---
product_id: 1004053
title: "Orion SkyQuest XT8 Classic Dobsonian Telescope for Adults - High Powered Beginner Astronomy Telescope for Moon, Planets & Deep-sky Objects"
brand: "orion"
price: "R8386"
currency: ZAR
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 8
url: https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/1004053-orion-skyquest-xt8-classic-dobsonian-telescope-for-adults-high-powered
store_origin: ZA
region: South Africa
---

# 2" Crayford focuser fits 1.25" & 2" eyepieces 8-inch aperture for stunning light gathering Ultra-stable Dobsonian base for smooth, balanced viewing Orion SkyQuest XT8 Classic Dobsonian Telescope for Adults - High Powered Beginner Astronomy Telescope for Moon, Planets & Deep-sky Objects

**Brand:** orion
**Price:** R8386
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Summary

> 🌌 Unlock the Universe: See More, Discover More, Be More.

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** Orion SkyQuest XT8 Classic Dobsonian Telescope for Adults - High Powered Beginner Astronomy Telescope for Moon, Planets & Deep-sky Objects by orion
- **How much does it cost?** R8386 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.za](https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/1004053-orion-skyquest-xt8-classic-dobsonian-telescope-for-adults-high-powered)

## Best For

- orion enthusiasts

## Why This Product

- Trusted orion brand quality
- Free international shipping included
- Worldwide delivery with tracking
- 15-day hassle-free returns

## Key Features

- • **Lifetime Stargazing Investment:** Durable design built to grow with your astronomy passion, perfect for solo explorers or family adventures.
- • **Customizable Magnification Power:** Includes versatile 25mm Plössl eyepiece and accepts multiple eyepiece sizes for tailored viewing experiences.
- • **Explore the Cosmos in Crisp Detail:** 8" parabolic mirror delivers bright, sharp views of the Moon, planets, and deep-sky wonders.
- • **Effortless Point-and-View Stability:** Robust Dobsonian base ensures rock-solid balance and intuitive maneuvering for seamless stargazing sessions.
- • **Beginner-Friendly Setup & Maintenance:** Clear assembly instructions plus collimation cap make alignment and upkeep straightforward—even for first-timers.

## Overview

The Orion SkyQuest XT8 Classic Dobsonian Telescope features an 8-inch parabolic reflector for bright, detailed views of celestial bodies. Its ultra-stable Dobsonian base offers smooth, balanced movement, while the 2" Crayford focuser supports multiple eyepiece sizes for customizable magnification. Designed for beginners and enthusiasts alike, it includes essential accessories like a 25mm Plössl eyepiece, collimation cap, and Starry Night software, making it a versatile, long-lasting telescope ideal for exploring the Moon, planets, and deep-sky objects.

## Description

desertcart.com : Orion SkyQuest XT8 Classic Dobsonian Telescope for Adults - High Powered Beginner Astronomy Telescope for Moon, Planets & Deep-sky Objects : Electronics

