The company also offers astrographs, which are telescopes that are purposefully built with photography in mind. Orion sells the equipment you would need to attach your camera onto your telescope. These telescopes come in several different designs and configurations. Astrophotography TelescopesĪstrophotography is the art of taking photos of stars, galaxies, and other distant objects. Orion offers both Schmidt-Cassegrain and Maksutov-Cassegrain telescopes. They also contain a corrector lens to get a high-quality picture. This results in a compact telescope that can be taken with you on the go. The two components work to minimize the light path significantly. This equipment uses both glass lenses and mirrors to adequately bend light. Cassegrain TelescopesĪ Cassegrain telescope is like a merging of refractor and reflector technology. Or, you can get a powerful large model to take a look at Mars, Saturn, and other distant targets. Orion produces small classic Dobsonian telescopes that you can easily set on a patio table. Like the other telescopes that Orion makes, there are several models to choose from. Inside the optical tube, a large primary mirror collects as much light as possible to produce a clear picture of the cosmos. They consist of a large optical tube and a basic altazimuth base. Dobsonian Telescopesĭobsonian telescopes are affordable and relatively easy to use. This includes Newtonian reflectors, which are designed to limit color issues. Orion Telescopes & Binoculars offers a few different kinds of reflector telescopes. They use a series of precise mirrors to direct light and produce an image through the eyepiece. While they tend to be a bit bulkier and require more know-how to use, this type of equipment is purpose-built with star-gazing in mind. If you want to take a peek at deep-space objects like nebulae and distant star clusters, reflector telescopes are the way to go. You can easily find gear for seasoned and amateur astronomers. Plus, they come in a wide variety of specs. They’re relatively easy to maintain and can be taken anywhere. The great thing about this type of telescope is that it’s incredibly versatile. Once the light makes its way through the optical tube, it produces a magnified image of the celestial body you’re pointed at. They take advantage of glass lenses to collect and bend light. Most telescopes for beginners use a refractor lens. Refractor telescopes are, perhaps, one of the easiest to use. Here’s a bit of information about the types of telescopes and accessories they currently sell. What Kinds of Products Does Orion Offer?Īs we mentioned earlier, Orion Telescopes offers a pretty impressive lineup of products that cater to any skill level and budget. There’s also a retail store in Cupertino that specializes in selling astronomy gear. The brand headquarters is currently located in Watsonville, California. Today, the company remains employee-owned. However, instead of being bought by a large conglomerate, it was purchased by its own employees. Orion Telescopes and Binoculars was purchased yet again. In 2017, a big corporate change happened. These included eyepieces, telescopes, and more. The company grew its product line to include a wider range of equipment. Under Imaginova, Orion expanded quite a bit. It was one of the first companies that the conglomerate acquired. Shortly thereafter in 1999, Orion was acquired by the company Imaginova, which was founded by Lou Dobbs. With the growing adoption of the Internet, the company eventually moved to e-commerce in 1997.
During the first two decades of its existence, the company produced several models catered towards both beginners and experienced buyers.
Back then, most of the brand’s sales were made through a mail-order catalog. The company was founded by Tim Gieseler in a garage in Santa Cruz, California. Like so many successful companies, Orion Telescopes and Binoculars had very humble beginnings. To help you narrow down your search for that perfect telescope, we’ve also included a list of some of the brand’s best telescopes and accessories. In this guide, you’re going to learn more about what this brand has to offer. In the same token, the brand has a great lineup of equipment that is used regularly by professionals, too. The equipment is approachable and serves as a great introduction to the world of astronomy. The company makes it easy for novice stargazers to learn more about our universe without breaking the bank. It doesn’t matter what your skill level is or how much you know about the cosmos. Orion Telescopes and Binoculars cater to a wide range of people.