A friend or relative comes to you for advice. They have a child, say 7-12 years old, who has shown some interest in astronomy. They don't have any background in astronomy so they come to you for help.
They want to encourage the child but they don’t have a lot of money to spend on another passing fancy. Say the budget is $100 up to $150 US, maybe, for an upcoming birthday or other occasion. You translate that into whatever currency you like.
What would you suggest and why?
Do you suggest an optical device?
- binoculars
- spotting scope
- travel scope
- refractor
- reflector
- GoTo
- ?????
What other advice do you offer your friend? What else do you recommend to help get the child started properly with the greatest chance of success in this new area of interest on this limited budget?