The Orion GoScope 80mm Tabletop was a compact 80mm f/4.3 refractor designed primarily for beginning astronomers and portable observing. Instead of a conventional tripod, the optical tube was supplied on a small tabletop altazimuth mount, creating a complete telescope weighing just 5.7 lb (2.6 kg).
The original GoScope 80mm Tabletop Refractor has since been discontinued. This review is retained as a reference for readers researching the telescope second-hand or looking for information about this older Orion model.
Its combination of 80mm aperture and a short 350mm focal length made it particularly suited to low-power views of star fields, open clusters and brighter deep-sky objects. That very short focal ratio also brings compromises, particularly chromatic aberration when observing bright targets at higher magnifications.
80mm f/4.3 Wide-Field Optics
The GoScope uses an 80mm achromatic objective with a short 350mm focal length, giving it a focal ratio of f/4.3. This produces a much wider field of view than a longer focal-length beginner refractor, making the telescope particularly well suited to sweeping through star fields and observing larger objects.
Orion supplied 20mm and 10mm eyepieces, providing magnifications of approximately 18× and 35×. At these relatively low powers, the GoScope is useful for objects such as the Pleiades, the Orion Nebula and larger open clusters, as well as general exploration of the night sky.
The trade-off is that an f/4.3 achromatic refractor is not optimized for high-power planetary observing. Chromatic aberration can produce noticeable colored fringes around bright objects, while the telescope’s short focal length makes achieving high magnification dependent on using much shorter focal-length eyepieces or a Barlow lens.
Tabletop Mount and Portability
Portability is one of the GoScope 80mm’s defining features. The complete telescope weighs around 5.7 lb (2.6 kg) and uses a compact tabletop altazimuth mount rather than a full-height tripod, making it easy to carry outside as a complete unit.
The mount provides simple up-and-down and side-to-side movement, with no polar alignment or complicated setup required. An EZ Finder II reflex sight was included to help locate objects before viewing them through the main telescope.
The main compromise is that the tabletop design requires a stable surface at a suitable height. This is straightforward at home but can be less convenient at a remote observing site. The telescope also includes a standard 1/4″-20 threaded socket, allowing it to be attached to a sufficiently sturdy photographic tripod when a suitable table or other surface is unavailable.
What Can You See Through It?
The GoScope 80mm is at its best when used for low-power, wide-field observing. Its 80mm aperture brings many bright deep-sky objects within reach, while the short 350mm focal length makes it particularly useful for objects that cover relatively large areas of the sky.
Open star clusters are especially suitable targets. The Pleiades, Beehive Cluster and other large clusters fit naturally into the telescope’s wide field, while the Orion Nebula can show its bright central region and surrounding nebulosity under reasonably dark skies. Sweeping through dense star fields is another area where the GoScope’s short focal length works to its advantage.
The Moon is also an easy target, while Jupiter’s four Galilean moons, Saturn’s rings and the phases of Venus are all within reach.
Limitations to Consider
The GoScope 80mm’s biggest optical compromise comes from its very short f/4.3 focal ratio. As an achromatic refractor, it can show noticeable chromatic aberration around bright objects, particularly the Moon and planets. This matters less during the low-power, wide-field observing for which the telescope is best suited.
Its 80mm aperture also limits how much detail can be seen in faint deep-sky objects. Brighter nebulae and star clusters are accessible, but faint galaxies and nebulae remain challenging, especially from light-polluted skies.
The tabletop mount is compact and simple, but it depends on having a stable surface at a comfortable observing height. Attaching the telescope to a photographic tripod provides another option, although the tripod needs to be sufficiently sturdy to keep the view stable.
Overall, the GoScope 80mm makes most sense as a portable, low-power, wide-field telescope rather than as an all-purpose instrument for high-magnification planetary observing.
Who Is the Orion GoScope 80mm Best For?
The Orion GoScope 80mm is best suited to observers looking for a compact, portable telescope for wide-field views of the Moon, brighter star clusters and larger deep-sky objects. Its tabletop mount and short 350mm focal length favor simple, low-power observing rather than high-magnification planetary work, making portability and wide views its strongest advantages.
Specifications
- Optical Design: Achromatic refractor
- Aperture: 80mm
- Focal Length: 350mm
- Focal Ratio: f/4.3
- Objective Coatings: Fully coated
- Mount: Tabletop altazimuth
- Finder: EZ Finder II reflex sight
- Included Eyepieces: 20mm and 10mm
- Included Magnifications: 18× and 35×
- Diagonal: 90° prism diagonal
- Tripod Connection: 1/4″-20 threaded socket
- Assembled Weight: approximately 5.7 lb (2.6 kg)