Orion 10014 SkyQuest XT4.5 Classic Dobsonian Telescope

by people ...

Product Specifications

Compact and lightweight - a perfect Dobsonian reflector telescope for traveling or easy trips to the backyard at home
4.5” aperture and 900mm focal length provide clear views of lunar craters and plains on the Moon, planets, bright nebulas and galaxies
Sturdy and portable Dobsonian base and handy navigation knob allow for effortless maneuvering of the reflector optical tube
Collects a whopping 260% more light than a typical beginner-level 60mm refractor telescope - which means hundreds more objects will be visible through the Orion SkyQuest XT4.5 Classic Dobsonian
Includes two eyepieces (25mm and 10mm focal length Sirius Plossl), 6x30 finder scope, 1.25” rack and pinion focuser, collimation cap, eyepiece rack, Starry Night astronomy software, and more!

Product Description

Product description Without spending a fortune you can get a telescope that will not only satisfy the kids, but the kid in you! Our SkyQuest XT4.5 is a quality telescope, with point-and-view simplicity that makes it easy to use and makes stargazing fun! The optical performance is far and away better than flimsy department store models. Its 4.5” (114mm) mirror, housed in an enameled steel tube, gathers 260% more starlight than a 60mm refractor. More light means you can see a lot more celestial objects in greater detail. In a review of low-cost beginner telescopes, Sky and Telescope (¹²⁄₀₅) proclaimed the XT4.5 “The best of the bunch - a solid combination of optics and mechanics.” Try it and see for yourself!

Amazon.com Amazon.com Review Orion’s Skyquest XT4.5 is the smallest in their Dobsonian line of telescopes that includes the B00020WZB0 XT6 , XT8 , and XT10. Newcomers to the hobby are always surprised at how large amateur telescopes are, but to experienced observers, this XT4.5 is considered a very small scope. Tiny, in fact (It’s so small, astronomers are buying them just because they think they’re so cute). Make no mistake, though–the XT4.5 is a full-fledged telescope, and is a serious observing tool that could last you for years.

Your money buys you a lot in this case. Included are a good-quality 4.5” f/8 primary mirror, two eyepieces, a finder, and a CD-ROM with a stripped-down version of The Sky, a software guide to the sky. The scope comes in two cartons. One contains the optical tube, and the other is a flat-packed box containing the base, which you assemble yourself. Orion includes all the hardware and tools you need, and the instructions are well written. Allocate about 30 minutes to assemble and align everything.

See a detailed view of the XT4.5’s features There are a couple of cost-cutting measures. The primary mirror is spherical, not parabolic (this is not likely to affect the views, however). Also, the focuser is plastic. While I’ve never seen one break, plastic focusers are by nature less robust than metal ones. Finally (and this may be the most serious concern of all), the scope is a little short for an adult. The eyepiece is only 3 feet off the ground, which may force you to stoop over (hint: try sitting on a short chair or stool while observing). On the other hand, the height is ideal for a child, and as a result, I heartily recommend this telescope for children. Under the stars, the XT4.5 exhibits excellent performance. Once properly collimated (aligned), the optics give clear, sharp, contrasty views. I’ve spent enjoyable nights using these telescopes, both as a teaching tool and by myself. Jupiter’s cloud band and four moons are no problem to see, nor are Saturn’s rings. The Orion Nebula is a glowing fan of green gas, with a quartet of tiny stars at its core. Under dark skies (and with some diligence) the XT4.5 can even pull in some of the fainter deep sky objects, like the brighter galaxies in the Virgo Cluster.

Despite the fact that I have a garage full of expensive telescopes, I never feel compromised with any of Orion’s XT scopes. As recently as a few years ago, the old adage regarding telescopes was that you must spend at least $300 to avoid buying junk. While this is still mostly true, Orion’s little XT4.5 breaks the price barrier in a big way. As long as you can deal with the short eyepiece height, it’s a great starter scope.

Pros:

Very good optical and mechanical performance Fully accessorized Great value Cons Short eyepiece height Plastic focuser See all Product description

Product Reviews

Nice compact Telescope!

