Sky-Watcher Telescopes

Sky-Watcher is a global leader in astronomical instrumentation for the serious amateur astronomer. Are you searching for a fine instrument for astronomical pursuits? Look no further! Sky-Watcher offers the equipment you need at a value that makes sense in today’s economy.

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12" Dobsonian SKU: S11740
Sky-Watcher 12" DOB Deep Space Hero!

The Sky-Watcher 12" DOB is a true light bucket. If you are shooting for well-resolved, elusive 12th-magnitude fuzzies, you now have the power. Astronomy is a great hobby to share, and a SW 12" DOB makes you potentially the hit of many gatherings.

Viewing Through the
SW 12" DOB

Everything in deep space appears brighter, and wider  with the SW 12" DOB. Many of the more challenging to resolve objects in smaller diameter telescopes now reveal their essential structure. Objects just within the threshold of a 10" aperture now appear more prominent and may be worth dwelling upon for extended periods. Comet hunters will delight in the fainter magnitudes that are possible to discern in the SW 12" DOB. Here at last is a telescope within the threshold to tackle elusive deep-space gems like the Horsehead Nebula in Constellation Orion.  

The incremental resolving power of the SW 12" aperture is beyond just being impressive. It is within amateur astronomy’s aperture threshold where the lucky observer is able to resolve well, many, many objects that smaller telescopes just do not have the ability to detail satisfactorily because they cannot pull in enough light. Sky-Watcher's compact, collapsible optical tube design makes this super aperture 12" DOB a far more practical decision to purchase.  

The 12" Sky-Watcher Dobsonian
A New Standard in Large Aperture Ease-of-Use

Observing with a Dobsonian is akin to shooting ducks in a gallery because it is so easy to find your target. Just swing your SW DOB to the quadrant of sky and scan the vicinity. An 8x50mm Right Angle optical viewfinder provides both magnification and light gathering to help narrow your search for those elusive fuzzies when star hopping. The standard-equipment backlash-free 2" Crayford Focuser insures ultra smooth focusing adjustments. Multi-coated, 4-element Plossl eyepieces (25mm and 10mm) provide a spacious 52 degree Apparent Field of View.

To ensure mechanical ease-of-use, SW uses a high performance Teflon bearing system in both axes combined with tension adjustment in altitude to facilitate setting the appropriate amount of friction, assuring smooth vertical and horizontal manual movement without free-play from small bumps or gusts of wind. This also eliminates the need to have a balanced optical tube as in an equatorial mount. Sky-Watcher's Teflon bearing system is preferable to the use of ball-bearings. Ball-bearings make unintended movement of the optical tube more difficult to control. Fortunately, at low power, deep-space objects leisurely drift through the field of the SW 12" DOB, so constant mechanical adjustment of the telescope's orientation isn't needed to keep objects in the field of view.  

Sky-Watcher's revolutionary truss-support concept 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. This innovation gives Sky-Watcher users tremendous functional ease-of-transportability.  

Sky-Watcher Uses Quality Components Throughout 

The Sky-Watcher 12" DOB utilizes quality components throughout. Pride of workmanship manifests itself in high quality standards of optical and mechanical fabrication. The polishing process for primary and diagonal mirror yields smooth mirror surfaces ensuring good contrast, and properly corrected optics show minimum alterations to the optical wave-front.  

On each primary mirror, and elliptical diagonal mirror aluminum is vacuum deposited to the front glass surface and then over coated with hard quartz (SiO4). Additional layers of Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) and (SiO4) are then applied. Dust covers are provided to help keep your DOB clean when not being used.

The mechanical and structural components of the OTA exhibit rigid construction and outstanding stability. The mount construction is sturdy and rigid. Mount design, while simple, facilitates smooth motions about both axes. Quality accessories enhance the observer's viewing experience.

Details

• Shipping Weight 113.00 lbs
• Optical Design Newtonian (Parabolic)
• BK7 annealed Glass
• Aperture (Diameter) 305mm
• Focal Length 1500mm: F-Ratio F/5
• Secondary Mirror Diameter 70mm
• Highest Practical Power 610x
• Faintest Stellar Magnitude 14.9
• Resolving Power .38 arc sec
• Finder scope 8X50 RA Viewfinder
• Focuser Diameter 2", 1.25" adapter
• Diagonal Internal
• Eyepiece's) 1.25" Plossl 25mm and 10mm
• Mount Type: Dobsonian
• Slow-Motion Control: Manual w/ Tension adjust.
• Accessory Tray Standard
• Ground Board Weight 41 Lbs
• Tube Weight 42 Lbs

Price $995.00