Hi Guys! I'm brand new to the forum-I hope I've posted this in the right section-
Firstly-WOW what an amazing site you guys have, I'm thrilled to have stumbled across it!
My dilemma-our little five year old desperately wants a telescope for her 6th birthday! Her grandpa is a pilot and she is fascinated by what is in the sky and beyond...
Where in heavens name do I begin? Although both my husband and I are extremely interested in learning about astronomy, we are complete novices and the research I have done on the net suggests NOT to go into a department store (i was going into Aus Geographic to purchase one prior!). The advice indicates that I will not get a decent product for the amount I have to spend. I stumbled across another thread from awhile ago with a similar theme to mine and there was a lot of talk about 6 and 8 inch dobs, when I searched those terms in google I came across these funny looking telescopes which weren't what I was expecting at all! I found the skywatcher telescopes (which do look like a traditional telescope) but the base model (the one I can JUST afford) apparently only sees the moon clearly and has difficulty in seeing the planets (something my little one is fascinated in seeing).
Quite frankly I don't know where to start, what to do or who to ask-which is why I'm thrilled to have come across your forums!
Any advice will be greatly appreciated, as you can imagine, I am thrilled I have a child who is interested in this and not asking for a Nintendo wii or DS for their birthday, I would like to encourage this interest in her!
Many thanks in advance,
Starcatcher.
Hi Eric,
Thanks for your link! I'll have a look at it shortly! I guess we could stretch the budget to $250...which I know in telescope terms isn't much, but is a lot in 'birthday' budgets! I may be better off buying 2nd hand?
Cheers,
Alicia.
I have six year old twin girls and whilst not "super keen" they have enjoyed looking through my telescope (a 10" 'reflector' - meaning it uses a curved mirror rather than a series of glass lenses - on a Dobsonian mount - i.e. the cheapest sort!) on and off for the last couple of years. However, at that age the big problem is looking through one eye, they really struggle to see things well. The other thing is that you can't use most 'astronomical' telescopes for terrestrial, daytime viewing, particularly reflecting scopes. Not to mention the lack of dark before bedtime for much of the year! I suspect that however keen she is any scope will see only a limited astronomy use.
I would suggest that you either look for a decent pair of binoculars or a spotting scope (which will be a 'refractor' type - it refracts light using glass lenses to magnify your view), which she can use for day and night time use. There may even be spotting scopes which have a 'bincocular' viewer splitting the image to enable you to use two eyes - I don't know much about those though.
If you get binoculars with a tripod mount adaptor (most binoculars will connect to the adaptor via a screw thread in the middle at the front) it will make the night time use much easier, as you can aim them at an object ratehr than her trying to find it.
There won't be anything wrong with binoculars from Australian Geogrpahic (though they are unlikely to be the best deal), the warning about such 'department store' scopes is because they are often sold as whizz bang, but are actually too small to be useful. This doesn't really apply to binoculars or spotting scopes, though of course very cheap ones with plastic lenses will still be pretty useless!
Hi Alicia,
I'm reasonably new to this too, but I'll share a couple of things I've learnt so far.
Don't get a telescope on an equatorial mount, they're too complicated for a five year old to manage. I'm still struggling with mine, and I'm 54.
A Dobsonian scope is much easier to use according to everything I've heard or read, or a telescope on an alt-azimuth mount, which works the same as a dobsonian except it sits on a tripod.
I've just looked at the Andrews site and there is a 6" Guan Sheng Dobsonian reflector for $299. www.andrewscom.com.au/site-section-10.htm
Click on Guan Sheng and then Dobsonian.
I can't comment about the quality of this brand, but it's close to your price range. Someone else here might be able to give their opinion on this.
My reflector is a 5" and I can just make out faint bands on Jupiter, and can see the rings of Saturn but they're a little blurry.
I don't know where you live but the Astronomical society of Victoria has a junior section and the parents can go to meetings with the kids. They're located in Burwood. www.asv.org.au
Click on 'Activity Sections' on the side menu and 'Juniors' is in the list that pops up.
I hope this helps, you'll probably get lots of better info from more cluey IIS members.
Guan Sheng is a good cheap brand (if there is such a thing). Most of their componentry claims higher quality standards than Skywatcher (another reputable but inexpensive brandname). Guan Sheng stuff is better finished than Skywatcher by my reckoning.