Review: Bright image, fairly easy setup - A great beginner-intermediate level scope that should last for years. What I like the most: Great optics that are clear and bright. Appropriate for viewing the moon, planets, and an assortment of nebulae and messier objects. It has a true, parabolic mirror that does a great job of focusing the image onto the secondary mirror. I have mixed feelings about the tension springs--which work, though I generally prefer tensioning systems that are more adjustable. Finally, it's offered at a great price for an 8-inch reflector. What I think might be better: The assembly directions for the base could be a little bit better. They are not horrible, but there is certainly room for improvement. There are a couple of places where I had to guess which washer went where. Second, the red dot scope is pretty bad. The way it mounts is great, but the scope itself is subject to lots of parallax and the dot isn't really round. I'd recommend replacing it with something better. I went with a Rigel Systems Quick Finder. Finally, mine arrived wildly out of collimation. I don't know if this is a result of shipping/handling, or if the factory screwed up, but it took me a frustrating hour to get it correctly collimated initially. While I'm no expert at collimating, neither am I a novice. It was so far out that the laser beam shot out the front of the telescope and I had to use a collimating cap at first. Fortunately one was included. Final thoughts: Buy it. The pros vastly outweigh the cons. This is an excellent Newtonian/Dobsonian telescope at a very reasonable price. Pro tip- it isn't exactly light. If you want to move it without separating the OTA and base, you can use a hand cart to safely move it without risking throwing it out of alignment.
Review: Great Beginning to Intermediate Telescope! - The Orion XT8 Classic is a great telescope at a wonderful price for new telescope users or those upgrading from a small, very inexpensive telescope to something more capable. Setup: The XT8 sets up easily and the instructions provided by Orion are not difficult to follow. Basically, you are assembling the Dobsonian base, which isn't hard to do. If you can bake a cake using a recipe from a book, this won't be hard. :-) The tools provided are all that are necessary to do so, but a power drill with a screwdriver and hex bit make quicker work of the assembly. Collimating: You most likely will need to collimate your scope, since the primary and secondary mirrors were likely pushed out of alignment during shipping. The instructions provided are all you need to do this along with the collimation cap. A laser collimator (optional equipment) is even better, but not needed for most folks. Take your time collimating by moving one screw on the primary or secondary mirror at a time and observing the results and you shouldn't have any problems. Moving more than one screw at a time can make your work harder, as it can become difficult to isolate which screw and mirror you need to adjust. Again, if you can follow written directions well, this shouldn't be hard. :-) Finding Things to See: If you have a decent knowledge of the sky, a no-frills reflector Dobsonian (like the XT8) is great for you. If you need a bit of help finding things to see, consider getting an electronic aid to find the objects you want to see. A lot of great applications for smart phones or tablet PCs allow you to do this by simply holding your phone/tablet to the sky and revealing the names of stars, objects, and constellations. I use Star Walk (among others) on my iPhone and iPad for this with great ease. If you want to find things very, very easily, then consider upgrading to an intelliscope or go-to scope, which does the work for you for a bit more money. The Dobsonian base can be a little tricky to maneuver to find what you want to see at first, but with a little practice you'll get the hang of it. Eyepieces: The XT8 comes with a 25 mm Plössl lens, which is a decent lens that gives you 48-power magnification with this scope. This okay, but you'll definitely want other eyepieces since there are better ones out there. Strongly consider getting 2-3 eyepieces (in the 10-32 mm range) and a 2-3 power Barlow lens, which would give you a set of power options for viewing. I'm using Tele Vue eyepieces and Barlows, which are a little higher quality than most of Orion's offerings, but if you're new to the hobby you'll likely have fun and not notice much difference with sub-$100 eyepieces and Barlows from most companies. :-) Overall: This is a great buy from Orion, giving you a scope that pulls down a lot of light at a modest price. I would definitely recommend this to those interested in getting into the hobby. :-)

## Features

- Item may ship in more than one box and may arrive separately
- A large aperture Classic Dobsonian reflector telescope at a very affordable price!
- 8" diameter reflector optics lets you view the Moon and planets in close up detail, and has enough light grasp to pull in pleasing views of faint nebulas, galaxies and star clusters
- A perfect Dobsonian telescope that can last a lifetime for the beginning astronomy enthusiast or whole family
- The ultra-stable Dobsonian base keeps the reflector optical tube perfectly balanced for point-and-view ease of use
- Includes a 2" Crayford focuser that accepts 1.25" and 2" telescope eyepieces, a 25mm Sirius Plossl eyepiece, an EZ Finder II reflex sight, collimation cap, Starry Night software, and more!

