Explore Scientific 10" f/5 Truss Tube Dobsonian – A Powerful, Portable Deep-Sky Performer
The Explore Scientific 10" f/5 Truss Tube Dobsonian is designed for serious deep-sky enthusiasts who want a balance of large aperture, portability, and premium optics at an affordable price. This scope delivers stunning views of nebulae, galaxies, and planets, with a design optimized for both backyard stargazing and dark-sky excursions.
Large Aperture for Exceptional Light Gathering
With a 10-inch (254mm) primary mirror, this Dobsonian telescope pulls in over 50% more light than an 8-inch model, making faint deep-sky objects brighter and more detailed. The f/5 focal ratio strikes an excellent balance between high-contrast planetary views and expansive deep-sky vistas, allowing for detailed observations of the Orion Nebula, the Andromeda Galaxy, and globular clusters like M13 in Hercules.
Precision Optics for Stunning Visuals
The parabolic primary mirror is crafted from high-quality borosilicate glass with enhanced aluminum coatings, delivering high reflectivity and contrast. The optical system eliminates the coma and spherical aberrations seen in cheaper spherical mirrors, ensuring pinpoint stars across the field of view. The fully adjustable cell supports easy collimation to maintain optical alignment for peak performance.
Lightweight, Truss Tube Design for Easy Transport
Unlike traditional solid-tube Dobsonians, this truss tube model breaks down into manageable sections for transport and storage. The open-frame design reduces weight while maintaining rigidity, making it a great option for those who need a large-aperture scope that fits in a smaller vehicle. Assembly takes just a few minutes, allowing more time at the eyepiece.
Rock-Solid Dobsonian Base for Smooth Tracking
The included alt-azimuth Dobsonian base provides stable, fluid movement, allowing effortless manual tracking of celestial objects. The combination of Teflon azimuth bearings and precision altitude hubs delivers smooth motions for fine adjustments. A well-balanced rocker box design keeps the telescope steady, even at high magnifications.
Premium 2.5" Hexagonal Focuser for Ultimate Precision
One of the standout features of the Explore Scientific 10” Dobsonian is its 2.5-inch hexagonal rack-and-pinion focuser. This oversized focuser provides exceptional rigidity, ensuring that even heavy eyepieces and astrophotography accessories stay precisely aligned. The design virtually eliminates drawtube flex, allowing for smooth, backlash-free focusing. The large diameter also reduces vignetting when using wide-field 2-inch eyepieces, maximizing the telescope’s light-gathering potential.
Explore Scientific Hybrid Finder Scope Base for Versatile Compatibility
This model includes the Explore Scientific Hybrid Finder Scope Base, allowing easy attachment of a variety of finder scopes, including Explore Scientific's red dot and optical finders. This adaptable base ensures a secure fit and quick finder scope changes, making object location simple and efficient.
Perfect for Deep-Sky Observers and Planetary Enthusiasts
Whether scanning the Milky Way for bright nebulae or zooming in on the Great Red Spot of Jupiter, this telescope excels in all areas of visual astronomy. The combination of large aperture, premium optics, and a smooth alt-az mount makes it an outstanding choice for amateur astronomers looking for a serious deep-sky performer without the hassle of equatorial mounts or complex electronics.
Why Choose the Explore Scientific 10" Dobsonian?
- Large 10-inch aperture for deep-sky and planetary detail
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f/5 focal ratio for a perfect balance of contrast and field of view
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Truss tube design for easy transport and storage
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High-quality optics with a parabolic primary mirror
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Smooth alt-az mount for effortless manual tracking
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2.5-inch hexagonal rack-and-pinion focuser for superior precision
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Explore Scientific Hybrid Finder Scope Base for versatile finder compatibility
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Expandable and customizable, compatible with a wide range of accessories
What Can You See with the Explore Scientific 10" f/5 Dobsonian?
A 10-inch f/5 Dobsonian is widely regarded as a "sweet spot" for amateur astronomers because it provides enough aperture to reveal stunning details in deep-sky objects while still being manageable for transport and setup. The 10-inch mirror gathers over 1,500 times more light than the human eye alone, meaning dim objects that are invisible to the naked eye become bright and structured through this telescope. The f/5 focal ratio offers a wide field of view, making it well-suited for deep-sky scanning while still allowing for high-magnification planetary and lunar observation. We get asked this question all the time, "Will I see color in Nebulas?" You will not see color in the nebulas. You will be able to see various structures as descried below.
Deep-Sky Objects (Galaxies, Nebulae, and Star Clusters)
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Galaxies – The Andromeda Galaxy (M31) appears as an expansive spiral with its two companion galaxies, M32 and M110, visible in the same field of view. M51 (the Whirlpool Galaxy) shows clear spiral structure under dark skies, and you can even make out the bridge connecting it to its smaller companion, NGC 5195. Other galaxies, such as M101 (Pinwheel Galaxy), M81 & M82 (Bode’s Galaxy and the Cigar Galaxy), and the Sombrero Galaxy (M104), reveal significant detail with a 10-inch scope.
