#Largest dobsonian telescope portable

Larger Dobsonians present a bit more of a problem. Since there are only two parts to set up, and since it is not required to balance the telescope and polar align it (as would be the case with an equatorially mounted telescope), a Dob can be set up and ready to go in literally two minutes. Since it basically consists of a hollow tube, the telescope itself is very light (at least in 10' and smaller sizes), and the base rarely weighs much more than the tube. On the contrary, Dobsonians are often one of the easiest telescopes to move around and set up. (Marvin the Martian wasn't using a Dobsonian to aim his Explosive Space Modulator at Earth in those Looney Tunes cartoons, after all.) One of the comments most people make upon seeing a Dobsonian in person and being told that it is an ideal beginner's scope is that it looks too big to move around. Most newcomers to the astronomy hobby do not expect a telescope to look like a Dobsonian! Everyone expects a refractor because that's Hollywood's idea of what a telescope should be.

#Largest dobsonian telescope portable

How Portable Are Dobsonians? More portable than people first think. This makes them ideal for beginners because someone can get a powerful telescope for little money and be out using it right away without having to spend a lot of time learning the intricacies of the telescope. The other reason for the popularity of Dobs is that they are extremely easy to use. Large Dobsonians offer incredible views of deep sky objects. This also means that for advanced observers, it is possible to own an extremely large telescope. They are very inexpensive to build, so a larger aperture telescope can be had for a very reasonable price. For one, they are offer the most bang for the buck. The Popularity of Dobsonians Dobsonians are popular for two main reasons. The best Dobsonians have incredibly smooth action but will not drift accidentally when the scope must stay put. The perfect balance must be found between too easy and too difficult a movement. A Dobsonian base usually incorporates Teflon or some similar material to allow the scope to move easily. This makes Dobs ideal for beginners because they have very gentle learning curves. Pointing a Dob to any celestial object is easy. Everything is moved by hand and in an altitude-azimuth, or alt-az (up-down/left-right) configuration. No knobs, levers, switches, gears, handles, dials, or anything.

The mount is what makes a Dobsonian unique. (In fact, it is a Newtonian, just with a different type of mount.) Light is reflected off a primary mirror at the bottom of the telescope, to a smaller secondary mirror at the top of the telescope, and out the side of the tube to the eyepiece. How a Dobsonian Works Optically, a Dobsonian works exactly the same way a Newtonian does. Dobsonians are usually just called Dobs for short. Because the do not normally have automatic tracking features, they are poorly suited to photography, but they are ideal for visual observing. That fact and their ease of use make them a very popular design for both beginners and advanced observers. Dobsonians are the least expensive type of telescope, for a given size. A well-designed Dobsonian will move easily in each direction but will stay put when needed. What makes a true Dobsonian is that there are no gears or locks on either of these axes. A Dobsonian has a lazy-Susan type base that swivels left and right, and the telescope rides on two hubs that allow motion up and down. Above: Typical Dobsonian telescope A Dobsonian telescope is optically identical to a Newtonian telescope the difference is in how the telescope is mounted.