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Orions New Line of Telescopes

ByWill Kalif Posted on Updated on

I simply cannot believe they are actually doing this!

Orion is releasing a new line of telescopes that are simply astounding. They are Truss-tube dobsonians and the line has three sizes of telescope: A 36 inch, a 40 inch and a 50 inch! Hard to believe. These have got to be the absolute largest aperture telescopes available to the amateur community. These monsters are the kind of size that are being used in Universities and Observatories and now they are available for home and amateur use.

They have a page with more information (including price).

Here is an overview of some of the specs:

Orion 36 Monster Dobsonian Telescope

  • The Monstrous 36″ aperture parabolic primary mirror (914mm) collects over 1000 square inches of light – four times the light of “ordinary” 18-inch telescopes!
  • Premium quality f/4 optical system gives a whopping 144″ (3658mm) focal length to deliver exceptionally sharp, bright images with generous image scale
  • Enhanced (96%) coatings on the primary and secondary maximize light throughput
  • Low-expansion borosilicate glass molded in a honeycomb mirror blank design make it exceptionally strong, yet light, and assures good optical performance, even as the temperature drops
  • Transportable! Constructed from aluminum and aluminum/Russian Birch composite structures. The entire system weighs less than 400 pounds with the heaviest component being the primary mirror (~ 150 lbs)
  • Complete tracking and GoTo capability makes this Monster easy to tame. Finding objects is a breeze
  • 27-point flotation mirror cell and eight-point wiffle-tree edge support system prevents mirror deformation and keeps images crisp
  • Removable wheels allow you to roll this beast in and out of a storage shed or garage with ease. Be observing in minutes!
  • Removable, secondary cage light shroud blocks stray light (optional complete light shroud is fiberglass reinforced for prevent the light path from being blocked)

Will Kalif is an amateur astronomer at TelescopeNerd.com. Will is an author of the book "See It With A Small Telescope". Will Kalif has been passionate about telescopes and the wonders of the night sky ever since he received his first telescope as a teenager. And for several decades now he has been making and using his own telescopes and helping other people to also enjoy the various things that can be seen on a dark and starry night.