I purchased this for my wife for her anniversary. She has been very happy with it. She and her sister went on a couple week camping trip with it, and especially liked it’s compact size for a telescope. I find the telescope to be a very good value for its cost and performance. We have had many enjoyable hours looking at the stars since our purchase. I would recommend it’s purchase for casual stargazers such as myself and Wife.

A great first telescope!

This is my family’s first telescope. The first night we got it out we saw Jupiter’s dark bands and three of its moons very clearly. It was exciting for all of us. The assembly took just a few minutes. We used ours without even calibrating it first, a risk, but it worked fine for us.I think this telescope will satisfy our curiosity about the night sky for years to come.The only con: The software would not run on my computer. It would not recognize my version of Adobe, which is current.

Great Value and Easy to Use

Great quality and easy to use. I have a computerized telescope but I use this one more often because I can leave it assembled and just pick it up and take it outside. Then just point and look! It’s not as powerful as a more expensive scope, and my other scope is a bit clearer. But I find myself using this one more often because it’s so easy to use.

I am seeing stars

I am so excited about this telescope. It is my first. I was able to assemble it easily with the provided instructions.It shipped in a very timely manner. I have only just started with this adventure but can focus it easily and the factory calibrations seem to be dead on. It is very easily moved and stored.The DVD included is hilarious however. I loved the dated slang used. It was like watching a comedy.

Skyquest Xt4.5 Classic Dobsonian Telescope

We are pleased with our purchase. You can see the rings of Saturn, the moon in great detail, just make out the stripes on Jupiter. You can see Saturn and Jupiter’s moons (as faint dots). We are wanting to get a solar filter to look at the sun.When we first received it, it was lacking the base Amazon was having difficulties with their inventory and the return and repurchase from Orion was easy and fast.

Awesome beginner telescope!

I got this as my second telescope (never got much use out of my first) it is really good for the price! I have been able to see a the Moon, few planets, and many DSOs! It is also portable, It is small enough to fit in any car and the handle is an added plus!

One word, Amazing!

I’m 44 years old and this is my first telescope. My dad had one when I was younger, but it never seemed to work, so this is pretty much my first experience with a telescope. I went with the 4.5 for the portability factor, and honestly because I wasn’t sure how much my family would like it. We have been using it for less than two weeks and it is AMAZING! Granted, we had no idea what to expect, and we’ve only looked at the moon and Jupiter, but just the fact that you can SEE Jupiter, and it’s four moons, with a backyard telescope is phenomenal! My oldest daughter can’t believe what the moon looks like, she keeps saying, “It doesn’t look real!” This is the best family Christmas gift ever. If you are even remotely interested in astronomy you will not regret this purchase. Assembly was pretty easy. My 9 year old and I had it completed in a half hour using a power screwdriver to assemble the base. You have to be very careful with the torque setting if using a power screwdriver as it is easy to strip the screws. The telescope is very easy to use, even for me and I had no idea what I was doing. We can’t wait until Saturn is “on the right of the Earth at night” to see how it looks. I guess the teachers were right, learning can be fun!

Very pleased with this equipment

I could say that this is a perfect beginners telescope, but being a beginner myself, I think that’s unfair. This is a great telescope, because:1.-It is really simple to assembly (took me 1 hour, but only because I looked twice or thrice to the instructions)2.-It is sturdy but light at the same time.3.-It is so easy to point in the right direction. To test it, I watched this year’s lunar eclipse, simply amazing.I believe my son (a five year old) will enjoy it very much, as well as I do. After all, this is a Christmas present for him.

Five Stars

great

If you have been let down in the past, this scope is for you.

I am very pleased with this telescope. Right out of the box it was very clear and I had no trouble viewing any of the better known objects of the sky.

Happy with this scope.

I had a 10” dob a few years back. It got far too heavy to carry, so I sold all of my optics along with the scope. I just saw this one and thought what the heck?

Five Stars

Great telescope. The views I get of saturn and jupiter with this are amazing.

CHEATED!!!

THE PACKAGE I RECEIVED DID NOT CONTAIN A TELESCOPE!!!!!!IT ONLY CONTAINED WHAT LOOKED LIKE A WOODEN TABLE STAND. NOT A TELESCOPE.LOOKS LIKE I HAVE BE CHEATED!!