Explore Scientific Ultra Light Dobsonian 500 mm
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Explore Scientific Ultra Light Dobsonian 500 mm

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Explore Scientific Ultra Light Dobsonian 500 mm Product description

  1. Massive Light-Gathering Power: With a colossal 500 mm aperture, this Dobsonian reflector excels at gathering immense amounts of light, revealing faint deep-sky objects like nebulae, galaxies, and star clusters with breathtaking clarity and detail. Its large primary mirror ensures brighter, more detailed views of distant celestial phenomena.

  2. Ultra-Lightweight Dobsonian Design: This telescope features an innovative collapsible truss tube design and a meticulously engineered lightweight mount, making it surprisingly portable for such a large aperture instrument. The complete assembly breaks down into manageable components for easy transportation, allowing you to venture to dark sky locations.

  3. Premium Optics: At its core is a high-quality parabolic primary mirror, meticulously crafted to deliver sharp, high-contrast images free from spherical aberration. This Newtonian reflector design, optimized for visual astronomy, provides exceptional views of planets, the Moon, and intricate deep-sky structures.

  4. Precision Focusing: Equipped with a smooth 2-inch Crayford-style focuser complemented by a 10:1 dual-speed fine adjustment, this telescope allows for incredibly precise focusing. This fine control is crucial for achieving critical sharpness for both visual observations and astrophotography, ensuring every detail is brought into clear view.

ABOUT THE EXPLORE SCIENTIFIC ULTRA LIGHT DOBSONIAN 500 MM

The Explore Scientific Ultra Light Dobsonian 500 mm stands out as an exceptional telescope due to its remarkable balance of overwhelming aperture and surprising portability. Unlike conventional large-aperture telescopes, this model's innovative truss tube design allows it to be broken down into compact, manageable pieces, making it an ideal choice for serious amateur astronomers who frequently travel to dark sky sites. This is a Newtonian Reflector telescope, which means it uses mirrors to reflect light to form an image, making it incredibly efficient for deep-sky observation by minimizing light loss and chromatic aberration. Its substantial 500 mm primary mirror is a light-gathering powerhouse, transforming faint wisps of nebulae into vivid structures and resolving countless stars in globular clusters. Constructed from durable, yet lightweight, aluminum and composite materials, this Dobsonian is designed for robust performance without the prohibitive weight often associated with telescopes of this size. It's particularly well-suited for observations of galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters, revealing details that are simply invisible with smaller instruments, and also provides stunning views of lunar and planetary surfaces.

ABOUT EXPLORE SCIENTIFIC

Explore Scientific, a renowned optics manufacturer, is celebrated for its commitment to delivering high-performance astronomical equipment. Founded in the USA, the company has established a reputation for producing durable and optically superior products tailored for both amateur and professional astronomers. They are particularly known for their high-quality eyepieces, telescopes, and accessories, which are often characterized by their robust construction and advanced optical designs. Explore Scientific's product philosophy centers on providing astronomers with reliable instruments that open up new vistas of the cosmos, combining innovative engineering with a practical approach to stargazing. Their dedication to quality ensures that each product, including their notable Dobsonian telescopes, assists users in achieving breathtaking observational experiences.

MAIN FEATURES

  • Optical Design: Newtonian Reflector on an Alt-Azimuth Dobsonian Mount

  • Aperture: 500 mm (19.7 inches) for superb light gathering

  • Focal Length: 1900 mm

  • Focal Ratio: f/3.8

  • Primary Mirror: High-quality parabolic primary mirror for sharp, coma-free views

  • Mount Type: Ultra-lightweight and collapsible Dobsonian mount, designed for easy transport and rapid setup without tools

  • Truss Tube Design: Open truss tube construction for quick cool-down and reduced weight

  • Compatibility: Accepts 2-inch and 1.25-inch eyepieces (via adapter)

  • Focuser: Smooth 2-inch Crayford-style focuser with 10:1 dual-speed fine adjustment for precise focusing

  • Weight: Approximately 50 kg (overall weight, varies slightly by exact configuration), highly portable for its aperture class

  • Material: Constructed from durable, high-quality aluminum and composite materials for rigidity and weight reduction

  • Intended Use: Ideal for astronomical observations, deep-sky object viewing, and high-resolution planetary imaging

  • Suitable Eyepieces: Compatible with a wide range of standard 1.25-inch and 2-inch astronomical eyepieces from various manufacturers.

WARRANTY

This product is covered by a 5-year global warranty that includes defects in materials and manufacturing under normal use.

IN THE BOX

  • Explore Scientific Ultra Light Dobsonian 500 mm Telescope

  • 8x50 Straight Through Finder Scope

  • Cradle rings for optical tube

  • Two-speed 2-inch Crayford focuser

  • Accessory tray

  • Instruction manual

  • Dust caps for optical tube and focuser

General properties

Manufacturer Explore Scientific
Telescope series Explore Scientific Reflectors
Made in -
In production since -
Warranty 5 years
SKU 0116950

Optical properties

Optical design Newtonian reflector
Lowest useful magnification. 76.00 x
Highest useful magnification. 1000.00 x
Optical tube diameter -
Optical tube length 680mm
Optical tube weight -
Aperture. 500.00 mm
Focal length. 1800.00 mm
Focal ratio. CHF 3.73
Focal Length of Eyepiece 1 -
Magnification of Eyepiece 1 -
Focal Length of Eyepiece 2 -
Magnification of Eyepiece 2 -
Focal Length of Eyepiece 3 -
Magnification of Eyepiece 3 -
Light gathering power. 5102.00 x
Limitting stellar magnitude. CHF 15.16
Resolution Rayleigh. 0.28 Arc seconds
Resolution Dawes. 0.23 Arc seconds

Reflector properties

Secondary mirror diameter. 120.00 mm
Secondary mirror obstruction by diameter. 24.00 %
Secondary mirror obstruction by area. 6.00 %

Recording properties

Image Capture No
Photo adapter No

Mounting properties

Mount type of build Dobson
Tripod adaptable No
Tripod type -
Tripod material -

Navigation properties

Stellar navigation software -
GoTo Control No
GoTo Language -
GoTo control interfaces -
Alignment method -
GPS No
Tracking No
Tracking rates -
Tracking Modes -
Guiding performance -
Slow motion controls No
Slew Speed -
Communication Ports -
Computer hand control No

Physical properties

Power Supply -
Lens coating Fully Multicoated
Focuser Type DeLuxe 2,5’’ HEXAFOC focuser
Eyepiece barrel diameter 2'' / 50.8 mm
Eyepiece angle 0°
Barlow lens Not Included
Color Black

Special features

Finderscope 8x50
Recommended for Advanced, Intermediate
Suitable for observing Galaxies, Planets

Most common questions (Q&A)

Need help? Not sure about something? Don't hesitate - ask our community! Our experienced community is here to help you with this question.

Is your listing of the 500mm dobsonian from explore scientific accurate? Are there any additional possible charges for shipping?

by RICHARD

Dear Richard,

thank you for contacting us.

Some of the information isn't provided by the manufacturer so we can't provide it.

If you will need any additional information you can contact us at [email protected]

Kind regards,

by Optics Trade team

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