Good telescope for a 16yo?

[Amy14]

Hi there! My daughter is turning 16 soon and has always loved astronomy. She currently has an Astromaster 130. I was thinking for her birthday I might get her a more advanced telescope. Would really love some advice 😊

I am thinking a telescope with more capability for deep sky viewing, and she has expressed some interest in astrophotography, so perhaps something that would be good for that too?

There would be bonus points if it was somewhat portable, as we don’t have a totally unobstructed view at our place.

I was considering a computerised telescope, but wanted advice about whether these are actually liked by most astronomers?

Budget is up to $3000

I realise telescopes probably can’t tick all those boxes… but I would be super grateful if people have any suggestions of great telescopes even if they don’t tick all the boxes.

Thanks so much 😊

[wavelandscott]

I would suggest a 6 or 8 inch Dobsonian mounted reflector. Combined with a small hand truck/dolly and an adjustable height chair and she will be set for life.

This would be a great visual instrument…although a bit limited for astrophotography.

Accumulate eyepieces and other gear over time and enjoy a lifetime of viewing

[Saturnine]

Maybe an GoTo 200mm Dobsonian / Newtonian would be suitable, if your daugther is reasonably fit and healthy enough to manage the set up, not that it is that heavy anyway. The scope would be a decent visual scope and also capable of short exposure deep sky imaging and for the moon and planets, with a smart phone and bracket. Plenty of online resources to show and explain all the details involved.

[Pierre_C]

I think someone already known to be interested in deep sky astronomy would appreciate a telescope with a larger aperture, which would allow them to see more things. I think going from a 5-inch to an 8-inch (200mm) aperture would make a big difference.

I think Dobsonian telescopes provide good value in this regard. Current 8-inch options in Australia include:

Sky-Watcher

‘Classic Dobsonian’ – solid, simple and effective.
‘Collapsible Dobsonian’ – similar viewing experience to the Classic, but takes up less space when transporting. Heavier.
‘Collapsible Goto Dobsonian’ – similar viewing experience to the Collapsible, but able to electronically find and track objects. Much heavier.
https://skywatcheraustralia.com.au/dobsonians

Saxon

Equivalent models are said to be very similar (if not almost identical) to the Sky-Watcher Dobsonians.
https://www.saxon.com.au/telescopes.html/telescope-series/deepsky-dobsonian-series.htm

Celestron

‘StarSense Explorer Dobsonian’ – similar viewing experience to the Sky-Watcher Classic, but with smart-phone assisted object finding. Some would say it has slightly better mechanics than the Sky-Watcher.
https://www.celestron.com/products/starsense-explorer-8-smartphone-app-enabled-dobsonian-telescope

There are also computerised Schmidt-Cassegrain Goto telescopes, which are more expensive:

Celestron

‘Nexstar 8SE computerised Schmidt-Cassegrain’ – much more portable than a Dobsonian telescope and able to electronically find and track objects. More capable for astrophotography than a manual Dobsonian telescope. Just within budget when on sale, but does not leave any money for accessories.
‘Nexstar 6SE computerised Schmidt-Cassegrain’ – more affordable than the 8SE. Some visual gain compared to the Astromaster 130 but not as much visual gain compared to an 8-inch aperture.

I think it would be worth going into a local store to see what you are comfortable carrying around and transporting. Smaller apertures (e.g. 6-inch or 150mm) are easier to move around.

I suggest saving around one third of your budget for accessories.

[AstroJunk]

Awesome parent!

I'd just ask her. When I was 16 I knew exactly what I wanted (not that there was much choice back then!). Enjoy making the decision together :thumbsup:

[DarkArts]

There are plenty of options, but most of 'we amateurs' would have had a Dobsonian (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dobsonian_telescope) ('Dob') at some point, and I think that's what most of us would recommend for someone still developing a taste for the hobby. Dobsonians are also the biggest bang-for-the-buck in visual observing.

A GoTo Dob (i.e. computerised) is, IMHO, best because a 16yo could easily become frustrated and it's a time-saver. Besides, GoTo is cool! Despite some purists arguing the contrary, many experienced astronomers use GoTo.

With a budget of up to $3000, personally, I'd push past the 8 inch (200mm) aperture and go for 10 inch (250mm) - she'll grow into the size. A 16yo should still be able to manoeuvre a 10 inch around a back yard and it will still fit in a small-to-medium hatch so can easily be taken to dark sites. When looked after, that scope will last her at least a decade.