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Nebulae – The iconic Orion Nebula (M42) reveals sweeping clouds of gas with dark lanes and a bright Trapezium cluster of newborn stars at its core. The Lagoon Nebula (M8) and Swan Nebula (M17) show intricate detail, especially with a UHC or OIII filter. The Veil Nebula in Cygnus, a supernova remnant, becomes a stunning, ghostly arc under dark skies with an OIII filter. The Ring Nebula (M57) appears as a distinct, glowing ring in Lyra, and the Dumbbell Nebula (M27) is bright and structured.
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Globular Clusters – A 10-inch mirror resolves bright globular clusters like M13 (Hercules Cluster) into individual stars across its dense core. M92, M3, and Omega Centauri (for southern observers) look spectacular, appearing as rich spheres of ancient stars.
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Open Clusters – Large, bright open clusters like the Pleiades (M45), the Double Cluster in Perseus, and M11 (Wild Duck Cluster) are breathtaking in this telescope, with pinpoint stars set against a dark background.
Planets and the Moon
While a 10-inch f/5 telescope is excellent for deep-sky viewing, it is also capable of delivering breathtaking views of the planets and the Moon, especially when paired with high-quality eyepieces and a good Barlow lens.
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The Moon – This scope delivers razor-sharp views of lunar craters, ridges, and rilles. The contrast between sunlit and shadowed areas along the terminator makes for spectacular observation, revealing fine details as small as a couple of miles across.
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Jupiter – Expect to see the cloud bands in exquisite detail, including festoons, swirls, and the Great Red Spot (when visible). The four Galilean moons (Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto) are easy to see, and their shadows can be observed transiting across Jupiter’s cloud tops.
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Saturn – The rings appear crisp and well-defined, with the Cassini Division clearly visible in good seeing conditions. You can also spot cloud bands on Saturn itself, and several of its moons, including Titan, Rhea, and Dione, are visible.
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Mars – Around opposition, Mars reveals surface features such as Syrtis Major, polar ice caps, and occasional dust storms. This telescope has the resolution to show detail on the Martian surface when the planet is close to Earth.
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Venus & Mercury – These planets exhibit their phases much like the Moon. Venus is very bright and best observed when partially illuminated. Mercury is small and challenging but shows its crescent shape under good conditions.
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Uranus & Neptune – These distant gas giants appear as tiny, distinct disks with subtle coloration. With careful observation, Uranus may show a pale greenish-blue hue, while Neptune appears deeper blue. Neptune’s largest moon, Triton, is within reach of a 10-inch scope under dark skies.
Double Stars
This telescope excels at resolving double stars with its sharp optics. Some excellent examples include:
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Albireo in Cygnus – A striking gold-and-blue pair.
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Epsilon Lyrae (The Double Double) – Easily split into two pairs of close stars.
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Sirius B (The Pup Star) – Under steady skies, the faint white dwarf companion of Sirius can be spotted.
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Eta Cassiopeiae & Polaris – Both offer beautiful color contrasts.
Why f/5 Matters in a 10" Dobsonian
The f/5 focal ratio is an excellent compromise between wide-field and high-magnification viewing:
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Wide-Field Capability – At f/5, you get a relatively wide true field of view, making it easier to locate deep-sky objects and enjoy sprawling star clusters and nebulae. With a low-power, wide-field eyepiece (like a 30-35mm 2" eyepiece), you can see over 1.5 degrees of sky, meaning large objects like the Andromeda Galaxy and the Pleiades fit beautifully within the view.
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High-Magnification Potential – A 10-inch f/5 telescope has a 1250mm focal length, allowing for high magnifications when using shorter focal length eyepieces. With a 6mm eyepiece, you achieve over 200x magnification, enough for detailed planetary viewing.
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Balance of Portability and Performance – Compared to slower telescopes (like f/6 or f/8 models), an f/5 scope is shorter and more compact, making it easier to transport and set up. However, it still provides excellent sharpness and contrast, especially when used with well-corrected eyepieces to handle edge distortions (such as coma correctors in wide-field views).
Final Thoughts
A 10-inch f/5 Dobsonian is one of the most versatile and powerful telescopes for amateur astronomers. It provides deep-sky capabilities that smaller scopes struggle to match while still delivering high-contrast planetary and lunar views. With the Explore Scientific 10" Truss Tube Dobsonian, you get all these benefits in a package that is easier to transport and store than traditional solid-tube models.
Whether you’re hunting for faint galaxies, resolving globular clusters, or tracking planetary storms on Jupiter, this telescope delivers a lifetime of unforgettable celestial experiences.
