Telescopes...for kids

[Tyjenks]

I know some of you must be familiar with Telescopes. My 7 year-old daughter has mentioned before and asked Santa for a telescope. I cannot spend much at all and was wondering if some of those kid versions for $50 and under are even worth it.

For example, I found this (http://www.telescopes.com/telescopes/refracting-telescopes/tasco50x50refractorw900xmicroscope.cfm)and wonder if you can even see across the street with it. Plus it comes with a microscope. Seems like it has to be crap.

She told me it is best not to look at the sun. She does not plan to look for aliens. She does hope to find the stars, which are actually planets.

[Aeon221]

Get her a decent set of binoculars. They have more uses than telescopes, and at the lower cost range they're better than telescopes for stargazing.

Also, uh, across the street?

[Cubit]

http://www.babble.com/CS/blogs/famecrawler/2007/12/rear-window-spying-neighbor-jimmy-stewart-grace-kelly-alfred-hitchcock.jpg

[Tyjenks]

Also, uh, across the street?

Hehe, well, I was more referring to the lack of power, but that does sound a bit suspect. No one in my neighborhood worth peeping at, really.

[Lunch of Kong]

I had a telescope like that when I was that age.

Because I didn't have a tripod, the only thing I could really check out was the moon. That was pretty cool.

I also discovered that I could unscrew the front element and use it as a very powerful magnifying glass to burn things with.

I had a microscope like that too. I'd slice celery really thin and then look at the cell walls.

[Tyjenks]

I had a telescope like that when I was that age.

Because I didn't have a tripod, the only thing I could really check out was the moon. That was pretty cool.

I also discovered that I could unscrew the front element and use it as a very powerful magnifying glass to burn things with.

I had a microscope like that too. I'd slice celery really thin and then look at the cell walls.
Ueah, she just wants one so she can feel around and experiment with how things work. That's why I'm thinking the quality of the thing is of little import. Hell, those two are probably better and cheaper than anything similar I could have gotten as a kid.

[Tom Ohle]

Our five-year-old got a cheapy kid telescope for xmas last year, and really all we've been able to see is the moon (as King mentioned)... this was even with a tripod. It just doesn't seem to work very well.

[CommunistWalrus]

Going with the cheap one sounds like a safe bet. If it sparks a serious interest in astronomy, you could always buy a nicer one for her birthday. If it turns out to be a passing interest, then you're only out $50.

[Tracy Baker]

Consumer-level telescopes are pretty much worthless for anything other than looking at the moon. Even the bigger models are underwhelming, and they generally come with crappy tripods that make it nearly impossible for kids to accurately point them at anything.

The stuff I got the most use out of as a kid were books that showed the constellations. For a seven-year-old "Find the Constellations" by H.A. Rey (the Curious George creator) is fantastic, and cheap. Get her a super-cheap telescope and that and you'll be set.

[Tyjenks]

The stuff I got the most use out of as a kid were books that showed the constellations. For a seven-year-old "Find the Constellations" by H.A. Rey (the Curious George creator) is fantastic, and cheap. Get her a super-cheap telescope and that and you'll be set.
Oooh, excellent suggestion.

[Calistas]

With a cheapo you should be able to male out Venus is a planet, mars and Jupiter too, on a good night.

Half the fight is also going observing from a place that is really dark. Expeditions can be good fun and produce great observing.

For similar amusement, build a sun dial in your back yard and mark the sun at different times of the day.

[Omniscia]

Why should being a man have anything to do with recognizing Venus as a planet?

[JMR]

Hmmm how about a nice pair of binoculars with a tripod instead of a department store refractor? See this thread (http://www.quartertothree.com/game-talk/showthread.php?t=42891&highlight=telescopes). If her interest in astronomy takes off you can pick up a nice Dobsonian for a few hundred bucks later down the road.

[grahamiam]

If her interest in astronomy takes off you can pick up a nice Dobsonian for a few hundred bucks later down the road.

I tried a cheap telescope for my son but it was a total waste of money. They are just not stable enough to see anything other than the moon. If you do eventually decided on a real kid's telescope, check out the Orion Starblast ($179). We got our kids that and it's awesome. We've observed Jupiter and could make out at least 4 moons, plus Saturn and it's rings. Well worth the money. It also comes with software that will show you the night sky so you can pick out what you want to look at before you go outside.

Orion StarBlast 4.5 $179 (http://www.telescope.com/control/product/~category_id=reflectors/~pcategory=telescopes/~product_id=09814)

[JMR]

Doh! That's what I had in mind, not a Dobsonian.

[antlers]

I tried a cheap telescope for my son but it was a total waste of money. They are just not stable enough to see anything other than the moon. If you do eventually decided on a real kid's telescope, check out the Orion Starblast ($179). We got our kids that and it's awesome. We've observed Jupiter and could make out at least 4 moons, plus Saturn and it's rings. Well worth the money. It also comes with software that will show you the night sky so you can pick out what you want to look at before you go outside.

Orion StarBlast 4.5 $179 (http://www.telescope.com/control/product/~category_id=reflectors/~pcategory=telescopes/~product_id=09814)

That's about right. If you want to encourage her interest in astronomy rather than kill it, you don't want to go with anything cheaper.

[Calistas]

I built my own 10" Dobsonian when I was 12. It was pretty easy really and there are some excellent guides out there. The only challenge is in getting the mirror lined up and that's ok for anyone with even a modicum of brains and handiness with a ruler.