Orion Telescopes
Orion has a wonderful store right on the Amazon.com website Amazon's Orion Telescope Store
Enjoy the comfort, security and great pricing of Amazon.com
Orion telescopes sell a wide range of telescopes, binoculars, and accessories for astronomical and terrestrial use. One of the great things about the company is that they very much cater to all classes of user with a solid line of beginner, intermediate, and advanced products. So if you are a beginner you can get something priced suitable and have the comfort of knowing you can stick with them if your passion for astronomy and telescopes grows.
A little bit about Orion Telescopes: They were established in 1975 and sold telescopes through mail catalogs and have been selling online since 1997. They are located in central California and sell through a variety of venues including retail shops, online, sales, retailers and amazon.com. They really have a great model for making and selling great telescopes at reasonable prices.
Note about Orion: They are releasing a line of Monster Truss Tube Dobsonians: These telescopes are 36" 40" and 50". I have more information about them here Orion Monster Telescopes
What does the telescope nerd say about Orion Telescopes - They have a great product line, their scopes are excellent quality and they offer lots of extra stuff that bring a lot of added enjoyment to star gazing. Price is important with them as it probably is with you. They have a nice selection of low priced starter scopes which are perfect.
A Selection of Orion telescopes and Products
Some Entry Level Scopes (Very Reasonable Price vs Performance here)
FunScope 76mm Reflector Telescope - This is almost the perfect telescope for someone who wants to give star gazing while keeping the expense and the complexity down. Nice 4 1/2 inch mirror, simple and easy to use setup. Small and portable. I think if you want an easy way to start or to share some astronomy with the kids this is a really nice choice. About the same price as a typical video game. Nice! Orion really knows what to deliver.
Orion Observer 70mm EQ Refractor Telescope
Looking for a powerful beginner telescope at a very reasonable price? This refractor fits the bill perfectly. It's got an oversized 70mm lens which is a notch above the typical 60mm and it has an equatorial mount which makes stargazing much easier. Just a solid first telescope and good for celestial and terrestrial observing. That extra 10 mm of lens gives you 36% more light gathering power. And they get you it at the price of a typical 60mm scope price.
Orion SkyQuest XT6 Classic Dobsonian Telescope - This is just about the perfect entry level telescope for somebody who wants some power at a bargain basement price. Generous 6" primary mirror, easy to use dobsonian mount and very portable. Impressive telescope. If your budget is a little bit bigger you might want to consider this one. You can't beat the price vs. performance on this one. Get yourself a good celestial object star map because you are going to make good use of it with this telescope.
Mid Level Telescopes
Orion SkyQuest XT8 Classic Dobsonian Telescope - This is a tremendous upgrade from the 6" dob without being a tremendous price upgrade. The 2" focuser is a very nice addition and will make a big difference in viewing and in comfort.
Orion SkyQuest XT10 10 -
Orion(r) SkyQuest(TM) XT Classic Dobsonians It's no wonder customers heap 5-star ratings on these "gentle giants." For not only do their jumbo-sized optics and uncomplicated design bring a "new level of joy to simple observing," raved Astronomy magazine, but they're also the most affordable quality Dobs on the market. SkyQuest XT Classics aren't just good bang for the buck, they're a supernova of telescope value! XT Classics give you the deep-space thrills without the deep-pocket frills. We've kept them lean and mean to keep their prices low for tight budgets. But rest assured, they come fully equipped for adventure, whether you're a beginning stargazer or are graduating to a more capable instrument. All Classics feature an expertly figured parabolic mirror housed in an enameled steel optical tube. The tube rides on a stable Dobsonian base that allows easy point-and-view navigation and has a convenient carrying handle. A 2" Crayford focuser (XT6 has 1.25" rack and pinion focuser), EZ Finder II aiming device, 25mm Sirius Plossl eyepiece (1.25"), and quick-collimation cap are all standard equipment. Setup takes only a minute, leaving the rest of the evening to marvel at the planets, the Moon, and a myriad of deep-sky treasures. Enjoy the fantastic views â and savings! One-year limited warranty.
Orion ShortTube 80 Equatorial Refractor Telescope There are a few things I really like about this telescope. First off it has a good sized primary objective and being a refractor you are going to get some very crisp viewing. Second, it comes on an equatorial mount which makes better use of its power. Being a short f ratio (f/5) this is more suited to deep space viewing, nebulae, star clusters, etc. The compact size just makes it so convenient to throw into the car and head off to darker skies.
Orion 8" Newtonian Astrograph For wide field, deep-space imaging, it has few rivals. Its big aperture and fast f/4.0 focal ratio allow capture of faint galaxies and nebulas with short photographic exposure times - and for a fraction of the price of a premium "apo" refractor even half its size! Our Orion 8" f/4.0 Newtonian Astrograph is perfect for beginning and intermediate star shooters, and a great second scope for more advanced imagers who want more portability, without sacrificing features and quality. That means bright, detailed images for APS-C sized CCD or DSLR cameras. As with any fast Newtonian, an optional coma corrector is recommended to achieve the sharpest images. With an optional eyepiece, this telescope doubles as a fine visual instrument for scanning solar system and deep-space wonders.
Big Telescopes - YAY!
Orion SkyQuest XX12i IntelliScope Truss-Tube Dob If the idea of a big-aperture telescope appeals to you, but the portability issue has kept you on the fence, you can hop off it now. We've got the perfect solution - Orion's SkyQuest XX12i IntelliScope Truss Tube Dobsonian Telescope. It's a deep-sky observer's dream scope, offering jumbo 12" optics (f/4.9); a stylish, reduced-weight base outfitted with IntelliScope object location technology; and a sturdy truss tube design that disassembles in about a minute into compact, easily portable components. Finally, a deluxe, large-aperture Dobsonian telescope that fits comfortably in a compact car for transport to your favorite observing site! The eight trusses (four captive pairs) provide more-rigid support than other designs in this category. We've also outfitted the XX12i base with nothing but the best materials: EbonyStar laminate and VirginTeflon azimuth bearing surfaces provide silky smooth azimuth motion. Equipped with dual-speed (11:1) 2" Crayford focuser, large 8" altitude bearings, a full set of great accessories, a computerized database of 14,000 celestial objects -- and a price just north of a grand! -- the XX12i is one killer telescope deal. It's the big Dobsonian you've dreamed of owning, and now you can take it with you wherever dark skies beckon! Get the practical, amazingly affordable Orion SkyQuest XX12i Computerized Dobsonian telescope and hit the road to astronomical adventure.
Other Orion Products
Orion Resolux WP 7x50 Astronomincal Binoculars
Orion also makes a wide selection of high quality binoculars that are tuned for astronomy but also very effective for terrestrial viewing. Here is a direct link to the Orion Binoculars on Amazon.com Orion Binoculars
Orion Beginning Stargazer's Toolkit
That new telescope of yours will show you lots of cool celestial objects - but only if you know where to look. And once you do spot something, wouldn't it be nice to know what it is? With this Toolkit, you'll never be "lost in space"! It contains four items designed to help new astronomers find their way around the heavens: Star Target Planisphere; Discover the Stars observer's guide; Moon map; and RedBeam Mini LED Astro Flashlight.
The Telescope Nerd 
