8-inch Dobsonian Reflector Telescope
This product is expected to ship by November 1st, 2026.
Big Aperture. Bright Views. Easy Exploration.
Bring the night sky closer with the 8-inch Dobsonian Reflector Telescope, a powerful, easy-to-use telescope built for exploring everything from the Moon and planets to faint galaxies, glowing nebulae, and sparkling star clusters. Now equipped with the Explore Scientific™ ReflexSight™,it makes locating and aiming at celestial targets easier, so you can spend less time searching and more time observing.
At the heart of this telescope is a large 208mm primary mirror that gathers significantly more light than smaller beginner telescopes, revealing fainter deep-sky objects and finer celestial detail. With a 1219mm focal length and fast f/5.9 focal ratio, it delivers bright, wide-field views that make sweeping the Milky Way and hunting down deep-sky treasures an unforgettable experience. Turn toward the Moon, Jupiter, or Saturn and the same optical system provides sharp, detailed views of lunar craters, Jupiter's cloud bands and moons, and Saturn's spectacular rings.
Find Your Way with the Explore Scientific™ ReflexSight™
The included ReflexSight™ is an intuitive, non-magnifying finder that projects a multi-circle reticle against the sky, helping you quickly point the telescope toward bright stars, planets, and the starting points for star-hopping to deep-sky objects. Its 4.0°, 2.0°, and 0.5° circles provide useful visual reference points for judging angular distances and positioning objects precisely. The graduated circles also make it easier to follow star charts and move from a known star to nearby celestial targets.
The classic Dobsonian mount makes navigating the night sky smooth and intuitive. Simply move the telescope up, down, left, or right to explore. A built-in spring tension system helps maintain tube balance, even when adding optional eyepieces and accessories.
A versatile 2-inch Crayford focuser with a 1.25-inch adapter lets you choose from a huge selection of astronomical eyepieces and accessories. Use wide-field 2-inch eyepieces for breathtaking views of star fields and large deep-sky objects, or switch to higher magnification for detailed observations of the Moon and planets.
The included 25mm Plössl eyepiece gets you observing right out of the box, while the telescope's large aperture makes it an excellent platform for expanding your eyepiece collection as your interest in astronomy grows. You can even capture impressive smartphone images of bright targets such as the Moon and planets with the included smartphone adapter.
Whether you're searching for your first serious telescope or stepping up to the light-gathering power of an 8-inch Dobsonian, this telescope combines large aperture, straightforward operation, smooth manual control, the convenience of the Explore Scientific™ ReflexSight™, and excellent optical performance in one remarkably capable observing system.
Standout Features
Outstanding Deep Sky Performance
Astrophotography-Ready Optics
Stable and Intuitive Dobsonian Mount
Complete Accessory Package
Product Specifications
Customers said this is a "great product" with excellent viewing capabilities. Shoppers reported being able to "clearly see the Andromeda galaxy and all the planets," praising its optical performance. The reflector design delivers impressive deep-sky and planetary observations for astronomy enthusiasts.
- Can clearly see the Andromeda galaxy and all the planets!
The Scope is wonderful, The shipping was very fast, The ease of assembly was very good, The only thing that puts a blemish on this review is when received the dust cover had a very large crack, company notified but no answer as of writing this review...2nd large purchase from Explore Scientific. Hope they make it right...
As in the 8" review in S&T, the viewfinder red dot is very bright. But I'll get my grandnephew a replacement. I will also buy him a shorter-focus eyepiece, but overall, I'm very happy with how much his family is helping him use it. They've been going out in the evenings and early mornings. So far my10-yr old grandnephew loves his scope. Thank you very much. Mom helped him build it and dad takes it outside for him. I think this scope is the perfect beginning scope for a 10-yr old. I'm also wondering if they will use it in Casper, WY as the winter winds kick in along with the cold. I need to talk mom and dad into building him an observatory or a wind shelter for non-summer time use! lol. Again, thank you very much.
Good price and quality. Only issue was some bolts had misshapened heads
Hi there! Thanks for your feedback.
If you are having trouble with the bolts, PLEASE contact customer service through the customer portal: https://explorescientific.supportsync.com/
We are committed to making sure you are completely satisfied.
Ive bought a good deal from explore scientific and honestly, am very happy with everything they put out. Overall the scope is sturdy and the burgandy color really makes this one stand out from other dobs on the market.
The dob itself feels very sturdy and well-made. Not a single loose bit on it. When i got my dob there was a small bit of mystery oil on the outside of the tube but rubbed right off. I did manage to get first light on it the night I put it together and it came very well-collimated even after bumping around in a mail van.
The primary mirror did come with a small, roughly 1/2 inch smudge but im 100% positive it has no negative effect on my views. Something super minor.
The worst thing about the dob is the red dot accessory if you can even call it a red dot. It is so poorly made. The red dot lens itself is very dark so when you try to look through it you cant even see the stars. Just throw it away and dont waste your time on trying to make it work.
Great telescope!
Its my first telescope so I have no benchmark for comparison. I do like it a lot. Its really easy to spot targets and focus. I've been able to take images of moon craters and Jupiter and its moons. Its fun learning with it.
Great product ! Love it and can clearly see the Andromeda galaxy and all the planets ! Super !
I love it. The website video and included tools made it a fast setup. Now I have all the tools for adjustmens later if needed. It arrived very fast and packed professionally. I wanted this one for it's portability and it accepts different size eyepieces. The eyepiece that is included is very nice and it was neat to get to use the cell phone adapter to dabble in astrophotography. I watched Venus on my first night if you are wandering. Thanks!