Apertura 12" Dobsonian Telescope with Upgrades & Premium Accessories - AD12

AstroBackYard recently named the Apertura AD Dobsonian Telescope the Best Telescope for Beginners! Check out their of these fantastic Dobs !

You'll be ready to observe the Universe right out of the box with the amazing 12" Apertura Dobsonian telescope! The AD12 package includes everything you'll need to get started, including a full-sized right-angle (RA) image correct 8x50 finder scope, two eyepieces, a laser collimator, cooling fan, and more. With 12" of aperture, this huge light-bucket is capable of delving into the deepest reaches of space to capture thousands of celestial objects. Everything from huge galaxies, nebulae and star clusters to smaller planetary nebulae, double stars, and millions of suns in the far off regions of space will be within the grasp of your telescope. On a steady night of viewing, you can explore the equatorial belts around Jupiter, spy Cassini's Division in Saturn's rings, or study the polar ice caps and dusky maria on the surface of Mars.

• The giant 12" parabolic mirror on the AD12 is made from quality materials and is figured to 1/12th wave. It is finished off with an aluminum and silicon dioxide coating that offers 93% reflectivity to ensure stunningly bright images.

• The AD12 optical tube assembly is made from steel for durability and beauty and is fitted with a 2" dual speed 10:1 Crayford-style focuser for smooth, easy focusing. A 2" to 1.25" adapter is included so you can use both 1.25" and 2" eyepieces and accessories, and we even include a 35mm Extension Tube to extend the focus range required for some eyepieces.

• The mirror sits at the end of the OTA in an adjustable mirror cell. When it comes time to make adjustments to your mirror for precise alignment, use the include Laser Collimator and then tweak the mirror's position in the cell with the hand-adjustable knobs. No tools are needed except your hands!

• A battery-operated cooling fan is attached to the back side of the mirror cell to help your telescope reach ambient temperature quickly and efficiently. The fan runs on eight (8) AA batteries that are provided by the customer.

• The telescope's base, aka rocker box, is what differentiates a Dobsonian from other Newtonian telescopes. The Apertura AD12 tube assembly sits on the base with ease, and then the telescope can be manually moved up, down or to either side.

• To easily move the AD12 up and down but help it to stay in the desired position, the telescope tension can be adjusted to match the weight of accessories on the tube assembly. To use this system, just turn the large aluminum knobs on either side of the telescope to tighten or loosen the tension until everything balances perfectly. Easy and fast!

• The bottom of the Apertura Dobsonian telescope's base is styled like a "Lazy Susan". An azimuth roller bearing provides dozens of support points for smooth, 360º motion, and sealed ball bearings keep movements in altitude easy and smooth as well.

• Accessories include a right angle, image-correct (RAIC) 8x50 finderscope to assist you in locating objects, a 2" 30mm Super View eyepiece, a 1.25" 9mm Plossl eyepiece, a 2" to 1.25" adapter and a 35mm Extension Tube for the telescope's amazing focuser, a laser collimator (which is almost never included with a telescope), a 1.25" Moon filter, a 4-hole eyepiece tray, and a snap-in dust cover.

A Dobsonian telescope with accessories is perfect for beginners as well as advanced amateur astronomers. Unlike computerized telescopes, a classic Dobsonian does not find objects for you. You do that yourself. It may be a challenge at times, but you will have the honor of learning the night sky. To set the Apertura Dobsonian up for a night of viewing, just put the rocker box on fairly level ground, set the optical tube in the cradle, slide the finder scope on, put an eyepiece in the focuser, and start observing. There are no motors or electronics to deal with, and you won't hear anything except the hum of the fan during cool down. To move the telescope, push or rotate it in the direction you wish to go, and use the 8X50 finderscope to help you center the object in your field of view.

This telescope with accessories has a unique design that allows for easier balancing of the telescope in altitude. A two piece CNC machined aluminum side bearing holds the weight of the telescope OTA, and when you need to make tension adjustments, say because you added a heavier eyepiece or other accessory, all you need to do is turn the knurled knob (there’s one on each side of the rocker box). With a little bit of experimentation, you’ll find the perfect balance for your Apertura AD12 Dobsonian!

We recommend a planisphere for your latitude to help you get your bearings and find brighter objects, as well as a more extensive star chart of some kind to help you locate fainter objects. There are several inexpensive (or free) programs and/or websites available that allow you to print out a nightly star chart for your location and observing date and time.