Книга: Dobsonian Telescope: Altazimuth mount, Newtonian telescope, John Dobson (amateur astronomer), Objective (optics), Optical telescope, Light pollution, Magnification, Equatorial mount

A Dobsonian telescope is an alt-azimuth mounted newtonian telescope design popularized by the amateur astronomer John Dobson starting in the 1960s. Dobson's telescopes featured a simplified mechanical design that was easy to manufacture from readily available components to create a large, portable, low-cost telescope. The design is intended for visually observing faint objects, a requirement where the observer needs a large objective diameter (i.e. light-gathering power) combined with portability for travel to non-light polluted locations. Dobsonians are intended to be what is generally called a 'light bucket' operating at low magnification, and therefore the design omits features found in other amateur telescopes such as equatorial tracking. Dobsonians are popular in the amateur telescope making community, where the design was pioneered and continues to evolve. A number of commercial telescope makers also sell telescopes based on this design.