Welcome to ORION-XT10.com

This site (which is still under construction, but gradually taking shape, so please let me know of any typos or thoughts you have on it!) is about the Orion (USA) Skyquest™ XT10i telescope, a 10inch (254mm) f/4.7 Newtonian Reflector on a dobsonian mount, with the IntelliScope Object Locator computer.

After many years casual interest in astronomy using binoculars, and with the recent appearance of Comet 17P/Holmes, I decided it was time to re-aquaint myself with the heavens.

I wanted a telescope that would not break the bank, yet would provide sufficient optical capacity to observe both solar and deep-sky objects, and also have a future upgrade path. After much research (and indecision), the XT10 seemed to offer the "best bang per buck" with highly recommended optics, an element of computer aided positioning and at a reasonable cost.

You will find plenty of photos in my Orion XT10 review (click images to expand), right from initial delivery, through build to completion, with detailed discussion of the construction, and common mods implemented by owners of the Orion XT range of scopes.

The natural progression was of course an interest in astrophotography and while my early experiments in this part of the hobby are rather amateur, they are worthy of presenting to give other folk an idea of what this scope is capable of, even with very basic equipment and knowledge.

My site is accompanied by a Blog for latest news, and comments are welcome (except spammers!), so please feel free to let me know your opinion. Oh and some music to try while you're here.

Cogitaire est Vivare - Sit atur ad Astra [To Think is to Live - Thus reach we the Stars]

Jim Prior, March 2008

NEVER OBSERVE THE SUN THROUGH A TELESCOPE WITHOUT A SOLAR FILTER INSTALLED !!