Equipment Library
The Seattle Astronomical Society maintains a library of small and medium size telescopes that may be checked out by members in good standing. If you are new to astronomy, this is an excellent way to learn how to use a telescope and to begin viewing the wonders of the night sky, without having to invest immediately in a telescope of your own. To check out a telescope, please check out our equipment available for loan.
If you have any questions about borrowing equipment, or do not see a specific piece of equipment please reach out to our Equipment Manager.
See the complete equipment list in alphabetical order.
Keywords
You can narrow your search of our equipment library by selecting any one of the below keywords.
Astrophotography Beginner Binoculars Camera Intermediate Maksutov Newtonian Refractor Schmidt Cassegrain Visual
Search
All our equipment is currently on loan to other members.
Available Eventually
The following list of equipment is currently loaned out to a member, and may include other members waiting to also borrow.
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AWB 130mm Reflector
Currently there are 3 requests to borrow this.
Table Top f/5 Newtonian Telescope.
NOTE: This scope does not include a tripod and is designed to be placed on a small table or similar support. It has an open tube and must be shielded from nearby streetlight or porch lights.
This telescope is suitable for all ages and is a good choice for viewing the moon, planets, and bright deep sky objects. It has a Dobsonian style mounting that is compact and intuitive to use. It is designed to be placed on a small table or similar support and does not come with a tripod.. A red-dot reflex sight and a set of eyepieces are included..
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Edmund Astroscan
Currently there are 1 requests to borrow this.
Table Top Newtonian Telescope
Note: This scope has a small collimation error but it works well up to about 30x for wide field viewing.
The Astroscan telescope is suitable for all ages. The package includes the telescope, a red circle refles sight (Rigel Quik Point) for aiming the scope, a cast-aluminum tabletop base that's padded to prevent scratches on sensitive surfaces, a user's manual, two eyepieces, and a carrying bag. The telescope is intended to be placed on a table and does not include a tripod.
The Astroscan has a focal length of 445mm and makes a great "grab and go" scope requiring virtually no setup. It is a good telescope to use with children. Unfortunately the telescope is slightly but permanently out of collimation and is not suitable for high power viewing, but it works well with the provided low power eyepieces. A 16x eyepiece provides a three degree angle true field of view. A 26x eyepiece is also provided. The Astroscan provides good views of large star clusters and nebula, such as the Double Cluster, the Andromeda galaxy, and the Great Nebula in Orion complex, all of which can be seen from the suburbs of Seattle. It will show Jupiter and it's moons but 26x magnification is not enough to resolve Saturn's ring system.
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Orion SkyQuest XT10i
Currently there are 1 requests to borrow this.
10 Inch Dobsonian Computer Aided (PushTo) Telescope
Important: This is a heavy and bulky telescope and it is usually loaned for extended periods. It may require 2 people to lift it and a bigger vehicle to transport it.
The Orion SkyQuest XT10i IntelliScope is a 10" aperture Dobsonian Reflector with a Push-To computer system for aiming the telescope.
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Orion SkyQuest XT8 Dobsonian
Currently there are 4 requests to borrow this.
8" Newtonian Reflector on Dobsonain Mount.
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Orion StarBlast 4.5
Currently there are 3 requests to borrow this.
Compact 4.5 Inch (114 mm) Newtonian Telescope
This Orion StarBlast 4.5 reflector telescope is a good beginners telescope.as well as a nice "grab and go" scope for advanced observers. Its lowest power (18x) provides an expansive 2.2 degree field of view that is ideal for locating and viewing large star clusters and galaxies. The SAS Equipment Library has mounted a StarBlast tube assembly on a stable, easy to understand Alt-Az mount and tripod. This configuration is different from the Starblast 4.5 sold commercially. (Our mount and tripod were salvaged from a bigger but non-functional telescope)
.An Orion EZ Finder II "red Dot" reflex sight is provided to aim the telescope. The user looks at the sky through the viewing window of the EZ Finder and sees a red dot, like a heads up display on an airplane windshield. The user then moves the telescope until the red-dot is aimed at the intended area of the sky.
Restricted Equipment
Contact the Equipment Manager for more information on the following equipment.
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Orion SkyQuest XT10g - Computerized GoTo Dobsonian
The XT10g is a 10" aperture GoTo Dobsonian Telescope.
Restricted Item -This is a big telescope. Thee optical tube weighs 30 lbs and is about 12 inches in diameter by 48 inches long. The base weighs nearly 40 lbs. It may require a bigger vehicle to transport it.
Contact the Equipment Manager (equipment@seattleastro.org) for more information.
IMPORTANT: This is a very heavy and bulky telescope.
Telescope Types
What are those numbers?
The f-ratio is the focal length divided by the diameter of the telescope. Magnification is the focal length of the telescope divided by the focal length of the eyepiece.
Example
To find the f-ratio of a telescope 10 " in diameter with a 45" focal length:
Divide 45 " F.L. by10" D. to get an f-ratio of 4.5.
Compute Magnification
First, convert focal length to mm: 45" = 1146 mm, then:
1146 mm focal length divided by 35 mm eyepiece equals 33 magnification.
More Information
If you are interested in learning more about telescopes, we recommend:
- SAS member Sorin (aka Soggy Astronomer ) has written an article, The Agony of Buying Your First Telescope and also presented at our May 15, 2013 general meeting, which includes additional information and links.
- Sky & Telescope's excellent article on equipment basics
- North Ireland's Choosing A Telescope by Andrew Johnston