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| ASIN | B001DDW9V6 |
| Batteries | 1 Lithium Ion batteries required. (included) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars (508) |
| Date First Available | June 17, 2003 |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Item Weight | 29.2 pounds |
| Item model number | 8945 |
| Manufacturer | Orion |
| Product Dimensions | 19.25 x 19.25 x 49 inches |

## Product Details

- **Brand:** Orion
- **Compatible Devices:** Smartphone
- **Eye Piece Lens Description:** Plossl
- **Finderscope:** Reflex
- **Focus Type:** Manual Focus
- **Model Name:** SkyQuest XT8
- **Objective Lens Diameter:** 203 Millimeters
- **Power Source:** Battery Powered
- **Product Dimensions:** 19.25"D x 19.25"W x 49"H
- **Telescope Mount Description:** Altazimuth Mount

## Images

![Orion SkyQuest XT8 Classic Dobsonian Telescope for Adults - High Powered Beginner Astronomy Telescope for Moon, Planets & Deep-sky Objects - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71dRsVsgtlL.jpg)
![Orion SkyQuest XT8 Classic Dobsonian Telescope for Adults - High Powered Beginner Astronomy Telescope for Moon, Planets & Deep-sky Objects - Image 2](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61gKbNxjaPL.jpg)
![Orion SkyQuest XT8 Classic Dobsonian Telescope for Adults - High Powered Beginner Astronomy Telescope for Moon, Planets & Deep-sky Objects - Image 3](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81coHqksCDL.jpg)
![Orion SkyQuest XT8 Classic Dobsonian Telescope for Adults - High Powered Beginner Astronomy Telescope for Moon, Planets & Deep-sky Objects - Image 4](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71gLOXsLRnL.jpg)
![Orion SkyQuest XT8 Classic Dobsonian Telescope for Adults - High Powered Beginner Astronomy Telescope for Moon, Planets & Deep-sky Objects - Image 5](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71XoQ3r01+L.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Bright image, fairly easy setup
*by R***H on March 2, 2023*

A great beginner-intermediate level scope that should last for years. What I like the most: Great optics that are clear and bright. Appropriate for viewing the moon, planets, and an assortment of nebulae and messier objects. It has a true, parabolic mirror that does a great job of focusing the image onto the secondary mirror. I have mixed feelings about the tension springs--which work, though I generally prefer tensioning systems that are more adjustable. Finally, it's offered at a great price for an 8-inch reflector. What I think might be better: The assembly directions for the base could be a little bit better. They are not horrible, but there is certainly room for improvement. There are a couple of places where I had to guess which washer went where. Second, the red dot scope is pretty bad. The way it mounts is great, but the scope itself is subject to lots of parallax and the dot isn't really round. I'd recommend replacing it with something better. I went with a Rigel Systems Quick Finder. Finally, mine arrived wildly out of collimation. I don't know if this is a result of shipping/handling, or if the factory screwed up, but it took me a frustrating hour to get it correctly collimated initially. While I'm no expert at collimating, neither am I a novice. It was so far out that the laser beam shot out the front of the telescope and I had to use a collimating cap at first. Fortunately one was included. Final thoughts: Buy it. The pros vastly outweigh the cons. This is an excellent Newtonian/Dobsonian telescope at a very reasonable price. Pro tip- it isn't exactly light. If you want to move it without separating the OTA and base, you can use a hand cart to safely move it without risking throwing it out of alignment.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great Beginning to Intermediate Telescope!
*by C***M on April 7, 2011*

