This site contains affiliate links to products. I may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.
A first look at the night sky can be an exhilarating experience, revealing a universe full of mysteries right above our heads.
With a good telescope like the Orion SkyScanner 100mm, this experience can be enriched manifold.
It’s a device that can unlock celestial wonders for novices and experienced stargazers.
In this comprehensive review, we’ll explore the aspects that make the Orion SkyScanner 100mm a popular choice, its benefits, limitations, and its suitability for various users and purposes.
Orion SkyScanner 100mm TableTop Reflector Telescope, in a nutshell
The Orion SkyScanner 100mm is a tabletop reflector telescope characterized by its compact size, ease of use, and surprisingly affordable price.
It’s designed to offer bright, clear images of celestial bodies thanks to its substantial 100mm primary mirror that can gather ample faint light, revealing sharp details of celestial objects.
Despite its beginner-friendly design, the SkyScanner is no toy. It’s a capable reflector with impressive optics that can satisfy even more advanced users.
However, it’s not without limitations. While its portability is a plus, the lack of a tripod in the standard package may pose challenges for some users.
Also, it might not satisfy the needs of those looking for long-range deep space exploration due to its limited focal length.
Nevertheless, for its price range, the SkyScanner offers remarkable value.
What can you see with the Orion SkyScanner 100mm?
The Orion SkyScanner 100mm offers a captivating stargazing experience, revealing a rich tapestry of celestial wonders such as:
Lunar craters
With the Orion SkyScanner 100mm, you’re in for a treat when observing the Moon.
It reveals the lunar craters in sharp detail, enabling you to explore highland mountains and vast, planar lunar “seas” made of dark material.
Bright planets
This telescope is not just limited to our Moon. Its 100mm primary mirror allows you to observe bright planets such as Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars, even from urban locations with considerable light pollution.
Saturn’s rings and Jupiter’s biggest moons can be visible under good viewing conditions.
Read also: 16 Top-Rated Light Pollution Filters for Your Telescope
Deep-sky objects
The Orion SkyScanner is also capable of showing you deep-sky objects such as bright cloudy nebulas, globular star clusters, and even some distant galaxies.
However, remember that for optimal viewing of these celestial bodies, darker skies are highly beneficial.
Is the Orion SkyScanner 100mm suitable for beginners?
The Orion SkyScanner 100mm is an ideal beginner’s telescope capable of helping you enjoy the night sky. Its compact, tabletop Dobsonian-style telescope mount makes it easy to use and hassle-free to operate.
The telescope comes with two eyepieces (20mm and 10mm) for varying magnifying power and an EZ Finder II red dot finder to help locate objects in the night sky.
The SkyScanner optical tube is light enough to easily attach to a standard photo tripod, further simplifying its setup and use.
Is the Orion SkyScanner 100mm good for astrophotography?
While the Orion SkyScanner 100mm isn’t primarily designed for astrophotography, it’s possible to take basic shots of bright objects like the Moon and planets using a smartphone adapter.
However, it lacks features such as a motorized mount for tracking celestial objects, making it less suitable for long-exposure deep-sky astrophotography.
You may also like: 15 Best Telescopes for Astrophotography (with camera)
Pros of the Orion SkyScanner 100mm
The Orion SkyScanner 100mm is a good choice for both beginners and seasoned astronomers.
Here are some of the pros:
Affordable price
One of the main advantages of the Orion SkyScanner 100mm is its affordable price.
It offers excellent value for money, making it an ideal entry-level telescope for beginning stargazers or families looking to explore astronomy together.
Compact and portable
The Orion SkyScanner stands out for its compact size and portability.
Whether it’s a road trip adventure or just a short journey to a local park, the SkyScanner can be your travel companion, enabling on-the-go astronomy sessions.
Ease of use
The Orion SkyScanner 100mm is very user-friendly. The setup is straightforward, and the tabletop mount makes maneuvering and pointing the telescope easy.
It’s also equipped with a rack and pinion focuser that allows for smooth and precise adjustments.
