Telescopes for youngsters

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valerie
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Telescopes for youngsters

Post by valerie »

Anyone have any input on what a good telescope would

be for an 8 year old? He's "interested" in the whole thing,

and I'd like to get him one, but fear breaking the bank on

something he will give up on before too long.

I also don't want to get some cheapie that he can't really

enjoy and loses interest that way, too.

:-6
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Oscar Namechange
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Telescopes for youngsters

Post by Oscar Namechange »

valerie;1331977 wrote: Anyone have any input on what a good telescope would

be for an 8 year old? He's "interested" in the whole thing,

and I'd like to get him one, but fear breaking the bank on

something he will give up on before too long.

I also don't want to get some cheapie that he can't really

enjoy and loses interest that way, too.

:-6
This may be of help Valerie

Children's Telescopes - Mercury 707 Telescope from Sywatcher
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valerie
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Telescopes for youngsters

Post by valerie »

Oh thank you very much... that looks good and the price is pretty good, too!
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spot
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Telescopes for youngsters

Post by spot »

About the only thing an 8 year old is going to find and see with a home telescope is the moon and the horizon. And, admittedly, lots and lots of starts but they're all just points of light. Finding and distinguishing a nebula or a planet with one is a major effort and nothing affordable has tracking motors.

WorldWide Telescope is an alternative worth considering, it gives the entire resources of all the world's top-class telescopes interactively to the extent that the user might be controlling them and it's easy enough for a keen 8 year old to drive. And it can't get stuck in a corner and rust.
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Tombstone
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Telescopes for youngsters

Post by Tombstone »

There's nothing more exciting for an interested youngster in Astronomy than to take his/her telescope out into the cold night air and setup for some planet, planetary moons, the moon, or binary star watching.

Unless he lives in the middle of a big city, looking at planets and the moon can be very satisfying even with the most minimal telescope. He'll probably need some help to get started...but finding planets is easy. There are a hundred websites that will help you do this and several free programs that he can run on his PC.

If mom or dad have a clue to where North and South is...then the rest falls into place finding planets.

A simple refractor would be my first choice for someone under 10. Check out eBay.
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K.Snyder
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Telescopes for youngsters

Post by K.Snyder »

spot;1332011 wrote: About the only thing an 8 year old is going to find and see with a home telescope is the moon and the horizon. And, admittedly, lots and lots of starts but they're all just points of light. Finding and distinguishing a nebula or a planet with one is a major effort and nothing affordable has tracking motors.

WorldWide Telescope is an alternative worth considering, it gives the entire resources of all the world's top-class telescopes interactively to the extent that the user might be controlling them and it's easy enough for a keen 8 year old to drive. And it can't get stuck in a corner and rust.


I was going to say the exact same thing, with different words obviously...

If I were you Valerie I would buy a relatively cheap telescope that would enable him to view the moon, which any would do so long as it's at the very least better than binoculars. Don't suggest you'll get him another and then wait to see if he uses it enough that would satisfy one's questioning as to whether he's innately interested to take his observations further, then buy the boy a prolific one.

Astronomy opens up a vast array of perspective from which enlightenment is soon to follow.

Quite frankly telescopes are either made for observing the moon or for discovering supernovae, none falls in-between.

If my parents could have afforded a good one would have been the greatest gift of my life
fuzzywuzzy
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Telescopes for youngsters

Post by fuzzywuzzy »

pity you don't live where I do valerie. (My boys just used their's, it was a hundred dollars or something) Picked up four planets recently. They have picked up Saturn and it's rings a couple of years ago. and I do detest that I myself saw the rings.

You don't want one that is for horizons, a good telescope should turn the horizon upside down. ummm I have two . I'll find out the makes for you .

normally we don't need one. supernovaes happen before our eyes etc. But it's a bit different here to Europe. I suppose.

but could I make a suggestion? I was going to go for the cheaper ones, but was told if my children have an interest, don't go spoiling it by not allowing them to see the universe . A telescope is to essentially pick up planets not stars. stars are too far away. Buy like you're buying for a teenager. Just don't allow them to use it as a toy ...so it's still there when they are a teenager .
K.Snyder
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Telescopes for youngsters

Post by K.Snyder »

spot;1332011 wrote: About the only thing an 8 year old is going to find and see with a home telescope is the moon and the horizon. And, admittedly, lots and lots of starts but they're all just points of light. Finding and distinguishing a nebula or a planet with one is a major effort and nothing affordable has tracking motors.

WorldWide Telescope is an alternative worth considering, it gives the entire resources of all the world's top-class telescopes interactively to the extent that the user might be controlling them and it's easy enough for a keen 8 year old to drive. And it can't get stuck in a corner and rust. Well, I shouldn't say "exact same thing" exactly as the website you'd provided is very fantastic thank you.
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