6-inch telescopes are basically for amateurs. On average, they provide 162-1800 mm focal lengths, and a range of focal ratios from f/3.9-f/10. They can magnify objects 295-320x times the human eye. They also can resolve double stars at 0.76 arcsec. You can get 6-inch telescopes from different brands in the price range of 310$ – 15,070$.
What is a 6-inch telescope?
A 6-inch telescope refers to a telescope having an aperture (the diameter of the objective lens) of 6-inch (150 mm). A 6-inch telescope is considered to be in the category of a medium telescope.
What can you see with a 6-inch telescope?
- The Moon and its craters
- Jupiter with its cloud belts, and the Great Red Spot
- Saturn and its bands, the Cassini Division
- Uranus and Neptune
- Galaxies like M83, Whirlpool Galaxy, M81 and M82
- Globular star clusters like M5, M13, M15, and M92
- Nebulae like NGC 7027 in Cygnus, etc
Types and Technical Specifications of 6-inch telescope
Types (Optical Design)
Triplet Refractor: Example: Sky-Watcher Esprit 150mm ED Triplet APO Refractor, Takahashi TOA-150B Double ED Triplet Refractor Telescope – Heavy-Duty 4″ Focuser
Doublet Refractor: Example: Sky-Watcher Evostar 150DX f/8 Doublet Refracting Telescope, Celestron Advanced VX 6″ Refractor Telescope
SCT: Example: Celestron NexStar Evolution 6″ Computerized Telescope, Celestron Advanced VX 6″ Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope Bundle – CE-12079, Celestron C· 6 -A-XLT Schmidt-Cassegrain OTA with CG- 5 Mount Plate, Celestron NexStar 6SE Computerized Telescope
Maksutov Cassegrain: Example: Sky-Watcher 150mm Maksutov Cassegrain Telescope OTA, iOptron 150mm Maksutov Cassegrain OTA
Ritchey Chretien: Example: Orion 6″ f/9 Ritchey Chretien Reflecting OTA Telescope, TPO 6″ f/9 Ritchey Chretien Reflecting OTA Telescope, iOptron Photron 150 RC OTA
Doublet Refractor: Example: Sky-Watcher Evostar 150 f/8 Apochromatic Refracting Telescope,
Dobsonian: Example: Sky-Watcher Heritage 150 Tabletop Dobsonian, Takahashi Epsilon E-160ED 160mm ED Astrograph OTA, Orion SkyQuest XT6 Classic Dobsonian, Orion 6″ F/4.1 Newtonian Astrograph Reflector Telescope, Sky-Watcher Classic 150P f/7.9 Dobsonian Telescope
Cassegrain: Example: Meade 6″ f/10 LX85 ACF Optical Tube Assembly, Meade 6″ f/10 LX85 ACF Telescope with Mount and Tripod
Newtonian: Example: Sharpstar 15028HNT, Sky-Watcher Virtuoso GTi 150 Tabletop GoTo Dobsonian, Meade 6″ f/4.1 LX85 Reflector Optical Tube Assembly, Meade LX85 6″ Newtonian Astrograph w/Audiostar Equatorial Mount, TPO 6″ f/6 Newtonian Reflecting OTA Telescope, Celestron Advanced VX 6″ Newtonian Telescope, TPO 6″ f/4 Newtonian Reflecting OTA Telescope, Sky-Watcher Quattro 150P Imaging Newtonian Telescope, Celestron Omni XLT 150 Telescope – Reflector
Technical Specifications
Aperture: 6-inch (150 mm)
Focal Length: 162-1800 mm
Focal ratio: f/3.9-f/10
Highest Magnification: 295-320x
Light Gathering Power: 459-522x
Price: 310-15,070$
Images taken with 6-inch telescopes
Examples of 6-inch telescopes
- Sharpstar 15028HNT
- Sky-Watcher Virtuoso GTi 150 Tabletop GoTo Dobsonian
- Meade 6″ f/10 LX85 ACF Optical Tube Assembly
- Meade 6″ f/4.1 LX85 Reflector Optical Tube Assembly
- Meade 6″ f/10 LX85 ACF Telescope with Mount and Tripod
- Meade LX85 6″ Newtonian Astrograph w/Audiostar Equatorial Mount
- Sky-Watcher Heritage 150 Tabletop Dobsonian
- Takahashi Epsilon E-160ED 160mm ED Astrograph OTA
- Sky-Watcher Evostar 150 f/8 Apochromatic Refracting Telescope
- Orion 6″ f/9 Ritchey Chretien Reflecting OTA Telescope
- Orion SkyQuest XT6 Classic Dobsonian Telescope Kit