Quality optics
Despite its compact size, the SkyScanner 100mm TableTop Reflector boasts a 100mm (3.9″) aperture parabolic glass primary mirror that captures ample faint light, enabling you to view the Moon’s cratered surface, bright planets, and even distant deep-space nebulas in sharp detail.
Short focal length
The Orion SkyScanner 100mm has a relatively short focal length of approximately 400mm. This results in a fast focal ratio of f/4.0, allowing for a wide field of view.
With this advantage, the telescope excels at capturing expansive celestial vistas.
Cons of the Orion SkyScanner 100mm
The Orion SkyScanner 100mm has some limitations, such as:
Lack of tripod
The Orion SkyScanner 100mm doesn’t come with a tripod. While it’s designed to be a tabletop telescope, a tripod can be essential for outdoor use.
However, you can easily attach it to a standard camera tripod if needed.
Limited for deep-space viewing
While the SkyScanner is capable of showing you deep-space objects, it might not satisfy experienced observers or those wishing to delve deeper into astrophotography.
It lacks the long focal length needed for detailed viewing of distant galaxies and nebulae.
Inconvenient focuser position
The Orion SkyScanner 100mm has a drawback related to the focuser position, as it places the eyepiece on the top of the telescope.
This configuration can lead to inconvenient viewing angles, requiring users to either stand and bend over the telescope when pointed near the horizon or sit down and look forward when pointed toward the zenith.
Features of the Orion SkyScanner 100mm
The Orion SkyScanner 100mm offers a range of impressive features designed to enhance your stargazing experience.
Let’s explore them in detail.
Parabolic primary mirror
The SkyScanner’s 100mm (3.9″) aperture parabolic primary mirror is its heart. It collects enough light to reveal lunar craters, bright planets, and some deep-sky objects, providing detailed views of the night sky.
Additionally, an adjustable secondary mirror seldom requires adjustment, ensuring a hassle-free observing experience.
Focuser
The telescope features a rack and pinion focuser that makes it easy to dial in sharp focus. This feature significantly aids beginners in smoothly adjusting their view.
Portability
The compact design of the Orion SkyScanner makes it an excellent grab-and-go telescope. It’s light enough to take along on camping trips, vacations, or even just a fun night in the backyard.
Specifications of the Orion SkyScanner 100mm
Let’s quickly examine the key specifications of the Orion SkyScanner 100mm in the table below:
| Specification | Detail |
| Optical Design | Reflector |
| Aperture | 100mm (3.9″) |
| Focal Length | 400mm |
| Focal Ratio | f/4.0 |
| Mount Type | Dobsonian (Tabletop) |
| Weight | 6.2 lbs (2.81 kg) |
| Optical Tube Length | 15.7″ (400mm) |
| Primary Mirror Material | Glass |
Accessories included in the Orion SkyScanner 100mm
A range of essential accessories is thoughtfully included in the Orion SkyScanner 100mm. These carefully curated additions complement the telescope’s capabilities, enhancing your astronomical endeavors.
Here are some of them:
20mm and 10mm eyepieces
The Orion SkyScanner comes with two 4-element eyepieces of 20mm and 10mm. The 20mm eyepiece provides a magnification of 20x, perfect for wide field views that showcase extended objects like nebulae and larger star clusters.
The 10mm eyepiece offers a higher magnification of 40x, ideal for observing lunar craters and distant celestial bodies.
Both eyepieces feature threaded barrels that are compatible with Orion filters for enhanced viewing experiences.
EZ Finder II
The EZ Finder II is a straightforward yet effective point-and-look device. This red-dot finder scope doesn’t magnify but superimposes a tiny, LED-powered red dot on the sky, simplifying the process of locating celestial objects.
It is adjustable, ensuring you can align your telescope accurately. Its simplicity and efficiency make the SkyScanner 100mm a fantastic telescope for beginners.
Moon filter
A glare-reducing Moon filter is also included in the package. This filter enhances the view of the Moon by reducing brightness and glare, enabling you to see the Moon’s surface in more detail.
