Which Scope for my 8yr old daughter?

RB (Andrew) · #1 16-03-2006, 10:55 AM

As a few of you may know, I've been thinking about a first scope for my daughter's 8th birthday coming up soon.
She loves astronomy and even wants to sign up to IIS.
I've been talking to a few of you about which scope to buy her but I'd like some wider feedback and opinions from all of you, my friends, here on IIS.

I'll open it up to your opinions and suggestions.

Really appriciate your feedback.

ving (David) · #2 16-03-2006, 11:01 AM

depends on what you want to spend...
how bout an st80 on a alt/az mount?

Dan31415 · #3 16-03-2006, 11:35 AM

Having an eight year old daughter myself, and recently purchased a new scope (after some great advice from the IIS forum) I would recommend the 8 inch SkyWatcher dob. The six inch isn’t that much smaller, the OTA is the same length and the base is about the same. My daughter thinks it is great and 8 inches is enough WOW factor. At eight she is just tall enough to look into the eyepiece by herself. The other thing with the SkyWatcher is that it is finished off much nicer than other dobs for the price. While this may not be an issue for grown men, judging by my daughter’s reaction it is very important for eight year old girls. Now the only disadvantage is the weight, but then an eight year old girl isn’t going to be carrying any telescope by herself anyway and the other option of a tripod would be relatively difficult to carry as well. The dob is also much easier to move around (unless of course we consider a GOTO). The only thing I would add to the Dob pack is a RACI finder – makes it much easier for a child get on target.

Mikezoom · #4 16-03-2006, 11:37 AM

Just give her yours then you will have to buy a NEW scope for yourself.

OTOH, you would obviously want something easy to setup so a small Dob or as Ving said a st80.

Mike.B.

GrampianStars (Rob) · #5 16-03-2006, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ving

depends on what you want to spend...
how bout an st80 on a alt/az mount?

suonds right Ving
my 7yo loves the ED80 on the GPDX mount with GOTO

accordingly it looks like a real telescope

matt · #6 16-03-2006, 12:55 PM

Yeah. Go a refractor. No need at that age to put a downer on the whole thing with collimation ... thermal equilibrium ... blah blah

janoskiss (Steve H) · #7 16-03-2006, 12:56 PM

I vote for an 80mm achro f7.5 on an AZ3, like the ones sold by aoe.com.au for $249.

I think it's important that the child should be able to "own" the telescope, which means handling and carrying it by themselves. The 80mm on an AZ3 would qualify (even if the tripod and scope need to be carried outside separately).

Miaplacidus (Brian) · #8 16-03-2006, 02:17 PM

Dunno about the scope. Probably I'd favour the dob, but the arguments on both sides are good. Mainly I'd suggest something that also had a unit powered finder (something like a Telrad), that makes it easy to point. And perhaps a nice easy low powered eyepiece with plenty of eyerelief.

Whatever you get, paint it a pretty colour.

RAJAH235 · #9 16-03-2006, 05:36 PM

IMHO, the 6" or 8" dob would be a better T'scope. No need for her to worry about 'cool down times', moving in 2 pieces should not be too difficult & bigger, brighter images, than a smaller apertured Refractor. Also has lots more room for that extra bit of personalised paint work or sticker.....

.....

L.
ps. A Telrad would be handy.

janoskiss (Steve H) · #10 16-03-2006, 06:25 PM

My plate glass mirror 8" Dob does need significant cooldown time to perform at its best. A fan is essential to get consistently good planetary views.

dhumpie · #11 16-03-2006, 06:30 PM

Some good suggestions there but I think dobs might be the way to go. They are intuitively easy to use (I just had a semi public viewing session at my driveway last Sat and you should have seen my wife's friends having a ball waltzing with my 10" dob

Its a pity we can't get those Orion StarBlast scopes here cause that would be the ideal scope IMHO. The 80ST on AZ3 sounds good but it involves annoying locking knobs that are hard to tighten down (read this from reviews).....so the best bet..I say the 6" GS dob.....

Darren

cjmarsh81 · #12 16-03-2006, 06:38 PM

Matt is right. I can't see an 8 year old collimating a scope and a refractor is probably the easiest thing for her to use. Although, you could always collimate it for her until she is old enough to do it herself.

asimov (John) · #13 16-03-2006, 06:42 PM

Either the 6 or 8 inch dob (GSO or skywatcher) In my opinion Andrew. As mentioned above: easily carried in 2 sections, reasonable aperture for those Bright DSO's & star clusters. & do get a fan for her.

davidpretorius · #14 16-03-2006, 06:52 PM

I have daughters and will not try and understand how their mind works etc. As you mention, colour is a good thing and will no doubt mean a lot and room for stickers is also important.

At the end of the day, how perfect must the view be in all honesty??? My 6yr old and my wife looks at saturn and goes wow at the rings. She does not pick up issues like a 4 degree temp difference causing thermal tube currents.

Also, how much of the interest in astronomy is "cos Dad does it". This is also an important factor.

So for an 8 yr old, I believe an 8" dob will be the scope, unless she is wanting the scope for serious planetay sketching or imaging and isssues like cool down are important.

Any view she gets or finds and then says proudly "Dad, look what I have found" will bring you running over and sharing the experience, regardless of seeing or tube currents.

.............hmmmmm, who's chest will burst with pride and will have a glisten in the eye????

janoskiss (Steve H) · #15 16-03-2006, 07:23 PM

Please don't buy the Dob, Andrew!

I don't want to be one with a kiddie scope.

Starkler (Geoff) · #16 16-03-2006, 08:12 PM

The six will have the altitude bearing further up the tube than the 8, meaning hieght difference from horizon to zenith will be less. Whether thats a factor for an 8yo I dont know.

Im just thinking of Steve here

matt · #17 16-03-2006, 08:22 PM

Dave ...

Are your 6 year old and wife looking at Saturn through your well collimated scope after the mirror's had a bit of time to reach ambient temp and tube currents have had a chance to settle down?

If the view's not that important how 'bout a 60mm department store/ camera houses scope?

At the end of the day.....

surely an 8" scope's too good for them?

janoskiss (Steve H) · #18 16-03-2006, 08:29 PM

Well, opinion is clearly divided on this. My housemate's 9 y.o. boy is scared of the 8" Dob. Scared to go near it or look through it. He's here every other weekend but it took me and his father a year to convince him to have a look through it. OTOH he was happy to play with a cheapo department store refractor for a while until the flimsy tripod got the better of him.

Best thing would be to take the child to a scope shop or better a star party and let them choose the one they like best.

matt · #19 16-03-2006, 09:06 PM

Right on the money, Steve

It's amazing how often the "try before you buy" settles most debates.

Miaplacidus (Brian) · #20 16-03-2006, 10:26 PM

Andrew, have you thought this through? Wouldn't it be cheaper in the long run to encourage some other hobby. Buy her a horse.