The Orion XT8 Classic is a great telescope at a wonderful price for new telescope users or those upgrading from a small, very inexpensive telescope to something more capable. Setup: The XT8 sets up easily and the instructions provided by Orion are not difficult to follow. Basically, you are assembling the Dobsonian base, which isn't hard to do. If you can bake a cake using a recipe from a book, this won't be hard. :-) The tools provided are all that are necessary to do so, but a power drill with a screwdriver and hex bit make quicker work of the assembly. Collimating: You most likely will need to collimate your scope, since the primary and secondary mirrors were likely pushed out of alignment during shipping. The instructions provided are all you need to do this along with the collimation cap. A laser collimator (optional equipment) is even better, but not needed for most folks. Take your time collimating by moving one screw on the primary or secondary mirror at a time and observing the results and you shouldn't have any problems. Moving more than one screw at a time can make your work harder, as it can become difficult to isolate which screw and mirror you need to adjust. Again, if you can follow written directions well, this shouldn't be hard. :-) Finding Things to See: If you have a decent knowledge of the sky, a no-frills reflector Dobsonian (like the XT8) is great for you. If you need a bit of help finding things to see, consider getting an electronic aid to find the objects you want to see. A lot of great applications for smart phones or tablet PCs allow you to do this by simply holding your phone/tablet to the sky and revealing the names of stars, objects, and constellations. I use Star Walk (among others) on my iPhone and iPad for this with great ease. If you want to find things very, very easily, then consider upgrading to an intelliscope or go-to scope, which does the work for you for a bit more money. The Dobsonian base can be a little tricky to maneuver to find what you want to see at first, but with a little practice you'll get the hang of it. Eyepieces: The XT8 comes with a 25 mm Plössl lens, which is a decent lens that gives you 48-power magnification with this scope. This okay, but you'll definitely want other eyepieces since there are better ones out there. Strongly consider getting 2-3 eyepieces (in the 10-32 mm range) and a 2-3 power Barlow lens, which would give you a set of power options for viewing. I'm using Tele Vue eyepieces and Barlows, which are a little higher quality than most of Orion's offerings, but if you're new to the hobby you'll likely have fun and not notice much difference with sub-$100 eyepieces and Barlows from most companies. :-) Overall: This is a great buy from Orion, giving you a scope that pulls down a lot of light at a modest price. I would definitely recommend this to those interested in getting into the hobby. :-)

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Awesome.
*by D***7 on May 11, 2012*

Ok this telescope has a lot of bang for a little buck. First night out I saw Saturn with four moons highly visible. The second night ( tonight ) I found the Boges Galaxy, Sombrero Galaxy, Venus, Pinwheel Galaxy, and Whirlpool Galaxy. All of which were awesome. The 25mm eyepiece that comes with the telescope is great but I highly suggest buying more. I bought a Astro-Tech 1.25" Accessory kit which comes with 5 eyepieces, a 2x barlow lens, and 5 filters including a moon filter. I got all this for 119.95 from astronomics(dot)com. They really brought out some great views with this scope. I would love too look through this thing with some nice nagler lenses but maybe on down the road seeming this was a spur of the moment thing and I spent 550$ but I'm very glad I did. I found my new favorite hobby. And believe me, I did a lot of research on scopes before I bought this I swear I probably researched scopes for 2 weeks straight and found this one to have the best size, brand, reviews, and tech specs for the money. I am very glad I decided with this one. I highly suggest not buying this scope for anyone under at least 13 years old because it is big it's 45" tall just the tube not including the base. It ways around 45 pounds base/tube together. I highly suggest carrying them seperatly when setting up. So unless an adult will be around to lug this thing around for anyone under 13 I would buy them something smaller. But all in all I LOVE THIS TELESCOPE thats all I can say.. If you are looking into getting a scope of this size BUY THIS ONE YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT. Also, I highly suggest anyone just starting out in stargazing not buying a go to scope buy a manual scope so you get to learn how to find stuff on your own that is half the fun in stargazing learning where everything is. Also, another reason a beginner should start on a manual scope is Ok think of this scenario.... You buy a go to scope and have never had to manually find anything. You decide to go to a dark sky sight a good drive from your house lets say 45 minutes to an hour drive. Ok you get there get set up and then realize your batteries are dead and you forgot to bring more so do you want to waste all the precious liquid gold gas and precious time just to turn around and go home or would you rather know how to find your way around the heavens and get to enjoy your planned evening out. Personally, I would love to enjoy my evening. Just saying people think about it????? Any comments you wanna leave go ahead I'll try to respond. Thank you I hope this review is helpful.

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*Product available on Desertcart South Africa*
*Store origin: ZA*
*Last updated: 2026-02-27*