Orion SkyScanner BL135mm Dobsonian Reflector Telescope

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Orion SkyScanner BL135mm Dobsonian Reflector Telescope

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Compact Dobsonian telescope offers beginning stargazers hands-on ease of use for scanning the night sky
Big 135mm (5.3") primary mirror delivers bright, detailed views of the lunar surface, Saturn's rings, Jupiter's cloud bands and moons, bright star clusters and gaseous nebulas
Great intermediate size - not too big, not too small - for good portability
Comes with quality 25mm Kellner and 10mm Plossl eyepieces that deliver 44x and 110x magnifying power, and a 3x Barlow lens that triples the magnification
Also includes red dot LED finder scope and Orion's MoonMap 260 to help you identify craters, mountains, and more on the lunar surface

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Item # 52599u

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Here's a beginning Dobsonian telescope that blows away traditional starter telescopes, both in terms of image brightness and ease of use. The Orion SkyScanner BL135mm Dobsonian Reflector Telescope's big 135mm (5.3") mirror collects gobs of light, which accounts for those bright images we mentioned. You'll see the Moon's crater-scarred surface and the Orion Nebula's gaseous ghostliness in amazing detail, not to mention hundreds of other celestial gems.

The optical tube glides up and down, left and right on its sturdy Dobsonian base. It's so easy to operate - you just point the tube and view. The red dot scope will help you zero in on your target. There are no complicated gears, counterweights, locking levers, or tripod legs to deal with as there are with many beginner telescopes. The whole family can get in on the action from the very first night out with the SkyScanner BL135mm Dobsonian. The optical tube detaches from the base with two hand knobs, making for easier two-piece transport if desired. The base even has a convenient carry handle.

The included interchangeable 25mm Kellner and 10mm Plossl eyepieces provide low-power 44x and high-power 110x magnification, respectively. Keep the one you're not using in the convenient eyepiece rack. These eyepieces are a definite cut above the typical cheapie jobs found in most competing beginner telescopes. And their barrels are threaded to accept optional Orion 1.25" filters.

Also included is a 3x Barlow lens, which triples the magnification of any eyepiece it's used with. It's a great tool for getting in tight on your observing target. And to aid in your viewing of our favorite celestial object - the Moon - we include the Orion MoonMap 260. It shows the locations and names of over 260 features on the Moon such as craters, mountains, valleys, and "seas".

Base weighs 23 lbs. 10 oz. Optical tube weighs 8 lbs. 15 oz.

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 sales-eu@telescope.com

Product Support

Visit our product support section for instruction manuals and more

Specs

Best for viewing

Brighter deep sky
User level

User level

Beginner Level - Suited for a wide range of uses, these products are simple to operate and set up. Some initial assembly may be required depending on the type of product. Optical instruments with this rating will have very good optical and mechanical quality. Great for families, young people, and folks who don't want to mess with equipment and complexity. Beginning level telescopes will show you countless lunar craters, Saturn's rings and a myriad of star clusters and nebulae! Referring to the manual is recommended.

Intermediate Level - These products offer higher performance and more advanced features than Level 1: Beginner 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 Level - These products provide the best performance but may require more skill to master and appreciate. Optical instruments with this rating have exceptionally fine optics and mechanics. Some are easy to use but might be on the large or heavy side. Some are intended for specialized uses. These products will appeal to the more technically inclined. Referring to the manual is highly recommended.

Beginner
Optical design

Reflector
Optical diameter

Optical diameter

For telescopes, the optical diameter (also known as aperture) is the size of a telescope's main light-collecting lens or primary mirror, measured in millimeters or inches. Telescopes with larger optical diameters collect more light, which leads to an increase in brightness and image resolution compared to smaller instruments.

For binoculars, the optical diameter (also known as objective lens diameter) is the size of each of the front-facing objective lenses of a binocular measured in millimeters. Binoculars with larger objective lenses collect more light, which increases image resolution and brightness. Binoculars with larger objective lenses are recommended for low light situations, and binoculars with at least 50mm or larger objective lenses are recommended for pleasing astronomical observations at night.

135mm
Focal length

Focal length

The distance from the center of a curved mirror or lens at which parallel light rays converge to a single point. The focal length is an inherent specification of a mirror or lens and is one of the factors in determining resultant magnification for a telescope (along with the focal length of the eyepiece being used)

1100mm
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/8.1
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.

Spherical
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.

Soda-lime plate
Eyepieces

Kellner 25.0mm,Plossl 10.0mm (1.25")
Magnification with included eyepieces

44x, 110x
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.

0.86arc*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.

19x
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.

270x
Highest theoretical magnification

270x
Limiting stellar magnitude

Limiting stellar magnitude

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

13.4
Finder scope

Reflex sight
Focuser

1.25" Rack-and-pinion
Secondary mirror obstruction

38mm
Secondary mirror obstruction by diameter

28%
Secondary mirror obstruction by area

30%
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
Tube material

Steel
Length of optical tube

101.6cm
Weight, optical tube

4.0kg
Weight, mount/tripod

10.7kg
Weight, fully assembled

14.8kg
Additional included accessories

3x barlow lens, MoonMap 260, Dual Phillips/Flat screwdriver included
Other features

2" R&P focuser with 1.25" adapter, Adjustable altitude and azimuth tension knobs, Center-marked primary mirror for collimation
Warranty

Warranty

This warranty gives you specific legal rights. It is not intended to remove or restrict your other legal rights under applicable local consumer law; your state or national statutory consumer rights governing the sale of consumer goods remain fully applicable.

One year
Lithium battery weight

0.10g

Shipping Info

Orders received by 5pm UTC for in-stock items 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.

Please Note

Why Buy From Orion

Beginner

User level

Optical diameter

Focal length

Focal ratio

Optics type

Glass material

Resolving power

Lowest useful magnification

Highest useful magnification

Limiting stellar magnitude

Astro-imaging capability

Warranty

Why Buy From Orion

Shop Our Catalog

About Orion Telescopes & Binoculars

Please Note

Why Buy From Orion

Beginner

User level

Optical diameter

Focal length

Focal ratio

Optics type

Glass material

Resolving power

Lowest useful magnification

Highest useful magnification

Limiting stellar magnitude

Astro-imaging capability

Warranty

Why Buy From Orion

Why Buy From Orion

Shop Our Catalog

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About Orion Telescopes & Binoculars