The Orion Atlas 8 is one of the sturdiest equatorially mounted 8-inch Newtonian reflectors sold today. This is a serious telescope, intended for avid stargazers.
Once polar aligned, the telescope is designed to track the stars effortlessly across the sky, so the observer can concentrate on viewing targets without having to nudge the tube constantly just to keep up with the sky. Tracking is done by a pair of DC-powered, dual-axis tracking motors. A hand controller comes that lets the observer fine tune tracking speed, if needed.
If you're only going to be using the telescope for visual observations, a rough alignment with the celestial pole is all that's needed. But if you're planning on guided photography, then the telescope must be accurately polar aligned using the mount's illuminated polar-alignment scope. Turn on the illuminated reticle and look through the polar scope's eyepiece to see a slide showing the Big Dipper, Little Dipper, and Cassiopeia. Rotate the telescope about the polar axis until the star patterns match their orientation in the sky, align Polaris over its position on the reticle, and the North Celestial Pole should be aligned with the small cross at the center.
While I found the polar-alignment scope very handy, adjusting its illumination level is a little finicky. The brightness knob, which measures only about 1/8-inch in diameter and barely sticks out of the west side of the polar housing, was difficult to adjust with my fingers and impossible to grab with gloves.
Power for the polar reticle as well as the dual-axis drive motors comes from either a 12-volt DC source or from a 110volt AC source with the optional converter. While owners can choose to run their telescope off a rechargeable cell or car battery if they wish, the telescope I tested ran for hours on end using eight D-cell batteries.
The Atlas 8's mirrors are very good, with my tests revealing only an inconsequential trace of spherical aberration. As a result, images were sharp and clear. For instance, the Orion Nebula M42 is wonderful to view through the Atlas 8 with the included 25-mm Plössl eyepiece. Switching to the supplied 10-mm Plössl, the Trapezium quadruple star was easily resolving into four sharp points of bluish-white light. I only wish the Atlas 8 came with a larger finderscope, which would make starhopping much easier. Images through the standard 6x30 finder are quite dim.
Even when I cranked up magnification to 356x using my own eyepieces, the Atlas 8 gave good views of Saturn's subtle equatorial banding, Cassini's Division, and the C ring, as well as details in Jupiter's swirling, multi-colored atmosphere. Further, when it was turned toward some seasonal double stars, the Atlas 8 easily resolved Castor, Rigel, as well as several other pairings as close as 1.5 arc-seconds apart. After that, local seeing conditions prevented me from splitting closer pairs.
Throughout, the beefy Atlas mount proved to be a solid performer. Motions are smooth in both right ascension and declination, even in cold temperatures. The dual-axis drive also tracked the sky very accurately with no jumping or vibrations from the stepper motors.
The Atlas 8's focuser accepts both 1.25- and 2-inch eyepieces, the former using the included adapter. Focusing is relatively smooth, although like other telescopes imported from the Far East, the sticky grease used as a lubricant does more to hinder motion than help. I was able to improve the focusing by cleaning off the grease with an aerosol degreaser and then spraying the gear rack with a dry silicone spray.
If you're looking for a lightweight instrument, the Atlas 8 probably isn't for you. No denying it, the 96-pound Atlas mount takes some effort to carry (though it can be disassembled and taken out in several smaller pieces). Also, if you want a computer-controlled GoTo telescope, pass on the Atlas 8. The mount is motorized, but requires the user to find sky objects. But if you are looking for a sturdy telescope, one that won't be jostled by a nighttime wind or an accidental kick, then the Orion Atlas 8 just might be for you. --Phil Harrington, author of Star Ware and Star Watch
Pros:
- Excellent optics
- Sturdy mount
- Smooth tracking motions
- Illuminated polar-alignment scope
- Heavy weight
- Small finderscope
- Finicky brightness adjustment on polar-alignment scope
- No GoTo control
Product Description:
Even if you had zero interest in taking pictures of NGC galaxies and Messier nebulas, the Atlas 8 would exceed your expectations for visual study. It's a synthesis of 8" f/5 diffraction-limited parabolic optics and the mightiest mount to come along in years. But if astrophotography does intrigue you, then there couldn't be a sweeter setup. Just add our optional 80mm Guide Scope package and you'll be set to capture magnificent images. And you won't have to spend a fortune to do it, either. The optical tube is equipped with a 2" collimatable focuser with focus lock and comes with a camera adapter; all you need is a camera and T-ring. The Atlas mount has a built-in polar-alignment scope and dual electronic drives. Slewing at 4x and 16x and fine guiding at 2x sidereal rate are executed with the included hand controller, which also has R.A. and Dec. reverse switches.