Sky-Watcher 12″ f/4.9 Flextube 300P Telescoping Truss-Tube Dobsonian S11740

Description

The altazimuth rocker box that the mirror tub rides in is crafted of strong, lightweight, and water-resistant laminated particle board, as is the water-resistant ground board that the rocker box rides on. The base is shipped disassembled, but can be put together in about a half an hour using only a screwdriver and the supplied hardware. Teflon bearings in altitude with a tension clutch provide smooth and effortless vertical motion of the optical tube and let you adjust for varying eyepiece weights. For smooth motion in azimuth, the Sky-Watcher 12″ Dob optical tube rides on an aluminum plate with needle bearings.

Navigation knob: A navigation knob conveniently mounted below the focuser makes it easy to control the scope’ motion in any direction. The optical tube starts moving at a gentle touch – smoothly and with no fuss. Center on an object and the scope settles down immediately, with no shudder or vibration to mar your viewing experience.

Carry handles/altitude tension control/eyepiece tray: The handles in the sides of the rocker box incorporate a tension control in altitude that lets you compensate for eyepieces of markedly differing weights. An eyepiece tray capable of holding one 2″ and three 1.25″ eyepieces attaches to the front of the rocker box above the supplied centrally-mounted carrying handle.

Altazimuth base dimensions: 25″ in diameter by 29″ high.

What can you see through the 12″ Sky-Watcher telescoping truss-tube Dob?

Everything in deep space appears brighter, and wider in extension, with the 12″ Sky-Watcher. You now have the tremendous light gathering power to see faint and distant nebulas and galaxies that you’ve always wanted – almost 1900 times that of your unaided eye. Many of the objects that are a challenge to even see in smaller aperture telescopes now show their essential structure. Objects just within the threshold of visibility with a 10″ aperture scope appear more prominent with the 12″ and may be worth observing for extended periods. Comet hunters will delight in the fainter magnitudes that are possible to see in the 12″ Sky-Watcher.

Here at last is a telescope with the ability to visually tackle elusive deep-space gems like the Horsehead Nebula in Orion. In Perseus, the very faint 11th magnitude nebula M76 will be visible from a dark sky site, as will very faint planetary nebula M9 in Ursa Major. M61, the spiral galaxy in Virgo, reveals its spiral arms as you’ve always hoped to see them. The list goes on and on, and you will delight in planning your own nightly journeys of exploration.

Compared to an 8″ or 10″ scope, the increased resolution and greater light-gathering power of this Sky-Watcher’s 12″ aperture is beyond just being impressive. It lets its lucky owner resolve many, many objects that smaller telescopes simply don’t have the horsepower to show satisfactorily because they can’t pull in enough light. Compared to an 8″ scope, the 12″ Sky-Watcher has 50% greater resolution of small details and two and a quarter times the light-gathering to reveal fainter objects. Even compared to a 10″ scope, the 12″ Sky-Watcher has 20% higher resolution and 44% greater light-gathering. The 12″ Sky-Watcher’s compact, telescoping optical tube design makes this super aperture 12″ Dob a practical step up for the serious observer.

As with any large aperture telescope, the performance of the 12″ Sky-Watcher on faint objects will be markedly improved by a dark sky observing site. Light-polluted city and suburban sites are definitely not recommended as the primary observing site for a 12″ scope. Such sites require a nebula (light pollution) filter to take even limited advantage of its immense light-gathering.

While it is in deep space observing of galaxies and nebulas from a dark sky observing site that the 12″ Sky-Watcher telescoping truss-tube Dob excels, significant planetary and lunar observing is also within its capability. All you need is a neutral density eyepiece filter to cut down the immense brightness of solar system objects seen through this “light bucket.”

Taking advantage of the weight-saving sophistication of its telescoping truss-tube design, the 86.9 pound Sky-Watcher 12″ Dobsonian makes it practical for almost any individual on his or her own to explore the heavens with a truly big scope, whether from a back yard or a distant dark sky observing site. This Sky-Watcher 12″ telescoping truss-tube Dobsonian reflector will keep you happily observing the faint and distant outer reaches of the Universe for many years to come.

Tech Details:

Supplied Accessories:

• Telescoping no-tool assembly truss tube design
• Rolled aluminum/die-cast secondary mirror cage and primary mirror tub
• Navigation knob
• Laminated altazimuth mount with Teflon bearing surfaces and altitude tension control
• 4-vane spring steel diagonal mirror support with adjustable mirror holder
• Adjustable primary mirror flotation system
• Diffraction-limited Grade A optical glass mirrors
• Protective primary mirror cover
• 2″ Crayford-style machined aluminum focuser with 1.25″ eyepiece adapter
• 25mm (60x) and 10mm (150x) 1.25″ Plssl eyepieces
• 8x50mm right angle finderscope.