More Information  · Supplied Accessories

The relatively long focal ratio and small diagonal mirror obstruction of the Orion XT6 gives it the high contrast you need for exceptionally detailed views within the solar system. Its 6” aperture gives you the good light-gathering (over 450 times greater than the human eye) that you need for capturing faint deep space wonders. Binary stars, open and globular star clusters, faint nebulas and galaxies – all are revealed in exceptional and subtle detail, even through mildly light-polluted suburban skies.

The Orion SkyQuest is human powered. You move the scope manually – which is faster, quieter, and much less expensive than a motorized system. With only two major components to assemble (tube and base), and a heaviest single component weight of under 21 pounds, the scope takes only a minute or two to set up and is easily carried by any fit individual. It can be used in your back yard or at a distant dark sky site (the preferred observing location if you want to get the utmost out of its faint object observing capabilities). Its good optical quality and very reasonable price make it an excellent buy for the beginner or more advanced astronomer alike.

This Telescope’s Optical System . . .

Newtonian reflector optical tube: 6” (150mm) aperture classical Newtonian optics, 1200mm focal length, f/8 focal ratio. The durable 45.5” long x 7.25” diameter rolled steel optical tube is finished in gleaming black enamel. It weighs only 13.5 pounds, so it is easy to transport. A “navigation knob” at the top of the tube provides a convenient grip and makes it easy for you to aim the scope at different parts of the skies.

Fully coated optics: The 6” parabolic primary mirror is coated with highly reflective aluminum and overcoated with a protective layer of quartz for long life.

Primary mirror cell: The die cast aluminum cell has push-pull locking collimation screw pairs that help to hold the correct collimation longer.

Diagonal mirror: The 1.36” m.a. diagonal is coated with aluminum and overcoated with a protective layer of quartz for long life. It is mounted in a fully-collimatable mirror holder on a thin four-vane spider for minimum diffraction and higher contrast.

Finderscope: The 6 x 30mm right-angle correct image achromatic crosshair design finderscope has a wide 7° field of view. It is mounted in a quick-release collimatable holder. The correct image prism in the finder shows you the sky the way it appears to your eye and on star charts. There’s no confusing mirror image view as you see in a conventional right-angle finder. It focuses by loosening the trim ring behind the objective lens cell, screwing the lens cell in or out to focus, and tightening the trim ring to lock in the correct focus.

Focuser: 1.25” aluminum rack and pinion type.

Two eyepieces: Two multicoated 1.25” Sirius Plössls, 25mm and 10mm, are standard equipment. The 25mm provides 48x, with a 1.08° field, more than twice the diameter of the full Moon, for expansive deep space views of nebulas, galaxies, and open star clusters. The 10mm provides 120x, with a 0.43° field, for close-ups of the Moon, planets, binary stars, and globular star clusters.

Collimating tools: Two collimating tools are supplied: a pinhole-type collimating cap that fits in the focuser for quick alignment of the primary and diagonal mirrors, and the bonus battery-powered LaserMate laser collimator for more precise alignment. The primary mirror is center-marked for easier collimation with these supplied collimating tools.

This Telescope’s Mount . . .

Dobsonian mount: The particle board Dobsonian altazimuth mount base has a triangular ground board (rather than circular) to reduce the weight of the base to only 20.9 lbs. The base has a convenient carry handle and an eyepiece rack that can hold three 1.25” eyepieces. The base is shipped disassembled and needs to be assembled only once, unless you disassemble it to save space for long-term storage. The assembly process takes about 30 minutes and requires no special tools. The total weight of the scope is under 34.5 pounds. It’s light enough to allow many people to pick up the scope with one hand and carry it in and out of the house using the attached handle, without having to disassemble it!

Altitude and azimuth bearings: The altitude bearings rest in ultra-high molecular weight (UHMW) polyethylene pads for smooth vertical motion. The azimuth bearing uses Teflon bearing pads for equally smooth “stiction-free” horizontal motion.

CorrecTension balance system: The dual spring tension system applies the correct level of tension to the altitude bearings to balance the weight of different eyepieces. With the CorrecTension system, you can change eyepieces or add a Barlow lens without having to hold the tube in place in altitude by hand or tediously adjust the telescope’s balance with counterweights as you do with other Dobsonians when the eyepiece weight changes.

What can you see though the Orion SkyQuest XT6 Classic? A surprising amount! Thanks to its relatively long f/8 focal ratio, its contrast on lunar and planetary details is astonishing. Since it is a reflector, it has none of the spurious color that masks faint planetary details in achromatic refractors. The rings of Saturn are routinely visible through the standard 25mm Plössl eyepiece at 48x, as are lunar mountain ranges and craters by the hundreds. At the 120x of the standard higher power 10mm Plössl eyepiece, Cassini’s Division in Saturn’s rings is routinely resolved, and the ring system itself is a magnificent sight.

While the 6” is exceptional within the solar system, deep space observing is not slighted. Binary stars and clusters are well resolved because of the scope’s high contrast. The Trapezium in Orion is easily seen, wreathed in glowing nebulosity. A 40mm eyepiece on the 6” provides a 5mm exit pupil. This gives virtually the same performance on faint objects as a 6” rich field reflector, but with better contrast that helps galaxies and nebulas stand out against a darker sky.

The standard equipment supplied with the SkyQuest XT6 makes it a complete working telescope for a visual astronomer – whether it’s your first scope or a step-up from a smaller scope. You can set it up and start observing almost as soon as it arrives. Photography is not possible with this manually-operated Dobsonian telescope. The 6” Orion SkyQuest XT6 is designed for visual observing only – to show you as much of the night skies as possible. It does it very well indeed, at a surprisingly affordable price. And the limited time $82.90 value bonus accessories make it a downright bargain.