Orion SkyQuest XX16g review: a 16 inch GoTo Dobsonian
In 30 seconds
Stars for Your Buck 28/100
Reviewed 27 Oct 2026 Updated 27 Oct 2026
- Rank
- #38 of 39 telescopes
- Verdict
- With reservations
Written by Damon Scotting 3 min read
How I tested it
Saturn from my garden (Bortle 6.8), untracked, with a Player One Saturn-C, with and without a 2x Barlow, side by side with my 8 inch EdgeHD on the same night. How I test
Who should buy it
- You want a big mirror on a GoTo base: 406 mm that finds and tracks targets from a hand controller.
- You image the planets: even untracked, it pulled Saturn's rings clear of the globe.
- You have the space to keep it assembled, or a helper to carry it out.
Who should not buy it
- You need to carry it alone: it weighs 88 kg all in, and the heaviest piece it breaks into is still 28 kg.
- You want long deep-sky exposures: it is an alt-azimuth Dobsonian.
- You want to buy new: it is discontinued, so second hand is the only way.
“With a colossal 16 inch primary mirror, my BFT is able to comfortably resolve each star and show off the insane vibrance in their colours.”
Where does it rank on my leaderboard
| Rank | Telescope | Stars for Your Buck | Recorded UK price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Askar 50P | 95 out of 100 | £299 |
| 2 | Askar SQA106 | 93 out of 100 | £3,395 |
| 6 | Sky-Watcher HAC125DX | 88 out of 100 | £589 |
| 14 | Askar 71F | 81 out of 100 | £599 |
| 23 | Celestron NexStar 6SE | 72 out of 100 | £1,199 |
| 28 | Sky-Watcher HAC125 | 61 out of 100 | £405 |
| 33 | Altair 60EDF | 50 out of 100 | £499 |
| 38 | Orion SkyQuest XX16g | 28 out of 100 | £3,299 |
| 39 | Celestron AstroMaster LT 76 | 13 out of 100 | £200 |
Contents
- 01 Where does it rank on my leaderboard
- 02 Specifications and features
- 03 From the video
- 04 Saturn through it
- 05 What is it for
- 06 Watch it in my videos
- 07 Should you buy it?
- 08 Questions and more about this review
Specifications and features
| Orion SkyQuest XX16g reviewed #38 of 39 | |
|---|---|
| Recorded UK price | £3,299 |
| Aperture | 406 mm (16 inch), parabolic primary mirror |
| Focal length | 1,800 mm |
| Focal ratio | f/4.4 |
| Optical design | Newtonian reflector, truss tube; enhanced aluminium coatings with a quartz overcoat; 91 mm secondary |
| Image circle | not recorded |
| Back focus | not recorded |
| Focuser | 2 inch dual-speed Crayford (11:1), with a 1.25 inch adapter |
| Weight | 88 kg all in; 31 kg tube (69 lb), 48 kg base (105 lb) |
| Length | 1,727 mm tube (68 in) |
| Mount | GoTo Dobsonian (alt-azimuth) base: DC servo motors with optical encoders, SynScan AZ hand controller, over 42,900 objects |
| Eyepieces supplied | 28 mm DeepView (64x); 12.5 mm illuminated Plossl (144x) |
| Dew shield | Not supplied (a light shroud was sold separately) |
| In the box | Truss tube in two sections with poles, primary mirror in its cell, GoTo base, 28 mm and 12.5 mm eyepieces, EZ Finder II, SynScan AZ hand controller, counterweights, eyepiece rack, collimation cap |
From the video
Two frames from my video
The camera on the upper cage
Albireo through it
Saturn through it
Untracked, with and without a 2x Barlow
The planets and the Moon
Saturn, 2x Barlow
- Gear
- Orion SkyQuest XX16g, untracked, 2x Barlow, Player One Saturn-C
Saturn, no Barlow
- Gear
- Orion SkyQuest XX16g, untracked, no Barlow, Player One Saturn-C
What is it for
Two things it is for
Albireo, split and in colour
With a colossal 16 inch primary mirror, it comfortably resolves each star of Albireo and shows off the vibrance in their colours.
Taller than I am
It is literally taller than I am: the truss tube alone is 1.7 m long before it goes on its base, and the camera rides on the upper cage.
Watch it in my videos
What The EYE OF GOD Looks Like Through a $500, $1M, and $1B Telescope, 42 Wonders (EP 3) · published 28 April 2026 · 13:07 · Watch on YouTube · 21,447 views, 947 likes on 2 Nov 2026
Jump to
- 1:44 My 16 inch Dobsonian on Albireo
Should you buy it?
28/100 Stars for Your Buck
Pros
- A 406 mm parabolic mirror at f/4.4: a colossal light grasp.
