Sky-Watcher Virtuoso Gti 150mm Dobsonian Telescope

• Instrument for beginners in deep sky observation.
• Compact, foldable, aesthetic and easily transportable
• Motorized version (+ auto-pointing) of the 150mm Heritage Dobsonian
• Wi-Fi control from your smartphone or tablet

Everything you need to know about the Sky-Watcher Virtuoso GTi 150mm Dobsonian telescope

Following the success of the FlexTube Heritage range (130 and 150 mm), Sky-Watcher has decided to offer a GOTO (dual-axis motorization + auto-pointing) version for even greater convenience. The Virtuoso 150 mm GTi therefore combines two important elements:

• Great observing comfort (the instrument finds the objects in the sky to observe for you AND compensates for the apparent motion of the stars related to the Earth's rotation)
• As compact as the other Heritage models, the instrument folds up onto itself. Therefore, it's perfect for traveling.

This patented innovation (FlexTube) saves space, ease of use, and time. In fact, the instrument does not need to be disassembled and reassembled every time it is used, as is the case with "classic" Dobsonians. Likewise, for collimation, once it has been established for the first use, it does not need to be repeated for each observation. In fact, the structure supporting the secondary mirror slides along two rigid rods toward the primary mirror cage, without the secondary mirror having to be displaced relative to the primary mirror.

With a 150mm primary mirror, the Sky-Watcher Virtuoso GTi 150mm Dobsonian lets you get started in earnest, thanks to its ability to collect 73% more light than a 114mm telescope. Under very dark skies, you'll be able to discover your first nebulae or globular clusters (the brightest objects in the famous Messier catalog). You'll be able to locate them and see many details in the Orion Nebula, for example. In summer, with the majestic Milky Way (our galaxy) in view, you'll be able to observe as many objects as possible.

It promises many evenings of discovery-rich observations for beginners willing to invest in a bright, inexpensive telescope . After collimation, planetary observations will reveal many details on Jupiter, Saturn, and the Moon using a Barlow or short focal length eyepiece.

Design:

Its Newtonian design offers several advantages over other instrument families (Cassegrain telescopes and telescopes). First, mirrors are more economical to manufacture for the same diameter, and their focal ratio is generally lower (thus, a shorter focal length and larger field of view with the same eyepiece). You can then benefit from a bright telescope at an attractive price. Central obstruction is also weaker than that of Cassegrain telescopes; if proper collimation (mirror adjustment) is observed, image quality is good in planetary mode.

Unlike the very cheaply manufactured Newtonian (Dobsonian) telescopes, the SkyWatcher 150mm Virtuoso GTi has a parabolic primary mirror . The mirrors are first spherically ground and then trimmed to achieve a parabolic shape (which is more expensive and difficult to achieve). This is an essential selection criterion for instruments longer than 114 mm and with short f/D. At once beautiful, efficient, and practical, there's no doubt that the SkyWatcher 150mm Virtuoso GTi will please you and make you appreciate astronomy.

Sky-Watcher GTi Mount:

To expand its range of mounts, Sky-Watcher took its inspiration from the AZ-GTi mount for Mak127 by adapting it to a rocker arm (a structure used on Dobsons). This GOTO (auto-pointing) mount is therefore an altazimuth mount (the simplest, most comfortable and versatile system to use), motorized on 2 axes and equipped with its own Wi-Fi network . Thanks to your smartphone (Google Android or Apple iOS) and the free SynScan App, you can easily control your mount wirelessly.

After entering the coordinates into the app and following the simple alignment procedure, you'll be able to explore the Universe using your smartphone or tablet! You won't need to know the sky, thanks to the database of over 10,000 objects... and the dual-axis motorization will save you from having to manually compensate for the Earth's rotation. The Virtuoso GTi even allows you to move your instrument manually using SkyWatcher Freedom-Find™ technology without losing its position . This way, you'll have maximum freedom, choice, and flexibility during your observations.

Specs

Items delivered:

• 1x Sky-Watcher Newton 150 f/5 optical tube with integrated dovetail
• 1x GTi motorized dobsonian mount
• 1x Vixen dovetail
• 1x 31.75mm Focuser
• 1 Super 25mm eyepiece (30x magnification), 31.75mm cast iron
• 1x Super 10mm eyepiece (75x magnification), 31.75mm die-cast
• 1x red dot sight
• 1x built-in spirit level