4.5 Classic Dobsonian Telescope

Reviewer: angie cross

Very sturdy! We have a four year old and an eight year old, and they have been able to do only minimal damage to it- mostly unscrewing knobs. My husband really likes it, and we bought it for him for father's day.

5/30/08 8:49 PM

Orion SkyQuest XT4.5 Classic Dobsonian Telescope

Reviewer: Steve in Florida

After my telescope was delivered, assembly was quick and rather straight forward. Because of it's small, spherical primary mirror, when I place the telescope outside, temperature equalization took only 25 - 30 minutes. My first target was the Hercules Globular Cluster, and at 130x magnification, I easily resolved stars around the edges of the glob. Just for grins, I jacked the power up to 200x magnification, and this time, the eyepiece was exploding with stars in all directions! WOW! Saturn was crisp and bright, and the cassini division looked like it had been drawn with a fine-tipped pencil. At 130x magnification, the Ring Nebula absolutely jumped out at me! After just one night of seeing what this little dob can do, I think I've found myself a new "grab-n-go" telescope. If you're looking for something light-weight that has more "uhmpf" than those cheap refractor telescopes at retail stores, this is the one for you.

3/3/08 7:57 PM

Orion SkyQuest XT4.5 Classic Dobsonian Telescope

Reviewer: Bradley Touchet

Built like a tank...great views in a small package. Easy to grab and go with. Would buy it again. BT

2/28/08 3:14 PM

Orion SkyQuest XT4.5 Classic Dobsonian Telescope

Reviewer: Bryan Steingard

Despite the winter weather, we have been enjoying our telescope. The free software included with our purchase, however, is not compatible with Windows Vista and so we are unable to use it which is unfortunate. [Note from Orion: We recently released a Vista compatible version of the Starry Night SE and shipped a copy to Bryan.]

1/15/08 9:11 PM

Orion SkyQuest XT4.5 Classic Dobsonian Telescope

Reviewer: Geraldine Freitas

I bought the SkyQuest XT4.5 mainly because it's small and weighs only 18 pounds. It's the prefect size for kids, but if you are 5 feet 5 inches or taller, and want to stand while observing, you would do well to place the scope on a sturdy table. To view the Moon comfortably, you will need to purchase a filter because this little light sponge sucks up so much light the Moon is as bright as a camera flash! Using the XT4.5, I've seen (in light-polluted San Leandro, California) several Messier objects, such as M42/Orion Nebula and numerous star clusters. The scope rendered with amazing clarity many other celestial objects, including 17P/Holmes, Jupiter (even saw a shadow cast on the surface of Jupiter from one of its moons!), Saturn, Mars, beautiful Albireo, just to name a few!

12/8/07 3:07 AM

Orion SkyQuest XT4.5 Classic Dobsonian Telescope

Reviewer: Milly Foss

I purchased this scope during the summer, and just love it! I was looking for a good starter scope that was easy for me to lug around, and that my 2 kids would enjoy. Well, this was it! The kids and I recently went to an event at our local planetarium--our local "star club" had a "bring out your scope night". The guys were there with their big killer looking scopes, and here I come with my little dob and 2 kids in tow! Well, a couple of the guys were amazed at how well this scope was, and even had a few wistful "wow, this reminds me of my first scope...wish I still had it.." comments! Since the event was open to the public, there were lots of parents and kids, and the kids naturally gravitated to the "baby telescope", 'cause they didn't need to climb up a stepstool or anything to look thru it. If you're looking for a great first scope that adults and kids WILL use, this is it!!!!

11/30/07 2:48 PM

Orion SkyQuest XT4.5 Classic Dobsonian Telescope

Reviewer: Enrique A. Cancino

Bought my 4.5 four years ago thinking I would soon "graduate" to a bigger one. I bought a bigger used dob but I always go back to my 4.5 Orion. Images are crisp, colimation is something I rarely do, portable and easy to set up, kids and grownups enjoy the views just the same. For the money spent, the value is tremendous and the enjoyment I have gotten from this "baby" dob is incredible. Wth the addition of a barlow and some filters plus a couple of specialty lenses I have system I can use for the rest of my days!

11/12/07 9:07 AM

Orion SkyQuest XT4.5 Classic Dobsonian Telescope

Reviewer: Rick B

Me and my nine year old son are brand new to astronomy. After several months of reading and reviewing, I chose this particular telescope. I'm very happy with the product, especially the excellent buying experience and customer service at Orion. Documentation for the scope is well written with a novice audience in mind; simple to assemble, the scope itself is easy to set up and use even for my son. What I'm most please about is the quality of the viewing. This is a great first REAL scope for us who are just starting out. My son is turning this from a passing interest into a genuine hobby that has sharpened is observation skills and taken him away from video games. A huge plus. I really believe this powerful, yet simple scope has made a difference in his interest. And, once again, the customer service is very professional. Shipping is fast too. These people know what they're doing.

10/17/07 10:36 AM

Orion SkyQuest XT4.5 Classic Dobsonian Telescope

Reviewer: Sam

This scope is amazing! I bring it out every clear night and everything i see is great! Jupiter shows loads of cloud bands every night, Saturn's rings are incredible, M22 shows a pretty group of stars around the edges, and the dumbbell nebula looks 3D! I could go on all day but this is a wonderful telescope with almost no negatives! It will keep me happy for years.

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