Skywatcher HERITAGE-100P Tabletop Parabolic Dobsonian Telescope

Product Information

Part Number: 10997 The highly portable Sky-Watcher Heritage-150P VIRTUOSO GTi is controlled wirelessly with your Smartphone or Tablet using the free SynScan App for iOS or Android. Saturn and its rings were a delight, with Titan and Rhea also visible and we were able to see plenty of craters on our Moon, although not in great detail. The Heritage 150P’s included two eyepieces are just fine, but the 10mm Super ocular only provides 75x, a far cry from the maximum of 200x or so that the scope is capable of under good conditions (300x is possible under above-average seeing conditions on some targets, but may or may not be worthwhile). If you’re just starting out your stargazing journey and are wondering which telescope will best suit your needs, then look no further than the SkyLiner 200 P Parabolic Sky Watcher. Not only is this telescope among the most affordable Dobsonians out there, but its ease of assembly and use make it a favourite among beginner stargazers. Most scopes of the same class wouldn’t be able to get anywhere near the power range; but with this beauty, the universe is indeed your oyster. You will also see some more values such as Astigmatism and Coma. Again, these are measured by the interferometer when we take measurements of the optical surface after adjustment. These are values which ideally would be at 0 but as our test optics are all curved lenses, there will always be astigmatism and coma present. The lower the number, the less of these aberations you will effectively see but with most refractors, you can buy field flatteners which will compensate for the coma anyway. The astigmatisms value is explaining the error between the symmetrical curvature of the lens. Basically, no lens will be perfectly symmetrical, the lower the astigmatism, the more symmetrical the lens surface is.

The StellaLyra 12” f/5 Dobsonian is a 12” (304mm) Dobsonian with the same bearings and accessories as the 10” and 8” StellaLyra Dobsonians along with features like a dual-speed Crayford focuser and of course excellent optics. It’s even more capable than these and similar options on account of its huge aperture, providing fantastic deep-space as well as lunar and planetary views. The StellaLyra 8″ f/6 Dobsonian is a premium 8” Dobsonian, equipped with a host of additional features, including a dual-speed Crayford focuser, integrated cooling fan, and a plethora of premium accessories to help you get started. The 10″ StellaLyra model is a similarly excellent option, with minimal additional bulk but even more light collecting and resolving power. In 1668, Sir Isaac Newton invented the first reflector telescope. By using mirrors instead of optical lenses, Newton was able to increase the aperture of his telescope while reducing the overall size of the tube, leading to brighter views of the night sky. The Heritage 130 pays homage to this design by honoring some of the great astronomers throughout history: Galileo, Messier, Kepler, Newton, among others. By using a lightweight 130mm parabolic primary mirror and a compact, manual azimuth mount, the Heritage 130 is the perfect blend of portability and aperture, just as Newton intended. The Heritage 150P is the top scope in its price range, so most of our alternative recommendations are either inferior or in another price category. If you are okay with the aforementioned compromises, the Heritage 130P will deliver plenty. The scope has very good optics, and overall performs just as well as any other 130mm reflector on the market. At its current price point, the only serious competition is the Zhumell Z130.

We enjoyed wide-field views of galaxy pair M81 and M82 - Bode's Galaxy and the Cigar Galaxy - in Ursa Major. We then turned to the major bodies of the Solar System. Jupiter was small even with the 10mm eyepiece, but we could see the equatorial bands and the four Galilean moons. As with the 130P, you get a collapsible tube, a pair of 25mm and 10mm eyepieces (30x and 75x respectively with the Heritage 150P), a red dot finder, and a simple tabletop Dobsonian mount. You will need to find a fairly steady surface to place this telescope on, however. Building a custom stand might not be a bad idea. A collimation tool is also included for the sharpest possible views. Alternatives The Virtuoso GTi and SynScan App provide full computerised GO-TO control, allowing the telescope to be automatically slewed to any of the objects in the App’s extensive database of 10,000+ celestial objects. The Sky-Watcher AZ5 Stainless Steel Tripod (code 20316) is also available for use with this telescope. Size Comparison:

Still, the manufacturer did quite a job of balancing a lower price range that is sure to attract beginners with higher performance that is also sure to deliver impressive views. And lastly, the 100 P must be the easiest and most convenient model to operate. With no counterbalances, messy tripods, and annoying stands, it really is a grab and go. Flaws But Not Deal Breakers The Heritage-130P has been specially designed to celebrate the International Year of Astronomy 2009 and the 400th Anniversary of Galileo’s first telescope. This is not only a highly functional precision optical instrument but also a beautiful collector’s piece and ideal gift. The telescope tube is adorned with the names of many famous figures that have made significant contributions to the advancement of astronomy over this 400yr period, including Galileo Galilei himself. You may also want to make a custom stand and a shroud for the Heritage 150P to maximize its usefulness. What can you see with Skywatcher Heritage 150P? Dents on the tube of a used Dobsonian telescope are usually not a cause for concern, as they are often inevitable and typically do not impact the light path. In the event that any dents do affect the optics, they can be hammered out of the 100P’s tube fairly easily. Alternative RecommendationsThe Bresser Messier 6” f/8 Planetary Dobsonian has a narrower field than the 150P, thanks to its f/8 focal ratio, though this is somewhat compensated for by its hefty 2” Crayford focuser. The main advantage of the XT6 is that it stands flat on the ground without additional support or elevation, though it’s significantly less compact, lightweight, or portable than a tabletop instrument of similar aperture like the Sky-Watcher Heritage telescopes. Sky-Watcher’s own 6” Classic also works pretty well and shares the XT6’s basic design and features, but has inferior bearings and a mediocre focuser.