Glossary | Telescopes | General | Series | Skyliner Classic

For some years, the manufacturer Skywatcher has been offering the Skyliner Classic series - well-proven and highly popular Dobsonian telescopes. They offer great optical performance for very little money because the substructure, affectionately known as the rocker box, is relatively inexpensive.

The closed tube protects the mirror, nevertheless these telescopes are easy to transport thanks to their size with an aperture maximum of 10 inch (254mm).

The Skyliner Classic Dobsonians impress not only thanks to their optics, but also their accessories: two eyepieces, a finderscope, an eyepiece holder, transport handle and fine ascension axis tension adjustment.

Dobsonian-design Newtonian telescopes offer exceptionally good value for money. The Dobsonian mount was introduced by the American hobby astronomer John Dobson in the 1970s. It is a simple but efficient technique to azimuth-mount a Newtonian telescope to track celestial motion. 

Dobsonian telescopes are quick to set up and allow movement in elevation (altitude) and azimuth (parallel to the horizon). The mount’s quality is reflected in the correct balance of the telescope and the ease of manual tracking. The latter is achieved through the use of special materials whose low static friction allow gentle movements with no juddering.

Dobsonian mounts were originally designed with manual movement in mind. They are now also available with motors and even with electronic aids. However, a die-hard star fan will track their Dobsonian by hand, relishing the challenge of locating celestial objects using just a telescope and a star chart.