This glare-reducing moon filter helps to preserve night vision and reduces eye fatigue during lengthy observation sessions.
Orion’s MoonMap 260
The Orion SkyScanner comes with Orion’s MoonMap 260, a fantastic guide that helps identify over 260 lunar features such as craters, valleys, “seas,” and more.
This educational map not only helps you locate these fascinating lunar features but also educates you about their origins and the science behind them.
Printed on moisture-resistant paper for durability, the MoonMap 260 is a great educational tool for families and young stargazers.
Is the Orion SkyScanner 100mm worth buying?
When you consider the Orion SkyScanner 100mm, it’s not just about the technical details or the specifications but also about the experience it provides.
As a compact, portable, and easy-to-use telescope, the Orion SkyScanner offers a great viewing experience, both for beginners and seasoned amateur astronomers who are looking for a secondary, more portable telescope.
The SkyScanner 100mm provides a great balance between affordability and functionality.
It comes with a range of accessories that contribute to an immersive stargazing experience right out of the box, with no extra purchases necessary.
This includes the two eyepieces, the EZ Finder II, a Moon filter, and an educational MoonMap 260.
The optics provide sharp and clear views of the Moon, bright planets, and deep-sky objects, making it a versatile piece of equipment for your astronomy adventures, be it in your backyard or at a dark sky location.
Despite its affordable price, the Orion SkyScanner 100mm does not compromise on quality.
It has a durable build and a sturdy tabletop Dobsonian-style mount that delivers hassle-free operation, adding to its overall value.
FAQs about the Orion SkyScanner 100mm telescope
Let’s address some frequently asked questions about the Orion SkyScanner 100mm TableTop Reflector Telescope.
Does the Orion SkyScanner 100mm have any warranty?
Orion provides a one-year limited warranty for the SkyScanner 100mm. This warranty covers any defects in materials or workmanship, providing assurance to buyers about the product’s quality.
However, this warranty is applicable solely to the original retail purchaser.
Is the Orion SkyScanner 100mm suitable for more advanced users?
While the Orion SkyScanner 100mm is marketed as an ideal beginner’s telescope, it can also serve as a handy grab-and-go telescope for more advanced users.
Its portable size, easy setup, and quality views make it a convenient secondary telescope for experienced stargazers.
Can the Orion SkyScanner 100mm be easily transported and set up in different locations?
One of the greatest advantages of the Orion SkyScanner 100mm is its compact and lightweight design. This makes it highly portable for road trip adventures or quick observations at different locations.
Its simple Dobsonian-style mount makes setting up and maneuvering the telescope easy for everyone.
Does the Orion SkyScanner 100mm need additional accessories?
The Orion SkyScanner 100mm comes with basic accessories that allow you to start stargazing immediately.
However, you can enhance your viewing experience with some additional accessories, such as a Barlow lens for increased magnification, additional filters for different viewing conditions, or a sturdy field tripod if you want to use the telescope away from a tabletop.
The SkyScanner 100’s altazimuth base can effortlessly connect to any field tripod that comes equipped with a standard 3/8″ threaded post.
Takeaway: Explore the Cosmos with the Orion SkyScanner 100mm
The compact Orion SkyScanner is a versatile and easy-to-use telescope that is an excellent entry point into the world of astronomy.
It boasts an ample primary mirror and a fast focal ratio, offering sharp views of lunar craters, bright planets, and even some distant galaxies.
It features an objective lens diameter of 100mm, providing ample light-gathering capability for impressive stargazing experiences.
Designed with a convenient tabletop Dobsonian style mount and intuitive swivel base, it provides hassle-free operation and a wide field of view.
Its included accessories – from eyepieces to the Moon filter – equip beginner stargazers with everything they need for family fun exploring the night sky.
Despite its affordable price, the Orion SkyScanner 100mm doesn’t skimp on quality.
If you’re considering taking the first step into your stargazing journey or if you’re a seasoned amateur astronomer looking for a portable secondary telescope, the Orion SkyScanner 100mm offers a blend of convenience, functionality, and affordability.
You may also like:
