Diameter: 4in | 101mm
Focal Length: 540F-ratio: 5.4Focal Length: 540Type: Refractor
Donor: Manufacturer: TelevueFirst Light: 2012

This scope is current being used for solar viewing along with our night time programs. We wanted to have a Tele Vue Refractor here that we sell. What a great scope, and a wonderful tool for showing the Sun, and much more. Great views to found in this scope on any given night.

Diameter: 4in | 102mm
Focal Length: 880F-ratio: 8.6Focal Length: 880Type: Refractor
Donor: Tryon FamilyManufacturer: TelevueFirst Light: 2002

This Televue 102mm aperture, 880mm focal length (f8.6) is an excellent planetary scope.  It usually spends it’s nights on Jupiter, Saturn, or the Moon.  It’s sharp image of these objects is a staff and crowd favorite.

Diameter: 6in | 150mm
Focal Length: 1200F-ratio: 8Focal Length: 1200Type: Refractor
Donor: Porter FamilyManufacturer: CelestronFirst Light: 1999

This is our largest aperture refracting telescope, another gem in the wonderful Porter donation. This 1200mm focal length (f6) was one of the main telescopes used during the last Venus transit!

Diameter: 10in | 254mm
Focal Length: 2540
F-ratio: 10
Focal Length: 2540
Type: Schmidt Cassegrain
Donor: Marcoe/Norton Family
Manufacturer: Meade
First Light: 2005

This portable 10″ Meade SCT fork mounted scope is another big help on busy nights and was donated in memory of Steven R. Marcoe and O. Richard Norton.

Diameter: 11in | 279mm
Focal Length: 2800F-ratio: 10Focal Length: 2800Type: Schmidt Cassegrain
Donor: Tryon FamiltyManufacturer: CelestronFirst Light: 2002

This is the GPS guided goto version of Celestron’s excellent 11″, 2800mm (f10) SCT.  With an easy to use go to system, this portable scope is a major asset on busy nights.

Diameter: 11in | 279mm
Focal Length: 2800
F-ratio: 10
Focal Length: 2800
Type: Schmidt Cassegrain
Donor: Pestes Family
Manufacturer: Celestron
First Light: 1999

Celestron 11″ 2800mm (f10) Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope (SCT)

Diameter: 12.5in | 318mm
Focal Length: 1588
F-ratio: 5
Focal Length: 1588
Type: Newtonian
Donor: Harold Osborne
Manufacturer: Parks
First Light: 1990

There is quite the story behind this telescope that was the first to be housed in our dome.  Next time you visit, ask a staff member!  The 12.5″ Parks mirror, in it’s rotating ring tube, rides on a Byers 812 mount. The 2825mm focal length in a Newtonian design, means a very long tube, and when that was in the dome, the eyepiece was nearly 12′ in the air!  It’s new home in the Starport makes it a much less intimidating climb to view out of this gem. This wonderful donation for Harold Osborne is our longest running telescope, and has been in continuous use since 1991! The Byers 812 mount was just overhauled in 2017 by our good friend Larry Myers, of Mountain Instruments fame….. 

Diameter: 12.5in | 318mm
Focal Length: 1429
F-ratio: 4.5
Focal Length: 1429
Type: Newtonian
Donor: Sunriver Rotary Club
Manufacturer: JMI
First Light: 2017

What a great scope. We added this scope in 2016, made possible from a donation from the Sunriver Rotary Club right here in Sunriver! The scope was quite the find, and is the same “baby” version of the  NGT18 we have here. It rotating cage makes it popular for viewing out on the deck. It is quickly becoming one of the favorites here.

All three of these telescopes came from a generous donation from the Porter family.  All three are Celestron Schmidt-Cassegrains with long focal lengths and compact designs.  That makes these ideal for a busy night in the Robert Glass Starport.  They tend to be the workhorses for our evening programs. If you want to view a lot of objects in a small amount of time, the compact design and easily moved CI700 mounts allow for quick transitions. These Celestron telescopes are popular telescopes and owned by many amateur astronomers.

Diameter: 18in | 457mm
Focal Length: 2058
F-ratio: 4.5
Focal Length: 2058
Type: Newtonian
Donor:
Manufacturer: JMI
First Light: 2019