The Sky Watcher 8 Inch Dobsonian Telescope S11700 is a telescope with an 8 inch diameter that is considered to be the minimum entry level aperture for serious observing. The low cost, large diameter, and fast focal ratio of the Sky Watcher telescope makes it an ideal dedicated telescope for wide-field, deep space observation of faint galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters. The low power captures wide shots of the sky in a single view. Galaxies and nebula appear to pop out of the heavens as bright, expansive masses of stars, gas, and dust.

Observing with the Sky Watcher 8 Inch Dobsonian Telescope

Observing through a high quality telescope like the 8 inch Dobsonian by Sky Watcher can be a real sweet experience to the amateur observer. In the constellation Sagittarius several of the sky's most prominent emission nebulae can be seen well with the 8in Dobsonian telescope. The Lagoon Nebula (M8) is a rich mass of dust and gasses illuminated by its stars. It appears fiery red in astrophotographs due to the hot hydrogen gas. Located nearby is the smaller, but very beautiful Trifid Nebula (M17) which is also located in Sagittarius. The sky's most amazing spherical star cluster, M13, is located in the constellation Hercules, which is a large cluster of stars flocking around the central core. Spherical clusters are no longer being formed in the universe, so fossil light is what appears when viewing with the Sky Watcher 8" Dobsonian telescope; a glimpse back in time. This is the brightest object of its kind and always a pleasure to view.

During the winter, the beautiful Andromeda which happens to be our closest external galaxy, can be seen almost in its entirety within one eyepiece field. The Great Orion Nebula (M42) which is the brightest emission nebula in the heavens can be seen with the naked eye from a dark location, but when looking at it through a Sky Watcher telescope, it is nothing less than spectacular to observe.

Ease of use with the Sky Watcher Dobsonian 8in Telescope

Observing with a Dobsonian 8 inch Telescope has been compared to shooting ducks in a gallery because it is so easy to find a target for observation. Just swing the telescope by Sky watcher to the sky, and scan the proximity. An 8x50mm Right Angle optical viewfinder provides both magnification and light-gathering to help narrow your search for the stars.

To guarantee mechanical ease-of-use, the Sky Watcher 8" Dobsonian S11700 uses a high-performance Teflon bearing system in both axes combined with tension adjustment in altitude to assist in setting the appropriate amount of friction, while making smooth vertical and horizontal manual movement without any interference from small bumps or gusts of wind.

The Sky-Watcher telescope uses a revolutionary truss-support concept which allows the optical tube's front and back cells to collapse together, aligning on the truss support rods which can then be locked down for easy and secure telescope transport. This one piece, low-hassle OTA design is mechanically simple and results in large aperture telescopes that can be reasonably handled and transported by one individual.

Sky Watcher Dobsonian Telescope Quality Components

The Sky-Watcher 8 Inch Dobsonian Telescope S11700 uses quality components throughout with a pride of workmanship in high quality standards of optical and mechanical construction. The polishing process for the primary and diagonal mirror provides smooth mirror surfaces to assure good contrast. On each primary mirror, and elliptical diagonal mirror, aluminum is vacuum deposited to the front glass surface and then over coated with hard quartz. Additional layers of Titanium Dioxide and hard quartz are then applied. Dust cover helps keep the telescope by Sky Watcher clean when not in use.

Specifications for Sky-Watcher 8" Dobsonian Telescope:

Shipping Weight:		69 lbs
Optical Design:		Newtonian (Parabolic)
Lens Material:		Grade A annealed Glass
Aperture (Diameter):		200mm
Focal Length:		1200mm
F-Ratio:		F/6
Secondary Mirror Diameter:		47mm
Highest Practical Power:		406x
Faintest Stellar Magnitude:		14.2
Resolving Power:		.96 arc sec
Finderscope:		8x50 RA Viewfinder
Focuser Diameter:		2", 1.25" adapter
Diagonal:		Internal
Eyepiece(s):		1.25" 25mm and 10mm
Mount Type:		Dobsonian
Slow Motion Control:		Manual w/ Tension adjust.
Counterweight(s):		n/a
Piggyback Bracket:		n/a
Accessory Tray:		Standard
Ground Board Weight(s):		11.5kgs
Motor Drive:		n/a
Go-To:		n/a
Tube Weight:		24.2lbs
Tube Dimension (dia. x length):		32.5" to 44.5" Extended
Tripod Height:		31"

Features of SkyWatcher 8 Inch Dobsonian Telescope S11700:

• Regarded as an entry level telescope for serious observing
• Ideal dedicated telescope for wide-field, deep space observation of galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters
• The low-power captures wide shots of sky in a single view
• Observing is as easy as shooting ducks in a shooting gallery
• Uses high performance Teflon bearing system in both axes combined with tension adjustment in altitude
• Revolutionary truss-support concept allows the optical tube's front and back cells to collapse together
• The polishing process for primary and diagonal mirrors provides smooth mirror surfaces for good contrast
• On each primary mirror, and elliptical diagonal mirror, aluminum is vacuum deposited to the front glass surface and then over coated with hard quartz
• Dust cover helps keep the telescope clean when not in use

• Sky Watcher 8" Dobsonian Telescope S11700