However, my vote is with Eric. $/Wow! factor, binoculars win hands down until you start spending thousands. I agree with Eric again, best on a mount, for many reasons, but especially for showing other what you see. Binoculars also allow much easier comprehension of an image between naked eye and magnified too. In fact until you can spin and flip images in your mind (not easy), an upside-down image can easily confuse the beginner.
Binoculars on a mount are the best value for money, visual tool a household can have.
Here I go again. I am not in favour of binocs for kids as they have real problems getting the dioptic setting right and each eyepiece foucsed properly.
As I have said before my kids were pushing my 8" dob around when they were six with no troubles.
Here I go again. I am not in favour of binocs for kids as they have real problems getting the dioptic setting right and each eyepiece foucsed properly.
As I have said before my kids were pushing my 8" dob around when they were six with no troubles.
Good luck
Hear!Hear! Binoculars do not have the wow factors
A nice 4"Dob would be ideal
I found this on the Andrews site, Skywatcher section.
Yes I know it's on an EQ mount, but it has a motor drive, that will track the object you are viewing. (besides, you can use it alt azi if you have to, to save confusion) I like that the optical tube is short and it has enough aperture, 130mm, to be able to view the planets up close and a few of the brighter nebula and galaxies.
Skywatcher 130 x 650P EQ2
$249.00 AUD
with BONUS deluxe single axis motor drive and hand controller!
A nice RCOS 20" RC ?
Seriously, I agree with the 4" dob idea, kids like to see thing pronto.
I have 5 kids and they all like to have an occasional look at the stars.
Thats great your daughter is soo very interested. I just have a question that others might answer though as I have never had a dobsonian or newtonian telescope. I see them used by adults though often grumbling about the regular collimation (alignment of the two mirrors and focuser) needed. Also, the eyepiece location on newtonians or dobsonians requires you to view at the high end of the telescope tube, is this readily achievable by a 6 year old? Mark
Thats great your daughter is soo very interested. I just have a question that others might answer though as I have never had a dobsonian or newtonian telescope. I see them used by adults though often grumbling about the regular collimation (alignment of the two mirrors and focuser) needed. Also, the eyepiece location on newtonians or dobsonians requires you to view at the high end of the telescope tube, is this readily achievable by a 6 year old? Mark
Collimation is a necessary evil, however once you know how, it can be accomplished in a couple of minutes. That said, I don't think you really need to collimate every time if your just doing casual observing.
As for height, I think up to an 8" dob 5 to 7 years will be able to view with both feet on the ground without the need for a stool. Anything closer to zenith then a stool is probably needed.
Whilst binoculars are great (10x42), most kids imo will struggle with its use and trying to fiddle in adjusting the focus. 10x42 (min. size) might be ideal for adults, older kids (10+) 5yrs with smalls hands are just going to struggle.
I think a 6-8" dob is the way to go, but the reality is:
1. they get wow factors with the moon and different phases.
2. they'll get a buzz out of Jup, Saturn, Mars, Venus - but don't expect mass colour.
3. stars will be just pin pricks, some will show colour.
4. Nebulas/galaxies - unless your in dark skies, its going to be a smudge at best - and for kids I don't believe they will get anything out of it.
I'm not trying to persuade you out of this great hobby and I think its fantastic a 5 yr is showing such interest. But kids are kids and they do get bored.
My suggestion if possible is to go to your local club if one is nearby and meet some people, look thru' some scopes to make sure it quenches your childs appetite and your own before committing.
At least with a refractor you it can double up for some terrestrial viewing. Just make sure you don't point it to the sun.
Ask Matty P
He is a 16 year old IIS member who started off with a 3 inch refractor(? birthday present) Hooked since and now has his own observatory
This is his biography in his public profile:
"I started Astronomy with a small 70mm refractor then after seeing Saturn's rings. I immediately upgraded to a 8" SCT. Soon after I got hooked on Astrophotograhpy and fell down the slippery slope of the never-ending equipment TO-GET list. "
A six year old would have no problem using this four inch scope.
Jarred the son of drmorbius (Randall) won an encouragement award for his scope at Astrofest 2007
That's his proud dad sitting in the background
Sorry about the red eye
HELP!!! Telescope for a super keen 5 yr old!