- GoTo and tracking on a Dobsonian base: a SynScan AZ hand controller with over 42,900 objects.
- Even untracked, with a 2x Barlow, Saturn's rings come out clear of the globe with the equatorial band showing.
- It splits Albireo comfortably and shows off the colours of both stars.
- Two eyepieces come with it, 28 mm and 12.5 mm, for 64x and 144x.
Cons
- It weighs 88 kg. Seriously, it is a nightmare to move: the tube alone is 31 kg and the base 48 kg, and Orion's own manual suggests a helper.
- It is literally taller than I am, so storage and getting it outside take planning.
- Discontinued: it was £3,299 new, and now it is second hand only.
- An alt-azimuth Dobsonian: built for the eyepiece and short planetary video, not long deep-sky exposures.
It is a formidable telescope that I use only in my garden, for stargazing and visual observing. I bought it used for £1,200, so as far as I am concerned, I got a good deal.
Who the XX16g is for
Planetary imager
Buy
With a 2x Barlow and a fast camera it caught Saturn's rings and the globe's band, even untracked.
Visual observer with space
Buy
A 406 mm mirror with GoTo: it finds the target and shows both colours of Albireo with ease.
Second-hand buyer
Buy
It is only sold second hand now; check the mirror coatings and the GoTo electronics before you hand over the money.
Complete beginner
Skip
It is huge and heavy; a smaller Dobsonian is the easier first telescope.
Deep-sky astrophotographer
Skip
An alt-azimuth Dobsonian is not built for long exposures; a refractor on an equatorial mount is.
Small car or flat
Skip
It weighs 88 kg all in and the tube is 1.7 m long; it breaks down without tools, but the heaviest piece is still 28 kg.
Three alternatives I have reviewed
- Celestron 8" EdgeHD The 8 inch EdgeHD I shot Saturn with on the same night: far easier to carry. 90/100 £1,999 Read the review
- Celestron C11 EdgeHD An 11 inch SCT tube that needs a heavy equatorial mount, for planets and deep sky. 75/100 £4,845 Read the review
- Celestron NexStar 6SE A small GoTo telescope that fits in a car boot in one go. 72/100 £1,199 Read the review
Questions and more about this review
Reviewed by
Damon Scotting
The Telescope Man Verified
BSc (Hons) Physics with Astrophysics and Cosmology, Loughborough University PGCE / QTS, University of Nottingham
About Damon About Damon Damon Scotting is The Telescope Man. He holds a BSc (Hons) in Physics with Astrophysics and Cosmology from Loughborough University and a PGCE with QTS from the University of Nottingham, and taught physics in secondary schools before becoming an astronomy creator. He is a contributing writer for BBC Sky at Night Magazine and the author of 42 Wonders of Our Night Sky, and his photograph of the galaxy M100 with the dwarf planet Ceres was Highly Commended in the Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2024 competition run by Royal Observatory Greenwich. He has appeared on the BBC's Blue Peter. More than 750,000 people follow his astronomy channels on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, and he has reviewed more than 140 telescopes, mounts, cameras, filters and accessories hands-on for this site. More about Damon · How I test · Damon's book
I review all kinds of gear: most of it I buy, some is gifted and some is loaned, and all of it is reviewed the same way. How this site is funded
Seven questions, answered
Questions about the Orion SkyQuest XX16g
Reviewed 27 October 2026 ·Updated 27 October 2026
I review all kinds of gear. Most of it I buy, some is gifted and some is loaned, and all of it is reviewed the same way: no company sees or approves a review before it is published. Some shop links are affiliate links: I earn a commission when you buy through them, at no extra cost to you. How this site is funded
- What can the XX16g show of Saturn? Untracked, with a 2x Barlow and a Player One Saturn-C, my edit of the stack shows the rings clear of the globe and the equatorial band.
- Can you still buy the XX16g new? No. It is discontinued; it was £3,299 new, so look for one second hand. The verdict, the readers and the sellers ↓
- How heavy is it? 88 kg all in. Seriously, it is a nightmare to move. Orion lists the assembled tube at 31 kg (69 lb) and the base at 48 kg (105 lb), and it ships in five boxes. The specifications ↓
- Does it track? Yes: servo motors with encoders on both axes, a SynScan AZ hand controller with over 42,900 objects, and sidereal, lunar and solar tracking. My Saturn session ran untracked. The specifications ↓
- Which eyepieces come with it? A 28 mm DeepView with a 2 inch barrel and a 12.5 mm illuminated Plossl: 64x and 144x. The specifications ↓
- What power does it need? 12 V DC at 2.1 A for the GoTo and tracking. The specifications ↓
- What does this review not cover? The Moon, Jupiter, deep-sky objects and the GoTo accuracy: I have no XX16g results of them to show here.