- Orion 6″ F/4.1 Newtonian Astrograph Reflector Telescope
- Sky-Watcher 150mm Maksutov Cassegrain Telescope OTA
- TPO 6″ f/6 Newtonian Reflecting OTA Telescope
- Celestron Advanced VX 6″ Newtonian Telescope
- Celestron NexStar Evolution 6″ Computerized Telescope
- Sky-Watcher Esprit 150mm ED Triplet APO Refractor
- TPO 6″ f/9 Ritchey Chretien Reflecting OTA Telescope
- TPO 6″ f/4 Newtonian Reflecting OTA Telescope
- Celestron Advanced VX 6″ Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope Bundle – CE-12079
- iOptron 150mm Maksutov Cassegrain OTA
- Celestron C· 6 -A-XLT Schmidt-Cassegrain OTA with CG- 5 Mount Plate
- Takahashi TOA-150B Double ED Triplet Refractor Telescope – Heavy-Duty 4″ Focuser
- Celestron NexStar 6SE Computerized Telescope
- Sky-Watcher Evostar 150DX f/8 Doublet Refracting Telescope
- Celestron Advanced VX 6″ Refractor Telescope
- Sky-Watcher Quattro 150P Imaging Newtonian Telescope
- Sky-Watcher Classic 150P f/7.9 Dobsonian Telescope
- Celestron Omni XLT 150 Telescope – Reflector
- iOptron Photron 150 RC OTA
How do 6-inch telescopes compare to other size-telescopes
6-inch vs 7-inch telescopes
6-inch telescope has less aperture than the 7-inch telescopes. They offer a focal ratio of f/2.8-f/15 whereas the 6-inch telescopes vary from f/3.9-f/10. Besides, 6-inch telescopes offer a focal length of 162-1800 mm whereas the 7-inch telescopes start from 500 mm to 2700 mm in focal lengths. Moreover, 7-inch telescopes provide 360x the highest magnification, whereas 6-inch telescopes can magnify up to 295-320x.
| 6-inch telescope | 7-inch telescopes | |
| Aperture | 6-inch (150 mm) | 7-inch (180 mm) |
| Focal Ratio | f/3.9-f/10 | f/2.8-f/15 |
| Focal Length | 162-1800 mm | 500-2700 mm |
| Highest Magnification | 295-320x | 360x |
| Price | 310-15,070$ | 1,350-5,500$ |
6-inch vs 8-inch telescope
8-inch telescopes provide focal lengths of 800-2415 mm (f/4-f/11.5), while 6-inch vary in focal lengths from 162-1800 mm (f/3.9-f/10). On average 8-inch telescopes provide the highest magnification of 300-480x, whereas 6-inch telescopes can magnify 295-320x.
| 6-inch telescope | 8-inch telescope | |
| Aperture | 6-inch (150 mm) | 8-inch (203 mm) |
| Focal Ratio | f/3.9-f/10 | f/4-f/11.5 |
| Focal Length | 162-1800 mm | 800-2415 mm |
| Highest Magnification | 295-320x | 300-480x |
| Price | 310-15,070$ | 570-5,000$ |
6-inch vs 9.25-inch telescope
6-inch telescopes provide a focal length of 162-1800 mm with a focal ratio of f/3.9-f/10. In contrast, 9.25-inch telescopes vary from 2350-2500 mm in focal length with a focal ratio of f/10. Moreover, 9.25-inch telescopes provide 406-555x the highest magnification, which is 295-320x in the case of 6-inch telescopes.
| 6-inch telescope | 9.25-inch telescope | |
| Aperture | 6-inch (150 mm) | 9.25-inch (235 mm) |
| Focal Ratio | f/3.9-f/10 | f/10 |
| Focal Length | 162-1800 mm | 2350-2500 mm |
| Highest Magnification | 295-320x | 406-555x |
| Price | 310-15,070$ | 1,899-8,320$ |
6-inch vs 10-inch telescope
6-inch telescopes have less aperture than the 10-inch telescopes. They offer the same range of focal ratio i.e. f/3.9-f/10. However, 6-inch telescopes offer a focal length of 162-1800 mm whereas the 10-inch telescopes vary from 1000-2500 mm in focal lengths. Though sometimes you can get 10-inch telescopes at a lesser price than a 6-inch scope.
| 6-inch telescope | 10-inch telescope | |
| Aperture | 6-inch (150 mm) | 10-inch (254 mm) |
| Focal Ratio | f/3.9-f/10 | f/3.9-f/10 |
| Focal Length | 162-1800 mm | 1000-2500 mm |
| Highest Magnification | 295-320x | 500-600x |
| Price | 310-15,070$ | 630-10,000$ |