A Sky Watcher 10 inch GoTo Dob lists for around $2300 - $2400, plus shipping, which leaves a few hundred for additional eyepieces (variable cost), a collimator ($65 and up) and a shroud (~$70). Don't bother with expensive covers at this stage - store it inside or in the garage under a small tarp. You may not need the trolley either - a 10 inch isn't that hard to move around.

And now you'll know what to get her for Christmas and future birthdays: more eyepieces!

Here are some listings, but stock seems to be a bit low in places:

Andrews ($2299) - in stock: https://www.andrewscom.com.au/site-section-10.htm - you need to scroll down a bit and, under 'Telescopes ...', click 'Skywatcher', then scroll down to about half way down the page to 10" Computerised collapsible Dobsonian with Wi-Fi.

AstroAnarchy ($2395) - out of stock: https://astroanarchy.com.au/collections/goto-dobsonains/products/skywatcher-10-flextube-250-synscan-goto-collapsible-dobsonian-telescope

OzScopes ($2399) - appears to be out of stock: https://www.ozscopes.com.au/skywatcher-10-go-to-dobsonian-telescope.html

Edit: Optics Central (MEL) ($2399) - in stock: https://www.opticscentral.com.au/skywatcher-10-dobsonian-collapsible-goto-computerised-telescope.html

Edit: Sirius Optics (MEL) ($2599) - out of stock: https://www.siderealtrading.com.au/product/sky-watcher-250p-synscan-goto-collapsible-dobsonian/

Bintel and Testar (two other well-known retailers Edit: that usually carry that telescope) don't currently list the Sky Watcher 10 inch GoTo Dob (probably due to stock issues).

Once you've got the Dob, come back for advice on any extras you may want.

You mentioned astrophotography, but the costs rack up there very quickly, as does the time commitment. If she really wants to go that way, that's a different conversation regarding what-you-can-get-for-$3000.

You are indeed an awesome parent!

[mental4astro]

Deep sky astrophotography (AP) is certainly possible with a goto dobsonian. There is a 12" goto dob for sale here & the seller has included pics they have taken with said scope:

https://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=214716

While tricky for DSO's, imaging the Moon & planets is much easier with an altaz mount, especially if it has goto/tracking as the exposure times are very short.

The learning curve in AP is steep. The scope is the easy part, the trick is the mount & camera, the mount in particular as there is a relationship between scope size & mount for stability & tracking accuracy. There are also technical aspects with scopes that mean more bits & pieces are required to produce pinpoint star images across the field of view & which astro camera... Then comes the image processing. I'm saying this not to bamboozle you but to make you aware of expenses to come so you are not just writing a blank cheque :lol:

If you go with something like an 8" goto solid tube scope (if there are such scopes) or a solid tube dob it will be a standout instrument. I say solid tube because these can then be coupled to a suitable equatorial mount for more serious AP if your daughter wants to. It isn't doubling up as a dob is much easier to do visual with.

Alex.

[sn1987a]

Just putting it out there :D I see there's a hubble optics 18" and some fruit for sale on Astrobuysell for $5400 in Clyde vic.

[Tulloch]

First, ask her what she's really interested in, because that will certainly influence the decision. No one telescope can do everything, however imho this is the one that will do the most.

https://www.opticscentral.com.au/celestron-nexstar-evolution-6-telescope.html

My first telescope (if you want to call it that) was an AstroMaster 130, and it was the worst thing I've ever used. Quite frankly, if she's still interested in astronomy after using one then that's quite an achievement.

My next scope was the Celestron Evolution 6" (linked to above). Perfect for the planets, the Moon, the Sun (with an Eclipsmart filter), and you can use it for the brighter DSO's with an appropriate camera and focal reducer (which you can get later). It's small and lightweight, easily fits into the car boot but packs a serious punch.

The Evolution mount can hold an 8" or 9.25" SCT, and the Goto feature is good (but not perfect). She can put it on a wedge later if she's interested in DSO photography. I would not bother with a manual Dob, sure they are cheap but just the sheer frustration of finding anything and keeping it in the field of view is a turn off for me.

Get an astronomy app for her phone (I use SkySafari Plus for $10 or so) which can also control the Evo mount and a couple of good eyepieces.

I note that there's an Evo mount on the classifieds for just $1000 (in Melbourne), that's a great saving and you can then get the actual optical tube to mount it on elsewhere.

https://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=214367

Andrew